Mar 11
16
GPR Geophysical Survey on SKIS
We recently conducted a geophysical survey which initially presented quite a challenge. The project scope was to conduct a GPR geophysical survey of a 700 acre property located near Kitchener, Ontario Canada in the middle of WINTER!
The GPR equipment used for this project was a Sensors & Software Pulse EKKO Pro with a 50 MHz antenna and a GPS unit. The hardware had no problem withstanding the brutal winter conditions. The challenge was in how to move the equipment over 700 acres of deep snow to collect the GPR data.
As the old saying goes… necessity is the mother of invention. We considered many options such as mounting the antennas to a cart but the wheels would get stuck in the snow. Even considered (for about a half a second) manually carrying the GPR equipment. But quickly realized that we would probably not see our technicians till the spring when they finally thawed out.
So we designed a set of skis that could be towed behind an ARGO ATV. These skis had to be 8’ in length in order to mount the 50 MHz antennas and a support for an odometer wheel that was connected to the ground penetrating radar unit and the GPS unit. However, the biggest challenge was finding a plastic material to manufacture the skis from that was hard enough to handle the friction and take the wear and tear of running over rocks, stumps and other debris.
After some experimentation we came up with the proper design and materials to manufacture the perfect solution as seen in the video below that was shot at the project site with a cell phone. In fact this system worked so well we are now in the process of bringing this product to the GPR aftermarket as an accessory that can be used for various applications.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPz0yCWMbFY[/youtube]
For more information about our Geophysical Survey services visit our web site or contact Global GPR Services toll free at (888) 801-4477.
Posted in Geophysical Survey New GPR Products Unique GPR Applications by .
Feb 11
7
GPR Rescue Radar
Looks like Sensor’s & Software have done it again! In last month’s Subsurface Views, the company’s newsletter, they announced another ground penetrating radar system with life saving potential. Rescue Radar, as it’s being called, can help locate buried victims of earthquakes, avalanches or building collapses.
You are probably aware that ground penetrating radar can penetrate through soil, rubble, rock and snow. However, to locate a human below all this debris is very difficult unless they are moving. This system can detect movement as subtle as a victim breathing. Since breathing and or even heart beats have very regular patterns, varying levels of motion discrimination can be used to infer human life-like activity.
Rescue Radar consists of a sensor and a computer display which are connected by a wireless link. The reason for using a wireless link is to eliminate potential interference from moving cables and operator movement.
Operating the Rescue Radar is relatively simple. The sensor is placed at a monitoring point and this unit emits GPR pulses into the ground or debris and measures any returned reflections. The operator can then observe the response on the remote computer display which uses proprietary software.
The system analyzes any movement for life-like patterns and highlights positive indicators and the distance & range to any detected movement. All of these motion observations are recorded and can be replayed or saved if needed.
The sensor illuminates a 90 degree cone subsurface. Exploration depth can vary from a meter or two in high-loss environments like rock, building materials and other debris to more than 10 meters in highly transparent materials like snow. While the company admits GPR is not a “silver bullet” but when used properly in conjunction with other tools there is a real potential to save lives.
Our company uses Sensor & Software GPR equipment for various commercial applications such as subsurface utility locating and concrete imaging. I’ve always been impressed with the quality and reliability of these commercial products. But I have to admit, I’m even more impressed that this company has spent their resources and money to develop a product, which has a fairly limited market, which can actually save lives.
Posted in Forensic Locating New GPR Products Unique GPR Applications by .
This is a post about some interesting and alarming information I found recently in an article in “Sensors & Software Subsurface Views” which I thought our readers would be interest in. It’s about a potential Time Bomb under German soil.
In 1944 and 1945 many German cities were bombed by the allies. Experts estimate that 15% of these bombs did not detonate. Here’s the alarming part… this means there could be 100,000 bombs still lying undetected somewhere in the ground.
Geophysical surveys are routinely carried out before construction works in these heavily-bombed areas in Germany. Although these surveys are surprisingly not required by German law, they are performed for the protection of the construction workers and to avoid problems with insurance.
Since many constructions sites contain linear iron objects (old pipelines, fences, reinforced concrete buildings, etc.) detections with ferrous locators is not possible. This is why in this case Sensors & Software’s Noggin ground penetrating radar was used.
A recent Noggin GPR survey was conducted on a site where a BMW fabrication plant stood during WWII. The GPR survey located a 1000 lb US demolition bomb at a shallow depth. Careful uncovering of the bomb revealed that it had one nose and one tail pistol still functioning. It was defused and removed from the site. Soon after this survey two more bombs were found!
Posted in Unexploded Ordnance Detecting (UXO) Unique GPR Applications by .
I came across an article in BBC News that I thought followers of our GPR News Blog would find very interesting. It’s about a team of explores and scientists, in the Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition, who are going to try and set a record crossing of Antarctica. The expedition is expected to take 40 days on the ice to travel 5,800 kilometers (3,604 miles).
To ensure the safety of this expedition they will be using ground penetrating radar to locate potential crevasses that are very dangerous if undetected. Some of these crevasses could be as big as a kilometer (3,280 feet) deep. The GPR will be used ahead of the convoy in areas that are known to have these large death traps.
The convoy will include a couple of monster trucks, which will transport the majority of the crew and their equipment, and a very unique looking propeller-driven scout vehicle (see below) that runs on bio-fuel. It was this Winston Wong Bio-Inspired Ice Vehicle that caught my eye. It looks like something out of Star Wars!
I could not find any pics of the GPR systems that will be used to locate the crevasses but you can get a peek at them in a video on the BBC News site. There are also a lot of cool (actually frigid) pics of the expedition team in the Antarctic on the official Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition site.
Posted in Geophysical Survey Ice Road Mapping Unique GPR Applications by .
Ground penetrating radar has many applications from geophysical surveys to locating subsurface targets such as utilities below ground or rebar in concrete. Other practical applications include cemetery mapping to locate unmarked gravesites, locate drainage lines on golf courses, locate underground storage tanks and assist law enforcement agencies to find buried evidence and bodies.
It is also used to save lives. For some time now it has been used to determine the thickness of ice roads to prevent heavy trucks from breaking through thin ice while delivering supplies to remote areas. Now it can also be used to rescue Avalanche Victims buried in snow!
Sensors & Software have developed SnowScan Rescue Radar. A GPR sensor and Digital Video Logger (DVL) that can detect the movement of victims buried in soil, rock or snow. Small movements by the victims can be detected by the radar’s advanced signal processing and analysis. The DVL displays the probability of movement as a graph on the display. The depth of penetration can range up to 15 meters in snow and ice.
To enhance the investment for ski resorts this device also has other practical applications. Ski resorts can also use the SnowScan GPR system to evaluate the thickness of snow on their slopes in real time. The sensor can be attached to a handle and used while skiing down a slope or attached to a grooming machine with a DVL mounted in the cabin.
Posted in New GPR Products Unique GPR Applications by .
Ground penetrating radar’s effectiveness is greatly dependent on site-specific soil type. The soil type of a survey area will determine the depth of penetration of the ground penetrating radar signal. One of the most difficult soil types for GPR equipment to penetrate is wet clay. As an example, where a mid-level frequency GPR system may be able to penetrate up to 16 feet in sand or gravel based soils, the same system would find it difficult to penetrate less than 4 feet in wet clay. Depending on the survey application (e.g. geophysical or utility locate) the soil type may determine the feasibility of using this technology.
The reason for this is because soils that have high electrical conductivity will rapidly attenuate radar energy which restricts the depth of penetration of the GPR signal. The main culprit for this is water, soluble salt contents and clay which will increase the electrical conductivity of the soil. Clays can hold more water than sand and silt soils. Areas which have soils with more than 35% clay may be restrictive regarding the depth of penetration for deeper targets.
During our process of evaluating the scope for any project in the United States we first confirm the level of soil suitability for that area. We start by checking a SOIL SUTIABLITY MAP provided on the USDA web site. They provide a map with an overall overview of the entire country (see sample below) and more detailed maps for most states. Unfortunately, we have not found a similar resource for Canada and other countries.
These maps give you a good idea of the soil suitability of a general area. However, for specific site conditions soil samples or local knowledge are helpful. In many cases the depth of penetration may not be conclusive until the ground penetrating radar equipment is properly calibrated and tested on the project site. At the very least these maps allow us to inform our clients of any potential limitations for their site before we start the project.
The 33rd annual CIS education conference was held at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario from September 20th to 23rd. Contingents from various law enforcement agencies across Canada and the United States attended this conference and trade show.
The conference included a number of informative speakers covering many different facets of forensic investigation. They covered such topics as Emerging Trends and Technological Advancements. 3D Technologies for Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Video Analysis, to mention only a few. Some of these offered workshops where participants could get some hands on exposure.
Global GPR Services participated in the vendor services trade show with a booth focused on one of our primary services “Forensic Subsurface Locating”. We displayed some of the Ground Penetrating Radar equipment we use for non-destructive subsurface imaging to locate evidence and burial sites. Our GPR equipment manufacturer, Sensors & Software, also had a booth at the show displaying their latest ground penetrating radar equipment.
Our forensic locating specialist, Steve Watson, was on hand in the booth to answer questions and explain how our crime scene inspection methodology allows our GPR technicians to accurately locate suspected buried targets or confirm the area is clear of these targets. The key to our ability in properly assessing the likelihood of specific targets is in our methodology and experience analyzing the data collected by the GPR equipment.
Many of the attendees told us they look forward to this conference every year so they can get exposure to the newest technologies available in the field of forensic crime scene investigation. Next year’s conference is expected to be in Ottawa, Ontario.
Posted in Forensic Locating Trade Shows & Conferences by .
In 1832 there were 57 Irish immigrants who arrived in Philadelphia to work on the rail lines and partake in the American dream who mysteriously disappeared. They were hired by a fellow Irishman right off the docks when they arrived. It was reported originally that 8 weeks after their arrival all died as a result of cholera pandemic and buried in a mass grave.
For years there were rumors and stories about how these men came to their demise. These stories of possible murder had transformed into a local legend. Until 2002 when two grandsons of an old railway worker decided to explore this mystery further. They conducted an archaeological dig at the site of the Irish workers’ camp. After uncovering over 1,000 artifacts the remains of the men continued to elude them.
Human skull with a hole found in mass grave.
It was in 2007 they started to employ the services of a geophysicist and ground penetrating radar equipment to try to uncover the mystery. For the next few years they continued to process the GPR data uncovering many more artifacts and in 2009 they finally found human remains. Since then an anthropologist from the local university has identified seven skeletons and 4 human skulls. One appeared to have a bullet hole in it and many others showed signs of blunt-force trauma.
Investigation has found there was a local break out of cholera which killed many in that area. It is suspected that local vigilantes killed the other workers, who were also thought to be possibly infected, for trying to escape the pandemic. Once all the remains are uncovered they will be taken to their final resting place in a cemetery where many Victorian elite of Philadelphia are buried.
Posted in Forensic Locating Gravesite Locating by .
Although this is not our area of expertise I found this news release fascinating. What caught my interest was that ground penetrating radar technology (GPR), which we use every day for geophysical surveys, to locate utilities underground, for concrete imaging, cemetery mapping and also forensic locating, is now being used to locate Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in Afghanistan.
These IEDs have claimed thousands of lives of U.S. and Canadian soldiers and destroyed millions of dollars worth of military ground vehicles. On August 5th soldiers were trained on how to operate the Husky-Mounted Detection System. The training included locating metallic and non-metallic IEDs and mines similar to real route clearance missions that they will experience in the field.
This Husky vehicle is mounted with 4 large ground penetrating radar panels, computer and monitor. These heavily armored Husky vehicles were previously mounted with metal detectors. Now the new GPR system provides the operator 2D & 3D views of objects buried in the ground. Instead of just listening for a beep from the metal detectors the operator can actually see it in the ground.
Various ground penetrating radar systems have been utilized successfully on missions for route clearance since 2008. However, none as advanced as this. The course instructor said their current plan is to have nearly 200 of these Million Dollar GPR systems in operation in Afghanistan by May 2011.
Some may questions the Million Dollar price tag. But how do you put a price on saving lives!
Posted in New GPR Products Unique GPR Applications by .
I realize August may seem like a strange time of year to be writing about Ice Roads. While we are enjoying one of the hottest summers on record plans are being put in place to ensure the safety of all those who have to cross large bodies of water to reach extreme northern remote communities this coming winter.
Ice roads and ice runways are commonly used for transportation in Northern Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe and Russia. These isolated communities and mining sites depend on the ice roads being secure in order to transport people and products they need to survive during the winter.
In the North West Territories they open shortly after the initial freeze in November and close just before the ice thaws in April. During this time vehicles weighing sometimes more than 50 tons (45,000 Kg) in weight are driven across these ice roads. At an average speed of 20 miles per hour over ice roads some trips take more than 20 hours one way.
To ensure the safety of the trucks traveling on these ice roads Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is used to collect the data necessary to confirm the thickness of the ice (usually a minimum of about 27 inches). The GPR antenna is mounted on a sleigh and pulled behind a pickup truck or snowmobile. The antenna is connected to a computerized digital video logger (see below) in the vehicle allowing the GPR technician to see the ice thickness in real time.
Sensors & Software DVL Display
This GPR data is saved and combined with exact GPS data (collected at the same time with an integrated GPS system). The data is then analyzed and interpreted by software which creates a map of the ice thickness for the entire stretch of the road. These ice road maps show the different ice thicknesses by color code making it easy to see the sections of the road that may be potentially dangerous.
Color Coded Ice Map
To ensure the safety of the truck drivers, the ice thickness is measured weekly or even daily as the need dictates. No doubt this technology has saved the lives of countless people bringing supplies to the remote areas of the north.
This same technology could be used to map the ice thickness of our lakes and rivers which are used by ice fishermen and snowmobilers in the winter months. However, I’m not aware of any recreational communities currently utilizing this life saving technology. Perhaps it’s because these weekend activities are not deemed necessary for the survival of that community. It’s unfortunate they do not seem to be willing to invest in a technology that could save the lives of many recreational fisherman and snowmobilers.
Posted in Geophysical Survey Ice Road Mapping Unique GPR Applications by .