Infrasense single antenna setup for high-speed GPR surveys
Boston, MA (PRWEB) August 13, 2014
Infrasense has recently completed a subsurface pavement structure investigation of 21 sections of pavement throughout Fort Hood, Texas. The project utilized Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) testing to determine the pavement layer thickness and layer structure, and Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing to determine CBR values. The purpose of the GPR and FWD testing was to support rehabilitation planning and design.
Infrasense performed the GPR data collection in just two days using a highly efficient vehicle-based GPR data collection system traveling at normal driving speeds. All data was synchronized with a Global Positioning System (GPS) to provide coordinate locations for the detected pavement thicknesses and accurately locate pavement layer thicknesses at the FWD test locations. A key advantage of the GPR results was the continuous structure information provided in the areas of FWD test locations. Because many of the pavement sections had undergone repair work such as full depth patching, the structure wasn't perfectly uniform; the GPR results, though, provided accurate structure information at exact FWD test locations, while highlighting areas that weren't representative of the overall pavement structure of each section.
Infrasense has played a key role in the development and implementation of GPR for pavement assessments over the past 27 years. Currently, the most common application of this state-of-the-art technology is the determination of pavement layer thickness because, unlike traditional coring, GPR requires no lane closures and provides a timely and cost-effective means of collecting continuous thickness data. This data may be used for network-level pavement management, project-level rehabilitation design, or quality assurance of newly constructed pavements. Infrasense surveys have covered over 10,000 lane miles of pavement. Projects range in size from less than 100 miles along the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a survey of 3,500 miles for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
At the network level, GPR can provide layer structure data used to identify homogeneous sections and to compute the remaining life of segments of the network. Computation of remaining life enables highway agencies to optimize their programming and planning of pavement rehabilitation. A number of agencies have implemented GPR at the network level, including the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) and the Oklahoma DOT.
Many GPR pavement thickness studies focus on supporting FWD operations. Pavement strength evaluations using a Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) provide useful data to pavement engineers for estimating remaining life and planning rehabilitation. Accurate pavement layer thickness data enhances FWD pavement strength evaluations, since thickness data is required for calculation of the pavement moduli. Thus, the availability of GPR data can provide a better estimate of the remaining life of a particular pavement and can enable more accurate planning decisions.
About Infrasense, Inc.
Since 1987, Infrasense, Inc. has applied state-of-the-art technologies to address the most difficult challenges in subsurface scanning. Infrasense’s engineers are able to nondestructively extract critical information from a diverse range of structures. In addition to providing ongoing subsurface evaluation services to clients across the country, the firm has also conducted numerous research programs to advance the field of subsurface detection and non-destructive evaluation.