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Ground Radar in Engineering
Ground Radar (also known as Ground Penetrating Radar, GPR, Ground Probing
Radar and Surface Penetrating Radar) can effectively be used to
locate and distinguish subsurface features such as cables, pipes, concrete
reinforcements
and underground storage tanks. Excavated areas, back-filled areas and
any other ground disturbances can readily be identified and mapped.
At a smaller spatial scale, Ground Radar can be used to
detect and inspect fractures and faults in building materials, roads
and bridges. GPR has successfully been utilised to investigate
and characterise the subsurface and subsurface features in fields such
as
environmental
detection, surficial geology, forensics and archaeology.
The following is a brief list of the more common uses of Ground Radar:
Service Location |
Ground Radar is the only non-destructive technology that can identify
non-metallic as well as metallic subsurface utilities. It is suitable
for the location of services including water, sewer, gas, electric,
telephone and fibre optic. By identifying the location of all services
prior to construction and excavation works, the risk of costly damage
and the safety hazard to workers can be minimised. |
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Concrete Mapping |
Ground Radar can map rebar and locate voiding
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Ground Radar can be used to inspect concrete floors, walls, decks,
slabs, tunnels, balconies, warehouses and garages. It can locate
rebar, tendons, conduits, voids and measure slab thickness. In
most cases,
this can
be achieved
with access to
one side of the concrete element only. It is often essential to know the position
of obstructions in the concrete before drilling, cutting or coring. |
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Chimney Flue Location |
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When undertaking property restoration and improvement works, it
is often desirable to know the position of chimney flues. Ground
Radar provides a quick and non-intrusive method of locating and
mapping chimney flues. The results can either be marked on site
or onto CAD drawings.
Survey to locate
chimney flues |
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Roads, Runways and Pavement Surveys |
Ground Penetrating Radar can determine pavement thickness (asphalt
and concrete), detect voids underneath the road pavement, identify
debonding
between
layers and determine layer
thickness. GPR is also a useful technique in surveying road
reinstatement. |
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Buried Objects |
GPR can be used to locate underground storage tanks (UST),
grave location, forensic investigations and a wide variety of other
buried objects. |
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Hazardous Waste |
Having successfully located
buried pipes, drums and underground storage tanks, Ground Radar
can, under the right conditions, be used to identify the extent
of
any leakage
and contamination. Likewise, the
extent of landfill sites can also be determined. |
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Foundations |
Ground Radar is a useful tool for the location, investigation
and determination of the extent of footings and foundations. The
number
of trial pits required to determine foundation and footing detail
can be greatly reduced, saving both time and money.
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Archaeology |
Using Ground Radar to map the subsurface, the location of possible
archaeological artifacts, bones, etc. can be identified. |
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