Following the series of earthquakes in Granada province since last Saturday, the Spanish engineers’ association Asociación de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos called for a thorough review of structural safety. On 19 August 2026, board member Ramiro Aurín Lopera, said Spain was not fully implementing European seismic design rules and should use the current events as an opportunity to carry out an “auditoría forense” – a forensic assessment of infrastructure and particularly heavily used public buildings. He also proposed additional inspections of residential and other buildings aged 40 or over.
The debate was prompted by a sequence of small to moderate earthquakes and aftershocks in the area of the Vega de Granada. The Instituto Geográfico Nacional reports continuing seismic activity in and around the provincial capital; the authorities of the Junta de Andalucía are providing the public with guidance on preparedness and what to do. Any damage is being assessed locally. Experts are focusing on facilities whose continued operation is vital in an emergency: hospitals, schools, energy and water supplies, transport routes and dams are considered priority infrastructure to protect.
On the technical side, Aurín refers to the Eurocodes (Eurocódigos) as the technical framework. Spain has incorporated the European standards into its regulatory framework through the Código Estructural and national annexes; in practice, however, there are gaps in design, procurement and inspection, particularly for existing buildings, he argues. A systematic forensic assessment of existing structures should quantify risks, set priorities for retrofitting and provide a basis for more transparent investment decisions. This would apply in particular to infrastructure classified as critical.
Areas in Spain considered to face an elevated seismic risk include the Vega de Granada and the Valle del Segura in Murcia. Against this background, Aurín argues for mandatory special inspections of heavily used public buildings and additional inspections of older homes to identify weaknesses and target retrofitting. It remains unclear whether, and to what extent, regional or local authorities will extend inspection requirements at short notice or introduce funding programmes for strengthening buildings. A clear distinction must be made between verified findings – current measurements and structural condition – and the assessments derived from them by associations and experts. The political balancing of safety standards, costs and implementation deadlines is still to come; the recent tremors have nevertheless made the urgency of action more apparent.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).