When sewer pipes crack and leak, the surrounding ground becomes saturated and soil can migrate into the pipe and leave behind a void. Eventually this void can expand until it undermines the pavement or other structures forming a sinkhole. The same ground penetrating radar technology being used by geophysicists to perform subsurface characterization and by the military to detect roadside bombs in being adapted to detect these voids before they reach the surface. Researchers at Louisiana Tech University are developing a robot to traverse sewer pipes and scan around the pipe for potential voids using the GPR. The research is being performed with $3M from NIST and $3.2M from Cues, Inc. a Louisiana sewer inspection company. Additional trials are slated to take place this month. [Source: NOLA.com. Image: AP File Photo/Mark Was via dailyreporter.com]
Related Articles
Hutchinson, Kansas Sinkhole – Site of Former Salt Mine
August 24, 2009
rockman
Geologic Hazards
Comments Off on Hutchinson, Kansas Sinkhole – Site of Former Salt Mine
Radar survey of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings opens up new possibilities for lost tomb finds
March 10, 2014
rockman
Geoarchaeology
Comments Off on Radar survey of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings opens up new possibilities for lost tomb finds
1 Comment
Comments are closed.
Using the most recent improvements, now we will see quite a few useful purposes for ground penetrating radar and these multi-purpose radar units are actually becoming made and developed by many firms worldwide.
Thanks.
Concrete xray