Jordan, Turkey and Huelva are the three sites where the members of the research group of Geology Applied to Engineering, from the University of Oviedo are working on. The group, led by Professor Daniel Arias, has been hired to develop the geological model to build a wind farm near the city of Petra, in Jordan, and also to design a new subway line in Istanbul. Geologists and engineers are also finalizing the process to determine the volume of the Riotinto mining site in Huelva, which in a few months is expected to start its mining activity.

The engineering Company Idom, has hired the services of this group of experts of the University of Oviedo, to supervise the geological and geotechnical details of the works to build a wind farm three kilometers away from Petra, in Jordan. This group of researchers has supervised the drilling works and elaborated the necessary geological models to safely install windmills. The works are expected to finish next May.

The second project that is being carried out with the Idom Company is the design of the necessary geological models to build a new subway line in Istanbul, which will link the airport to the popular Gold Horn Turkish city. The first section of this line, whose studies are being developed by geologists and engineers of the University of Oviedo, is 17 km long and will cross the historic quarter of the city of Istanbul.

It is actually a very difficult project, as we are dealing with a complex subsoil, explains Daniel Arias. We actually find the soil is very similar to the one in Asturias, as in the northern part we also have soils rich in coal, although in the southern part, we would find areas dating from the tertiary period with younger soils, similar to those in Gijón, explains the expert. The presence of soft materials, in contact with harder ones, makes it necessary to design a very accurate geological model that allows to create the right pattern for the tunneling machines, as it is impossible to carry out blasting operations.

The analysis of characterization of materials will also be carried out in the laboratories of the scientific and technical services of the University of Oviedo. It is not the first time that the group of Geology Applied to Engineering works on a similar project. The have been working for more than a year on the design of the geological models of a subway line that will cross the old part of the city of Riad, in Saudi Arabia.

On the other hand, the research team is finalizing the works to determine the volume of the Riotinto mining site in Huelva, which will shortly take up its activities to extract between 150 and 200 tons of copper in an open-pit mine. Thanks to the software developed by Professor César Castañón, the researchers can give an accurate evaluation not only of the amount of minerals existing and their location, but also of the best exploitation conditions. The same tools are being applied to evaluate the mineral resources in Angola, alongside with other engineering companies.

Research Group

• Daniel Arias, professor of the Department of Geology
• Carlos López Fernández, professor of the Department of Geology
• Luis Alberto Pando González, professor of the Department of Geology
• César Castañón Fernández, professor of the Department of the Mining Exploitation and Prospecting
• Álvaro Rubio Ordóñez, professor of the Department of Geology
• Luis María Díaz Díaz, intern of the Department of Geology
• Iker Martínez, intern of the Department of Geology
• Claudia Prada, intern of the Department of Geology

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Drilling operations near the city of Petra to build a wind farm.