Politeknik Ungku Omar

UTILITY MAPPING (UDS) INSTRUMENT

2.1 Understand the instruments used for control survey
2.1.1 List the instruments used for the control survey
a. Total Station Instruments
b. Global Positioning System (GPS)

2.2 Understand the instruments used for utilities survey

2.2.1 Explain the Pipe and Cable Locator (PCL) instruments
2.2.2 Explain the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) instruments

2.3 Understand the calibration of detector utility survey

2.3.1 Explain the calibration of detector utility survey
instrument

The tools and methods of locating buried

utilities are quite diverse

Alat dan kaedah untuk mencari utiliti yang ditanam adalah

agak pelbagai.

GPR can be a powerful tool for mapping the

location and depth of metallic, non-metallic,
plastic, concrete and asbestos-concrete
utilities
Mapping with GPR to systematically cover an
area can quickly reveal the distribution and
character of multiple buried utilities
Pemetaan dengan menggunakan GPR adalah amat
sistematik untuk mengawasi kawasan dengan cepat dan
boleh mendedahkan arah saluran serta jenis karakter utiliti
yang ditanam.

Why Use GPR for Utility Mapping

Common practise to locating buried
utilities is energising metal pipes and cables
with electric current and using magnetic
fields sensor as per Pipe Cable Locator (PCL)

For non-metallic element or broken

connection of electric current, GPR provide
alternative approach.
GPR using radio wave signal to
transmitting to ground without any
limitation on type of soil and depth (range
1-15 meter for utility mapping)

NOGGIN GPR Equipment

Noggin 100 MHz
Noggin 250 MHz

Noggin 500 MHz

Noggin 1000 MHz

NOGGIN GPR Equipment

Noggin 100 MHz
Common Application

Geologic mapping and

geotechnical applications
Deep buried utility locating

NOGGIN GPR Equipment

Noggin 250 MHz
Common Application
Buried utility
locating
Archeology
Forensic

NOGGIN GPR Equipment

Noggin 500 MHz
Common Application
Shallow Utility Locating
Archeology
Forensic

NOGGIN GPR Equipment

Noggin 1000 MHz
Common Application
Concrete & Pavement
infrastructure assessment:
road, pavement, concrete
Military UXO and Security
Forensics and Archaeology

 Connect the other end of the display cable to the sensor. Ensure the
cable is routed
correctly; above the lower cross arm on the cart handle and under the
battery tray.
Attach the odometer cable to the sensor
Attach the battery cable to the sensor and the battery. The upper red
light on the
display unit will illuminate indicating that there is power available for
the system.
The system is now ready to use

Start Up
Press any button on the display unit (DVL) to turn the
system on.

Locate

Press

and push.

Use to change Language,

Units, Scale, Date, Time
and Power Off the system.

To access them during

data collection, press the
Pause (||) button. Use to
change Color, Gain, Depth
and turn Filter On and Off.
Press Quit to access
System Settings.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

GPR geophysical
imaging technique for
subsurface mapping
RADAR - an acronym
coined in 1923 for
Radio Detection and
Ranging
The most available
system commercially
is the impulse GPR
system.

All GPR units consist of three main components: a power supply, control
unit and antenna. To understand how these components interact, we must
first understand the definition of a scan. A scan is performed by moving
the antenna across the surface linearly to create a series of
electromagnetic pulses over a given area. During a scan, the control unit
produces and regulates a pulse of radar energy, which is amplified and
transmitted into the subsurface at a specific frequency by the antenna.
Antenna frequency is inversely proportional to penetration depth, which
makes antenna selection the most important step in the survey design
process

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

GPR is a method developed for shallow, high-resolution, subsurface
investigations of the earth. GPR uses high frequency pulsed electromagnetic
waves (from 25 MHz to 2,000 MHz) to acquire subsurface information.

G P R Principle

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

Delay time

Antenna

Position of
the antenna

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

Depth, range and

resolution depends on
factors below:
Radar frequency

High freq. good for shallow

(700 MHz ~ 2 m ~ min. target
size of 1 cm)
Low freq. good for deep
(250 MHz ~6 m ~ min. target
size of 5 cm)

Transmitted power
medium electromagnetic
properties how conductive?
Shape and characteristic of
target

Depth Vs Frequency
Sensor

Frekuensi

Depth

Frekuensi Tinggi

> 1000 MHz

< 0.5 m

Frekuensi
Sederhana Tinggi

400 600 MHz

0.5 m 1.5 m

Frekuensi
Sederhana Rendah

200 400 MHz

1.5 m 2.0 m

Frekuensi Rendah

< 200 MHz

2.0 m 3.0 m

http://undergroundsurveying.com/technology/groundpenetrating-radar-gpr/

A table showing various antenna

frequencies and their corresponding depth
ranges is shown below

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Cross and Mark

Longitude Tracking
Imaging

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Cross and Mark
Most common and very similar method
GPR sensor is moved along sweeps perpendicular
to the anticipated utility axis

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Cross and Mark
GPR sensor is moved along sweeps perpendicular to the anticipated
utility axis

Figure 1

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Cross and Mark
The typical GPR response of a buried pipe or cable is an inverted V
shape
The apex of the V indicates the object location.
Marking the ground at X location defines the point where the GPR
crosses the utility

Figure 2

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Cross and Mark
Implementation at site
No.4 Line was a
Storm Drain Location
No.1, 2 & 3 Line is a
GPR tracking line

Figure 3

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Cross and Mark

Actual image display in Digital Video Line (DVL)

These transects shown which were part of the sweeps to locate
the pipe.
The pipe axis and Xs are marked in Diagram below.

Figure 4

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities

Longitudinal Tracking

Approach is use to look for unusual or changed in buried utility

character along the utility path.
Helping in identify changes in depth, potential break, junctions, changes in
construction or leaks depending on the utility type and environmental setting.
A longitudinal tracking usually follows a cross and mark sequence. The GPR is
moved along directly over the utility by traversing a line that joins the surface
markings as depicted in Figure below
The buried utility alignment need to be define, surveying along the alignment
(i.e. joint the Xs) can yield detailed construction information.

Figure 5

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Longitudinal Tracking
GPR Profile along Line 4 (in Figure 3) following the Storm Drain
alignment defined by the data in Figure 6.
The Pipe slope and diameter can be determined

Figure 6

Delay Time

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

Position of
the antenna

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

impulse GPR works by

sending electromagnetic
energy in very short pulse
into the ground.
Reflected signal captured
by the receiver after hitting
an object in the ground is
process to produce a
hyperbolic image.
Depth is obtained from the
calibrated radar two way
travel time between the
transmitter and the utility

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Imaging
Testimonial Site : Site of complex subsurface condition
GPR Grid established in the area

Figure 8

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Imaging
Merging all the data to create a volume image, slice maps at
different depth make long linear consistent transect-totransect features readily visible

Figure 9

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Imaging

For site condition wheres there is no information what is buried o

the ground condition are complicated, Imaging approach is the best
addressing these changing conditions.
In an imaging survey, data collected over an area on rectilinear gr
of lines such as depicted in Figure 7

Figure 7

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Imaging

Depth slices at 0.5 m and 1.1 m for the grid survey

The line feature at Y 2.5 m to 3m is a buried electrical power

cable feeding the light standards

The feature at 12.5 m is a water sprinkler line. The feature at Y
7.5 to 10 m in the 1.1 m slice is a concrete storm drain

Figure 10

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Positioning
In some instances, the coordinates of subsurface features are
needed to allow adding the located facility to maps and database
for future access. The several ways of achieving positioning:
Using traditional land surveying via total station
Using GPS Survey
Modern GPR system allow integration of the GPR data with all these
types of positioning system.

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Positioning
A GPS configured system is shown
in
Figure 11.
The key factors determining the
method
to employ are cost, accuracy
required
and efficiency of use

Figure 11

Methodology for Using GPR to

Locate Buried Utilities
Summary
GPR provides a powerful utility mapping method.
Ability to use the method depends on a good grounding in
the basic principles, common sense, and experience. What
appears complex and intimidating becomes simple and routine
with a little practice