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Mapping the underworld - state-of-the-art review

Mapping the underworld - state-of-the-art review
Mapping the underworld - state-of-the-art review
A major UK initiative, entitled Mapping the Underworld (MTU), is seeking to address the serious social, environmental and economic consequences arising from an inability to locate accurately and completely the buried utility service infrastructure without resorting to excavations. One of the four MTU projects aims to develop and prove the efficacy of a multi-sensor device for accurate remote buried utility service detection, location and, where possible, utility identification. This paper aims to introduce the MTU programme followed by a state-of-the-art review of the three essential technologies that are to be combined in the device – ground penetrating radar (GPR), low-frequency quasi-static electromagnetic fields and acoustics – and a summary of the influence of different soil types and states on the transmission of the various signals, and therefore how the techniques might be optimised from a knowledge of the ground instead of using very broad simplifying assumptions. The latest developments in impulse GPR, frequency modulated continuous waveform (FMCW) GPR and stepped frequency continuous waveform (SFCW) GPR are described and previous attempts to combine GPR with other sensing technologies are introduced. The work on quasi-static fields explores the ‘fields-of-opportunity’ related to the 50 Hz currents flowing in existing underground power circuits and the electric field variations when low-frequency current in actively induced into the ground. Acoustic techniques have been primarily used for leak detection and the review focuses on the potential for their application to buried utility service location. The paper concludes with a discussion of the facilities required, and currently available, for comprehensive assessment and independent verification of the performance of both existing devices/technologies and of the multi-sensor device under development.
buried utilities, location, multi-sensor device, mapping
568-586
Metje, N.
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Atkins, P.R.
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Brennan, M.J.
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Chapman, D.N.
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Lim, H.M.
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Machell, J.
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Muggleton, J.M.
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Pennock, S.
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Ratcliffe, J.
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Redfern, M.
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Rogers, C.D.F.
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Saul, A.J.
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Shan, Q.
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Swingler, S.
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Thomas, A.M.
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Metje, N.
87608f83-cb14-472a-a6e6-9bd78af44ee7
Atkins, P.R.
30582c39-b5e9-4ad1-ae1e-615faaac8bbc
Brennan, M.J.
87c7bca3-a9e5-46aa-9153-34c712355a13
Chapman, D.N.
ca938b89-adf9-436f-a529-e849ad5533a5
Lim, H.M.
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Machell, J.
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Muggleton, J.M.
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Pennock, S.
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Ratcliffe, J.
d35edac7-7b8b-4515-9d8d-6dde8240befb
Redfern, M.
505ad208-acb7-42b8-af35-e20a795173e6
Rogers, C.D.F.
02e9204c-15e3-49a7-82d1-ee1a00dcb04e
Saul, A.J.
93c9e446-fdf1-4aa7-84fd-2b965d167035
Shan, Q.
ca6154e5-a760-4f92-8e24-4bdf6a542e29
Swingler, S.
3f3efe40-ce1a-4de1-853a-a25ef2730c0e
Thomas, A.M.
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Metje, N., Atkins, P.R., Brennan, M.J., Chapman, D.N., Lim, H.M., Machell, J., Muggleton, J.M., Pennock, S., Ratcliffe, J., Redfern, M., Rogers, C.D.F., Saul, A.J., Shan, Q., Swingler, S. and Thomas, A.M. (2007) Mapping the underworld - state-of-the-art review. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 22 (5-6), 568-586. (doi:10.1016/j.tust.2007.04.002).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A major UK initiative, entitled Mapping the Underworld (MTU), is seeking to address the serious social, environmental and economic consequences arising from an inability to locate accurately and completely the buried utility service infrastructure without resorting to excavations. One of the four MTU projects aims to develop and prove the efficacy of a multi-sensor device for accurate remote buried utility service detection, location and, where possible, utility identification. This paper aims to introduce the MTU programme followed by a state-of-the-art review of the three essential technologies that are to be combined in the device – ground penetrating radar (GPR), low-frequency quasi-static electromagnetic fields and acoustics – and a summary of the influence of different soil types and states on the transmission of the various signals, and therefore how the techniques might be optimised from a knowledge of the ground instead of using very broad simplifying assumptions. The latest developments in impulse GPR, frequency modulated continuous waveform (FMCW) GPR and stepped frequency continuous waveform (SFCW) GPR are described and previous attempts to combine GPR with other sensing technologies are introduced. The work on quasi-static fields explores the ‘fields-of-opportunity’ related to the 50 Hz currents flowing in existing underground power circuits and the electric field variations when low-frequency current in actively induced into the ground. Acoustic techniques have been primarily used for leak detection and the review focuses on the potential for their application to buried utility service location. The paper concludes with a discussion of the facilities required, and currently available, for comprehensive assessment and independent verification of the performance of both existing devices/technologies and of the multi-sensor device under development.

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Published date: 2007
Keywords: buried utilities, location, multi-sensor device, mapping

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 49571
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/49571
PURE UUID: 32c51738-fb9b-4bb2-a425-a771bc46ed2b

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Date deposited: 21 Nov 2007
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 09:57

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Contributors

Author: N. Metje
Author: P.R. Atkins
Author: M.J. Brennan
Author: D.N. Chapman
Author: H.M. Lim
Author: J. Machell
Author: J.M. Muggleton
Author: S. Pennock
Author: J. Ratcliffe
Author: M. Redfern
Author: C.D.F. Rogers
Author: A.J. Saul
Author: Q. Shan
Author: S. Swingler
Author: A.M. Thomas

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