E-ELT project: geotechnical investigation at Cerro Armazones

The design and construction of large telescopes include significant geotechnical challenges. In order to guarantee reliable and stable operations, a giant telescope like the European - Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) requires a foundation performance according to the level of accuracy of the other telescope's components. This paper describes the main geological and geotechnical activities conducted on site along with the studies completed in specialized geotechnical laboratories with the objective to achieve a thorough characterization of the ground conditions. This study shows that, the properties of the foundation materials are appropriate to guarantee a good performance of the E-ELT.