GPR analysis to detect subsidence: a case study on a loaded reinforced concrete pavement

Subsidence seriously affects the structural stability and safety of pavements and foundation soils. In heavy-loaded pavements, there is a risk of floor sinking and further construction collapse; hence, there is a need to develop efficient methodologies to detect subsidence earlier. This work proposes the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) as a solution to non-invasively inspect the subsoil. Furthermore, as the interpretation of the GPR data is arguably subjective and highly dependent on who interprets it, different imaging techniques are herein exploited to improve the interpretability and detection of subsidence and settlement phenomena. The approach was applied to a heavily loaded reinforced concrete pavement servicing a manufacturing facility. Amplitude- and texture-based imaging methods were used to detect subsidence. The interpretation of such imaging was validated with additional geotechnical studies, which show that the proposed methods provide reliable results with good agreement between techniques.

Automated summary

Subsidence seriously affects the stability and safety of pavements and foundation soils, and efficient detection methods are needed. This study proposes using ground penetrating radar as a solution for non-invasive inspection of subsoil and explores different imaging techniques to improve the interpretability and detection of subsidence and settlement phenomena.