Geophysical detection of cavities in subsoil studies for building

Several studies of cavity detection by geophysical methods, mainly with ground penetrating radar, are presented in this paper. They are in conncetion with the requirements of the construction industry (buildings, roads, urban infrastructures, etc.), environmental studies or research tests. Most of them correspond to Oviedo surroundings in the Asturias region (Northern Spain). Some types of cavities exhibit a characteristic geophysical response to local effects. I consider a classification in two general types: artificial originated cavities and natural cavities. Most of the artificial cavities can be attributed to a mining origin or infrastructures, and the correspondents to a natural origin are related to different geological contexts: cavities in cretaceous sands and karstic cavities.