Developing a much deeper understanding of road condition: Ground penetrating radar surveys are being employed in Southampton, with detailed information on road substructure condition to allow important decisions to be made

摘要

Surface and structural condition data provided by SCANNER, SCRIM and deflectograph surveys only give part of the picture of the health of roads. In Southampton, ground penetrating radar (GPR) is being used to gather important information on pavement substructures, bringing benefits to maintenance planning and scheme design. GPR is a non invasive geophysical survey technique which uses electromagnetic wave energy to build a 'picture' of the structure, depth and condition of highway pavement and its foundation layers. As well as mapping construction changes and pavement thickness, it will also identify features of interest and hidden defects, moisture content, information on trench lines and old repairs. Surveys are quick, usually conducted from a vehicle moving at traffic speed without traffic management.