Utility Mapping & Detection
The Easy Locator/GPR is a multi purpose tool. Equipped with suitable antennas it can be used for almost any subsurface utility engineering or locating project. GPR is not designed to replace radio frequency pipe and cable locators but is a necessary compliment. How? By detecting non-metallic or non-conductive utilities such as PVC, or other plastics, concrete, terracotta, and more. The listed applications below are just a few examples where the Easy Locator can be successfully used.
- Plastic Gas pipes
- Ductile iron or ACP water lines
- Plastic sewer and water lines
- Telecom fiber w/o tracer
- Lost duct banks or vaults
- Distribution heating / cooling
Performance of a Subsurface Utility Engineering or locating project involves:
- Review of all existing drawings to get an idea of what you can expect to find
- Visual Inspections of manholes to get a more precise idea of pipe diameters, depths and general direction pipes are heading
- Use of Electro Magnetic methods to locate and trace metallic/conductive utilities
- Use of Ground Penetrating Radar to scan the area for unknowns and non-conductive utilities and other unknown obstructions
- Perform vacuum excavation to verify utility locations and determine the exact depth, size, and material type of a utility
The use of Ground Penetrating Radar provides:
- A possibility to locate non-metallic objects
- Scanning of large areas without prior knowledge of utility locations
- Clear paths for investigations prior to drilling (horizontal drilling)
- Utility positioning
- Utility depth
Concrete Non Destructive Testing & Bridge Deck Investigation
For applications like concrete testing and bridge deck investigations the RAMAC/GPR high frequency system or the CX System provides a state-of-the-art tool with user-friendly, high performance technology. The system is with benefit applied to:
- Quality Assurance Control of new structures
- Inspection of the inside of new construction
- Inspection of the inside conditions of existing constructions for rehabilitation purposes
- Inspection of walls, floors, decks
- Inspection of support columns & beams
- Inspection of tunnel walls, roofs, inverts
- Inspection of parking lots, garage
- Location of re-bars, conduits, tension cables
- Location of voids behind walls, under the concrete
- Mapping the thickness of concrete layers
- Mapping the thickness of bridge decks
- Detects metal and non-metallic objects
- Location and identification 50/60Hz power cables
Road Investigation
- Mapping the thickness of asphalt and concrete pavement, overlays, base layers
- Mapping structure of asphalt and concrete pavement,
- Location of voids under pavement
Introduction to Borehole Radar
Borehole radar is based on the same principles as ground penetrating radar systems for surface use, which means that it consists of a radar transmitter and receiver built into separate probes. The probes are connected via a cable (optical or coaxial) to a control unit used for time signal generation and data acquisition. The data storage and display unit is normally a Lap Top computer, which is either an integral component or is built into the circuitry of the control unit. Borehole radar instruments can be used in different modes: reflection, crosshole, surface-to-borehole and directional mode. Today's available systems use centre frequencies from 20 to 250 MHz.
Radar waves are affected by soil and rock conductivity. If the conductivity of the surrounding media is more than a certain figure reflection radar surveys are impossible. In high conductivity media the radar equation is not satisfied and no reflections will appear. In crosshole- and surface-to-borehole radar mode measurements can be carried out in much higher conductivity areas because no reflections are needed. Important information concerning the local geologic conditions are evaluated from the amplitude of the first arrival and the arrival time of the transmitted wave only, not a reflected component.
Borehole radar applications include:
- Geological investigations
- Engineering investigations
- Environmental investigations
- Hydropower dams investigations
- Fracture detection
- Cavity detection
- Karstified area investigation
- Salt layers investigations
- Dipole reflection surveys
- Crosshole surveys
- Surface to borehole surveys
- Difference tomography surveys
Geological & Mining Applications
- Deep bedrocks profiling
- Karst mapping
- Fractures characterization
- Sedimentological studies
- River & lake bottom profiling
- Polar research
- Bathymetry studies
- Soil & aggregate mapping
- Ground water resources
- Underground mining mapping
Environmental Applications
- Groundwater resources
- Site assessment
- Hazardous Waste site assessment
- Landfills delineation
- Underground Storage Tank (UST) location
- Underground Storage Drums location
Geotechnical Applications
- Civil Engineering
- Earth Dams studies
Archaeological Applications
- Location of ancient buildings, foundations and related vestiges
- Archaeological Site Assessment
Forensics & other Applications
- Buried goods, clandestine graves
- Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) detection
