During November and December 2015, GEOINTEC, SONDEAL and GEOCONSULT has conducted a geotechnical study for a solar thermal plant in Camarones, Chile.
Camarones Solar Thermal Plant is located in the commune of Camarones, Arica and Parinacota Region, which is the northernmost region of Chile. The plot that will house the plant covers an area of 632 ha. It will consist of a solar plant with central power tower receiver, heliostat field system and heat storage salts with a power of 100 MWe. The scope of the study conducted was as follows:
- Identify constraints and geotechnical problems of the site under study.
- Study of natural hazards. Identify and define the geological risks and assets geomorphological processes that may affect the new project. Geomorphological mapping include the following: escarpments or unstable areas, drainage channels, alluvial fans, processes of rapid erosion or deposition, dissolution or subsurface forms acarcavamiento, endorreicas surface areas with accumulation of salts: sabkkhas, salt and salt crusts, discharges due to human activity, rocky outcrops and evaluation of the effects of weathering processes, presence of unstable soils or very low bearing capacity.
- Campaign geotechnical surveys of up to 50 meters depth, with SPT dynamic penetration tests and pressuremeter tests by OYO Elastometer probe.
- Provide knowledge of geotechnical characteristics of the land, according to the project structure.
- Existing zoning different lithologies in order to define the most appropriate foundations in each project area.
- Determine the geotechnical parameters of each lithology detected for project design, where different solutions according to the foundation load stresses are discussed.
- Recommendations for foundations of structures. Findings in relation to the overall stability of the foundation bearing capacity against the sinking, boot, horizontal ground failure, and structural failure.
- Determine levels of corrosion and aggressiveness of the land to the maximum depth of execution of foundations.
- Geophysical surveying by seismic MASW and DOWNHOLE to determine the speed of the shear waves, and by CMD- Explorer (Multidepth conductivity meter).
