U.S. Department Ground Penetrating Radar for Railroad of Transportation Track Substructure Evaluation Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research and Development Washington, DC 20590 FRA/ORD-05/04 ‘October 2005 This document is available to the U.S. public through the National Technical Information Service Springfield, Virginia 22161NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof iiREPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Ee ae peel eo 2 ena Se ie Age aunt Sn tenon ee Pizked 90 oT RETURN YOUR Ai 70 He ABOVE sons. Fr-REPORT DATE (DD-AMILYYY¥) |. REPORT TYPE 5: DATES COVERED (From To) 18-10-2005 Final Report Apri 2001—August 2004 FeTITLE AND SUBTITLE [ba. CONTRACT NUMBER DTFR53-05-P-00394 |Ground Penetrating Radar for Railroad Track Substructure Evaluation ip" ©), °, o rn 7-PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) [8 PERFORMING ORGANIZATION (© Emest T. Selig, Inc." Consultan/Scientist GeoRecovery Systems, Inc REPORT NUMBER. 105 Midale St. 1950 Mt. Zion Drive 425 Violet St Hadley,MA01035 Golden, CO 80401 Golden, CO 80401 5, SPONSORINGIMONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS{ES) [70- SPONSORMONITOR'S ACRONYMS) 1U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research and Development F17- SPONSORINGMONTTORING: 1120 Vermont Avenue NW ern horea) Washington, DC 20590 Fiz DISTRIBUTION AVALABILITY STATEMENT This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. ria ABSTRACT Tins report presents the results of the first three phases of a multiphase project to adapt Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to railroads for use in developing useful indices of substructure condition and performance. Included sre brief discussions of some basic GPR principles, as well as data processing and modeling techniques that are applicable to raioad surveys. The railway GPR equipment js mounted on a hi-rail vehicle and includes multiple sets of 1-GHz air-launched horn antennas suspended above the track that permit fast survey travel speeds and high resolution measurements to a depth of | to 2 m. The multiple sets of antennas provide transverse and longitudinal measurements of the track substructure, This report presents example results from more than 200 miles (320 km) of surveys to demonstrate the capabilities and applicability of GPR to assess railway track substructure (ballast, subballast, and subgrade) conditions and to produce quantitative indices of railway track substructure condition for use in track substructure maintenance management efforts Fs, SUBJECT TERMS Railroad, substructure, ground penetrating radar, track maintenance, ballast, subballast, subgrade, non-destructive testing [16 SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF Sa: NONE OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON James P. Hyslip TEFORT —[o-ABSTRAGT = THS PAGE Fab: TELEPONE NUMBER (cud rea odo) Unclassified |Unclassitfied [Unclassified 413-268-8700 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Proerbed by ANSLSIS 250-48,Abstract This report presents the results of the first three phases of a multiphase project to adapt Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to railroads for use in developing useful indices of substructure condition and performance. The report includes brief discussions of some basic GPR principles, as well as data processing and modeling techniques that are applicable to railroad surveys. The railway GPR equipment is meunted on a hi-rail vehicle and includes multiple sets of 1-GHz air-launched hom antennas suspended above the track that permit fast survey travel speeds and high resolution measurements to a depth of 3 to 6 ft(1 to 2m). The data from the multiple sets of antennas provide transverse and longitudinal measurements of the track substructure. The report presents example results from more than 200 miles (320 km) of surveys to demonstrate the capabilities and applicability of GPR to assess railway track substructure (ballast, subballast, and subgrade) conditions and to produce quantitative indices of railway track substructure condition for use in track substructure maintenance management efforts. KEYWORDS: Railroad, substructure, Ground Penetrating Radar, track maintenance, ballast, subballast, subgrade, non-destructive testing.Lists of Figures and Tables Table of Contents Preface... iv ‘Summary... _ 1. Introduetion.. 2. GPR... 3 2.1 Applications. 3 22 Principles. 3 2.3. Data Processing. fj 24 Data Modeling... 6 3. GPR for Railroad Applications. 10 3.1 Railroad Substructure Investigatio 10 3.2 Advantages and Limitations... wll 3.3. Equipment for Railroad Application: 12 3.4 Project Surveys. 3.5 Example Results. 4.1 Track Substructure Condition. 4.2 Engineering Solutions. 4.3. GPR Substructure Indices.. Substructure Management Using GPR... Coneiusions.. Recommendations... References. Bibliography ‘Acronyms.List of Figures Figure 1. The Generation of a GPR Profile.. Figure 2. Example of Full Waveform Modeling to Depth Determination. Figure 3. GPR System Flow Diagram... Figure 4. GPR Image Example with Cross-Trenches for Calibration. ul Figure 5. GPR Hi-Rail Setup with Three Pairs of 1-GHz Hom Antennas... Figure 6. GPR Profiles Showing Sand Pocket and Shear Key. jvwscnnnennnn 16 Figure 7. GPR Profile at Highway Grade Crossing. Figure 8. GPR Image of Access Road Along Track... Figure 9. GPR Profile Showing Effects of Spreading Subballast. Figure 10. GPR Profile Showing Ballast Pockets... Figure 11. Comparison of Images on the Two Sides and the Center of the Track Substructure. Figure 12. Deep V-Shaped Ballast Trench. Enhanced Closeup of Figure 11... Figure 13. Reduced Ballast Layer Thickness. . Figure 14. Three Parallel, Longitudinal GPR Images near Two Road-Crossings... Figure 15. Example of Layer-Based Index of Longitudinal Layer Variation. Figure 16. Subsurface Index Based on Ballast Pocket Condition. 26 Figure 17. Typical Track Cross-Section with Subgrade Deformation. 27 Figure 18. Three Parallel GPR Profiles Showing Subgrade Deformation. 27 Figure 19. Subsurface Index Based on Thinning Subballast. 28 Figure 20. Subsurface Index Based on Depth of Ballast Pocket. Figure 21. Integrated View of Track Layout, GPR Image, Ballast Pocket Index and Track Geometry Roughness. 32 List of Tables Table 1. List of GPR Surveys Performed During Project ‘Table 2. Substructure Problems and Corresponding GPR Measurement iiiPreface This report presents the results of Phases 1 through 3 of a multiphase project to develop Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for application in railway track substructure assessment. These completed phases have significantly advanced the state of the art of GPR data collection and interpretation in the railroad environment. The follow-on phases will use the identified strategies to develop robust automated data interpretation and to further investigate safety-compromising substructure track conditions. This project was supported by staff from Emest T. Selig, Inc. and Optram Inc., as well as Don Heimmer of GeoRecovery Systems, Inc. The authors are gratefull to Mr. Robert J. Boileau of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and Mr. Mahmood Fateh of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), who served as the technical monitors for their respective companies. Staff from BNSF were involved with field activities and provided guidance on use. FRA and BNSF together provided about 80, percent of the project funding with much of the remaining funding coming from equipment purchases by Gary Olhoeft and Don Heimmer. The authors are also gratefull to Dr. Ted Sussmann of the U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation System Center for his technical input and guidance, as well as useful comments on the draft versions of this report.Summary Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has been employed to assess railway track substructure (ballast, subballast, and subgrade) conditions and to produce quantitative indices of substructure condition for use in track maintenance management efforts. GPR involves transmitting radar pulses into the substructure and measuring return signals that have reflected off boundaries between substructure layers with different electromagnetic properties, This report demonstrates uses of GPR to produce images and quantitative indices of railroad track substructure condition quickly on a continuous non-destructive basis. ‘The GPR equipment that has been developed in this project is mounted on a hi-rail vehicle with clearance between the antennas and the track surface to permit continuous ‘measurements to be made along the track from above the top-of-rail at normal vehicle speeds. Antennas are located at both ends of the ties, as well as in the center of the track, so the variations of conditions are measured laterally across and longitudinally along the track. The antenna configuration and surveying procedures have been optimized to account for the radar-scattering influence of ties and rail, The GPR data are processed to correct for location variations and to produce uniformly spaced data. The data are also processed to remove unwanted background data, principally from effects of ties and rails. After processing, modeling techniques have been demonstrated to produce quantitative measures of substructure layer thickness and water content. Observations from inspection trenches excavated under the track have been used to gather soil properties and thickness information to compare with the radar measurements to validate the effectiveness of the technique. Indices of track substructure condition have been developed based on the GPR data. This report presents some example indices that have been based on the longitudinal and lateral variation of substructure layers, and the extent of ballast pocket development. GPR provides a means to develop substructure indices based on layer contours, moisture contents in the different substructure layers, amount of fouling in the ballast and the rate of change of layer parameters. More than 200 miles (320 km) of data were collected during this project at sites representing a variety of subsurface conditions to demonstrate and verify the radar techniques. The survey results show that the current GPR system is capable of observing substructure conditions, such as thickness of the ballast and subballast layers, variations in layer thickness and condition along and across the track, pockets of water, and soft subgrade, In addition, locations and depths of subsurface drainage pipes, trenches, and utilities can be identified. Further phases in the technology evolution include the complete automation of data processing and interpretation, and continued surveying to gain more experience in identifying safety-compromising substructure track conditions.1. Introduction Track substructure (ballast, subballast, and subgrade) conditions have an important influence in determining track performance, assessing the potential for service interruptions, and needing to reduce train speed. A significant part of a railroad’s track maintenance budget is driven by the rate of deterioration of track geometry. Rough track is caused by movements in the substructure under repeated train loading. The performance is significantly affected by moisture accumulation and thickness of the roadbed layers (Selig and Waters, 1994). Thus the hidden and hard to monitor substructure conditions are important to railway track performance. GPR has the ability to map key railroad track substructure conditions quickly on a continuous, top-of-rail, non-destructive basis (Olhoeft and Selig, 2002; Hyslip, et al., 2003). This report describes work in which GPR was used to observe substructure conditions, such as thickness of the ballast and subballast ayers, variations in layer thickness and condition along and across the track, pockets of water, and soft subgrade. In addition, the GPR identifies locations and depths of subsurface drainage pipes, trenches, and utilities. For this development project the GPR antennas were located between the rails, as well as, at the ballast shoulders beyond the ends of the ties. The multiple-antenna configuration provided measurement of the transverse, as well as longitudinal variation of the track substructure. The radar equipment was mounted on a hi-rail vehicle, and surveys were conducted continuously at speeds ranging from less than 2 mph to more than 25 mph (3 to 40 km/hr). At 10 mph (16 km/hr) the radar resolution is a few inches horizontally (~7 com) and a fraction of an inch vertically (< 1.0 em), while depths of penetration of more than 6 feet (2 m) were achieved. Future GPR systems of this type are anticipated to be mounted on track geometry measurement vehicle (TGMV) for routine surveying during track geometry data collection. The GPR system for railroad use described herein has been developed in phases. The first two phases used existing hardware to explore the capabilities of GPR for railway track and established appropriate apparatus and procedures for collecting and processing the radar data. The need for obtaining radar measurements at multiple positions across the track to portray the three-dimensional nature of the substructure was determined. The ability to model the radar data to determine estimates of water content of the substructure materials was demonstrated. A variety of radar images were produced in Phase 2 (FRA Contract No. DTERS3-01-P-00535) that illustrated the potential benefits of radar for determining track subsurface conditions. Phase 3 (FRA Contract No. DTFRS3-02-P-00263) also used available radar equipment mounted on a hi-rail vehicle. Multiple antenna configurations were established and optimum configurations were determined. Measurement procedures were defined and calibration procedures partly developed. Software was designed to process the radar data automatically. Existing GPR modeling techniques for calculating complex dielectric versus depth were demonstrated manually (Olhoeft, 1998, 2000). Effectivemedium mixing models were used to bound bulk density and water content manually from the permittivity (Olhoeft et al, 2004). More than 200 miles (320 km) of data were collected at sites representing a variety of subsurface conditions to demonstrate and verify the radar techniques. Follow-on phases have been planned to include installing the radar on hi-rail track TGMV and use it to collect radar images routinely and to provide automating the calculation of the depths, densities, and moisture contents of the substructure layers.2. GPR 2.1 Applications Since the early 1970s, GPR has been found to be useful in many areas of non-destructive subsurface investigations (Olhoeft and Smith, 2000). Highway examinations using radar have determined pavement layer thickness and deterioration, and extensive work has been performed for bridge deck and scour evaluations. In environmental surveys, GPR is useful in detecting underground storage tanks, buried drums, end debris, as well as, detecting other contamination not visible from the surface. Archeological and forensic surveys have produced dramatic results. Radar has commonly been employed to detect reinforcing steel, post-tension members, and conduits within concrete structures and pavements, as well as identifying voids and loss of support beneath slabs. Geologic investigations have profiled bedrock and the water table, while hydrologic studies have ‘examined lake, river, and subbottom features. GPR is also being used on railroad tracks to provide continuous measurement of the condition of track substructure layers and thereby provide information for maintenance and rehabilitation decision making. The ‘most successful applications are those exploiting the ability of GPR to produce high- resolution images of the subsurface and to detect nonmetallic buried objects quickly, continuously, and do not require direct material surface contact. 2.2 Principles ‘The GPR method transmits pulses of radio energy into the subsurface and receives the retuming pulses that have reflected off interfaces between materials with different electromagnetic properties. It is a pulse-echo technique using radio energy as depicted in the Figure 1. Antennas are moved across an area with a continuous series of radio pulses, producing a distorted cross-section of the subsurface. ‘The distortion is a function of the ‘geometry of the antenna position and orientation, as well as the velocity of the material properties in the subsurface. Correcting for these parameters removes the distortion to generate a true geometric cross-section image of the variations of electromagnetic properties in the subsurface.‘The dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity are mostly independent. For example, freshwater and saltwater have essentially the same dielectric permittivity (salt water is slightly lower); however, saltwater exhibits a much higher electrical conductivity than freshwater. GPR pulses travel at similar speeds through both types of water, however, in saltwater the energy is attenuated very quickly and does not penetrate deeply. As shown in Figure 1, reflections of the GPR pulse occur at boundaries in the subsurface where changes occur in the material properties. Only a portion of the pulsed signal is reflected and the remaining part of the pulse travels across the interface to again be reflected back to the receiver from another interface boundary. The time the pulse takes to travel through the layer and back is controlled by the thickness and electromagnetic properties of the material. The travel time between upper and lower boundaries of a layer can be used to calculate the layer thickness employing a known velocity. 2.3 Data Processing To achieve the desired information in the railroad environment from the radar, the collected data must be processed to: 1. Locate radar data position (e.g., tag the data with global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, such as World Geodetic System 1984). 2. Verify accuracy of location using such things as digital video and U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ) images. 3. Remove unwanted background and objects (¢.g,, the ties and rails). 4. Apply time-space and other filters to enhance desired image features. 5. Seale data plots for desired distance formats. ‘The steps of automatically processing GPR data from raw data with distortions to geometrically correct images are known and straightforward. In this project, the data acquisition process was standardized for uniform acquisition of GPR data (in terms of procedures, time and relative amplitude calibration, antenna geometry, and polarization) and location information. The location, or position, information was best accomplished using wide area augmentation system, differential global positioning system (WAAS DGPS). GPS, however, does not work everywhere, so backup positioning systems were provided. The data processing then easily becomes automatic to correct for distortions and common acquisition problems. With calibrated time and position, the GPR data can use diffraction hyperbola and other velocity determination estimates to scale vertical axis, to produce geometrically correct image cross sections of the subsurface. This was demonstrated in Phase 2 of this project. Also in Phase 2, the GPR antennas were polarized and located to minimize the reflections from the rails. Automation requires standardization, and the standardization of the data acquisition process required gaining experience by collecting data in the field, thus reducing, problems that must be dealt with in later data processing. Examples would be how to