Location of buried plastic pipes using multi-agent support based on GPR images

Abstract

This work focuses on the generation of tools to aid inspection and identify buried plastic pipes in water supply systems (WSS). In our study we use ground penetrating system (GPR) images as a non-destructive method of obtaining information without altering the system conditions and the environmental characteristics. A viability study for extracting features, and an approach to the above-mentioned application based on multi-agent systems are addressed in this paper. Firstly, we use intensive matrix manipulation of the GPR output for preprocessing the images. As a result, two matrices are produced that classify initial data based on the original radargram of the wave amplitude parameter. Then the plastic pipe characteristics that offer an enhanced likelihood of location are defined. This procedure is evaluated through two case-studies. One study corresponds to a simple case (one pipe) and the other corresponds to various pipes (made of different materials). Both cases were developed under controlled laboratory conditions. The obtained results are promising, and we show that automatic plastic pipe location has been achieved. The main contributions of the procedures proposed in this work are: firstly, highly skilled GPR prospection operators become unnecessary for plastic pipe location using GPR images; and secondly, we have opened a route to further classification that makes use of other methodologies.

Prediction of rutting evolution in flexible pavement life cycle at the road network scale using an air-launched ground-penetrating radar system

“…In pavement engineering, it can be used for many purposes, ranging from physical to geometrical inspections of pavement layers. Amongst the main applications, it is worth citing the evaluation of layer thicknesses [17], the assessment of the damage conditions in Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) [18] and load-bearing layers [19], the monitoring of concrete structures [20], and the location of utilities [21]. Important efforts have been also devoted to the evaluation of the volumetric water content within the whole pavement structure [22], [23] and, more recently, to the assessment of clay content in load-bearing layers [24]- [26].…”

Mapping the spatial variation of soil moisture at the large scale using GPR for pavement applications

“…In that respect, the main GPR‐based applications in pavement engineering include the evaluation of layer thicknesses (Al‐Qadi and Lahouar ), the detection of voids and cracks underneath pavements (Lau, Scullion, and Chan ; Benedetto ), asphalt stripping monitoring (Scullion, Lau, and Chen ), the detection of reinforcing bars (Hugenschmidt and Loser ; Huston et al ) and delamination of concrete (Dérobert et al ; Kalogeropoulos et al ), the location of utilities (Ayala‐Cabrera et al ), and bridge inspections (Benedetto et al ). It is also worth noting the great capability of such instruments to be used together with other non‐destructive techniques, such as the light falling weight deflectometer (Benedetto, D’Amico, and Tosti ), for collecting geometrical, physical, and mechanical properties of subsurface.…”

FDTD simulation of the GPR signal for effective inspection of pavement damages

“…Amongst the main pavement engineering applications, GPR is widely used for the evaluation of layer thicknesses [1], voids detection underneath pavements [2], reinforcing bars monitoring [3 ], pipes location [4], asphalt stripping [5], and bridge inspections [6]. Recent efforts have been devoted towards the analysis of the main causes of pavement structural damages such as the loss of strength in load bearing layers [7], [8] also through highly effective supporting non-destructive tools, e.g., light falling weight detlectometer [9], [10].…”