Experimental analysis of the resolution in shallow GPR survey

摘要

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a high resolution surveying method applied to civil engineering, surface geology, archaeology and other disciplines. Today, GPR is an effective technique for investigating the integrity of concrete structures. As a non destructive technique, it is particularly suited for the assessment of large structures such as prestressed concrete bridges, highways, railway tracks and tunnels. A significant parameter in GPR high frequency surveys is the horizontal resolution. This parameter indicates the capability of the method to detect anomalies and to discriminate between adjacent elements. In concrete structures analysis the horizontal resolution lead to determine the exact position of reinforcing elements. This paper presents the basics of GPR, its limits, and the experimental measurements and the signals post-processing performed in order to determine the horizontal resolution of a 1.6 GHz antenna in concrete structures assessments.