Grounds with caverns do represent an important problem, for which there is no technical solution up to these days, as there are not efficient investigation and analysis equipments able to solve the problem. In volcanic areas it is quite frequent the existence of caverns in rock. In this paper, first of all, some considerations of the origin and main types of grounds with caverns in volcanic rocks are done. After these considerations, a theoretical study is done, making a quantitative analysis of the caverns, considering the proportion of the volume of caverns in relation to the total ground volume, as well as the size distribution of them. Finally, an estimation of the ultimate bearing capacity and the safe bearing capacity is done for a shallow foundation on that type of ground with caverns.
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