Applications of Ground Penetrating Radars
They’re quite a few
Previously we’ve talked about what a Ground Penetrating Radar is and how it works. We’ve also briefly covered some of its applications. Below, we’ll spend some time to list out the various ways and areas of how a GPR system can and should be used.
Utility Mapping & Urban Planning
Chances are you’re probably reading this from a city, somewhere on planet Earth. We’re also willing to bet you’re not really happy with the way your city is built. In other words, there’s a desperate need for smarter and more sustainable city planning.
This is where ground penetrating radars come in.
They enable data-driven decisions for public spaces to ensure health & safety, cost effectiveness and damage control.
With a GRP unit, road workers can quickly locate all underground features of any roads, be it pipes, cables or pits. They can also minimise costs by pinning points of interest for drilling and digging.
Not only monetary costs, but also time can be saved by improved job execution, removing the trial and error periods for finding underground facilities.
After a thorough mapping and documentation of the underground points of interest, workers can provide teams on future projects with the necessary information for carrying out their jobs quickly, safely and cost-efficiently.
Road & Bridge Stability Assessment
Infrastructure maintenance is a high priority task for ensuring public safety — roads and bridges are under constant strain from heavy traffic, weather conditions and subsurface processes.
A ground penetrating radar can be used to:
- Evaluate the structural integrity of constructions.
- Detect and mark cracks and holes.
- Spot underground pits and sinkholes before developing fully thus preventing damaging vehicles and potential injury.
- Provide basis for informed decisions on structural reconstruction plans.
- Reduce costs for city planners who wish to prolong the life of key infrastructural features.
Environmental studies
Environmental sciences are expanding their toolset for data gathering. Radar technologies are indispensable for every scientist studying our environment. GPRs can detect minute changes in a material structure so it is a perfect tool for exploring natural phenomena.
They can be used for things like:
- Stratigraphy and strata outlining
- Studying methane pocket formation
- Detecting underwater flows
- Understanding rock structure and composition
- Cave exploration
- Glaciology — ice thickness measurements and polar snow study
- Subsurface gas and water pocket detection
- Bathymetry
(we’ll make a short pause to let you google that one)
Archaeology
From classical archaeology to industrial archaeology to hobbyist surveys in your backyard, GPR offers high resolutions at great penetration depths for object detection. The non-destructive nature of the technology ensures no damage is done to fragile relics, protecting our cultural heritage.
Pottery, jewellery, tools or weapons as small as 1cm can be easily detected. GRPs have been used in the past to uncover lost cities, burial sites and places of worship.
They can also detects any walls or cavities with ease, helping you map ancient living areas, public sites or other structures of cultural importance.
Forensics
Law-enforcement and rescue services can benefit greatly from the UWB radar technology — the form factors and non-destructive methods of obtaining information about objects may prove vital to investigators. The technology can detect all kinds of objects including tunnels, buried weapons or victims.
GPRs have been used for:
- Detecting survivor movement in rubble.
- Detecting bodies without excavating.
- Buried weapon identification
Mining
Mining is a high-impact industry that has enormous effects on the environment, local communities, workers and the economy. That is why it’s important mine sites are well-researched and decisions about drilling are data-driven.
GPR can be the enabling factor in sustainable mining practices, such as:
- Mine site suitability evaluation.
- Rock mass stability.
- Overburden determination.
- Mineral exploration.
- Tunnel design.
Construction and Utility Repair & Installation
Construction managers can benefit from GPR to ensure project expenditure optimisation, their team’s safety and the structural integrity of their constructions.
Refurbishing old buildings and real-estate repairs, where features in walls and flooring are unknown are a perfect use case for wall penetrating radars. Utility installations such as wires or fiber optic cables can now be carried out safely and cost efficiently.
- Construction site stability assessment.
- Find canals for wiring and cables.
- Avoid drilling over wires or rebars.
Military
Historically, the reason why ground penetrating radars are so widely used today is because of the enormous amount of resources poured into research and development in the 1970’s. By the military. Even today, GPRs are used for mine and IED detection, saving the lives of countless soldiers and civilians across the globe.
General-purpose object and movement Detection
Ultra wide band radars have a very high dynamic range and can detect movements as subtle as breathing patterns.
Although called ground radars or geo radars, the technology is very sensitive in air as well and can find a variety of novel applications.
At Oerad, we encourage such novel uses of the technology and are happy to collaborate with you in the development of such products.
Thanks for reading! Can you think of any other uses for a GPR? Let us know in the comments below. Also, do check our website for more info on our product and services.
