Gpr is a safe, non-invasive tool used to locate underground structures and materials such as pipes, conduits, cables, wires, and other items without disrupting the surface. It offers several key advantages over traditional digging methods, including avoiding cost and environmental disruption to the site and providing real-time results that can be analyzed in the field.

Gpr operates by emitting electromagnetic waves into the subsurface and capturing their reflections at different frequencies as they pass through differing materials. These reflections are then interpreted to produce subsurface data which can be displayed in radar plots. These radar data are highly detailed, allowing for the identification of subsurface objects and their properties.

Demystifying GPR: How Ground-Penetrating Radar Works

The type of material and structure under investigation dictates the amplitude, frequency and resolution of the reflected signals. The relative permittivity of the materials also influences the strength and speed of the EM waves as they traverse the material, which affects the depth of detection.

In construction, GPR can be used to scan and identify rebar, helping to ensure proper placement during the building process. It is also commonly used to locate utilities before excavation. It can be a valuable tool for archeology, locating buried artifacts and remains of ancient civilizations.

Aside from the obvious benefit of being a non-invasive technology, GPR is quick and easy for trained technicians to operate. It can also be used in conjunction with GPS to record hyper-accurate location information — a critical capability when precision matters on a construction site. In addition, the size of a GPU unit can be as small as handheld or even lawnmower-size, making it easy to transport to a remote site and then easily attached to a drone or robotic vehicle for imaging.