An Insight into Ground Penetrating Radar and Other Methods Used for Underground Utility Detection

Ground Penetrating Radar

There are different methods that are used for locating underground utilities with their respective advantages and disadvantages. Our aim here will be to look into some of the most common underground utility detection methods that experts use, and their pros and cons.

Methods Used For Locating Underground Utilities

Locating underground utilities can be a challenging thing and to accomplish this task experts make use of different methods. Let us look at a few of the common ones experts use.

Electromagnetic Utility Tracking

Here electro-magnetic radio frequencies are used for detecting subsurface utilities that contain conductive material. This technique is generally used for locating irrigation, cable, storm, electric, propane, sewer, gas, and telephone lines.

However, on the negative side, this method cannot be used for detection of unmarked concrete, asbestos, plastic, non-ductile, or terracotta pipes.

Ground Penetrating Radar

Another common method used is ground penetrating radar (GPR) that makes use of high frequency pulses. Ground penetrating radar proves to be useful in detection of buried cables, tanks, manholes, pipes, and similar other objects.

Some disadvantages include:

  • Soil penetration is affected by factors such as salinity of soil.
  • Short distance penetration is only possible.

Vacuum Excavation

It is a non-destructive method for locating as well as exposing underground utilities. In this technique, high-pressure air is utilized for breaking the soil and this soil is then vacuumed up in a tank.

This proves to be a useful method where soil conditions are difficult and is commonly known as hydro-trenching or potholing.

Dowsing

In this technique, dowsing rods are used for indicating whether there is an active pipeline underneath. Irrespective of the fact that it is not able to tell anything about pipeline’s depth, it is considered to be a dependable method for locating pipelines.