Applications of ground penetrating radar in geotechnical investigation

There are clearly risks and a fair degree of uncertainties involved in geotechnical investigation for the reason that only limited boreholes can be used in projects, due to budget restraints. These risks are further increased or decreased subject to the geotechnical engineers’ experiences and judgments. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a geophysical technique that provides continuous non-destructive soil profiling from the surface or from inside a borehole by sending, receiving and averaging multiple radio wave pulses into the subsurface at centimeter increments (cm) scale normally ranging between 0.5cm to 1cm step size. This project focuses on the principles, procedures, applications and limitations of GPR use in geotechnical exploration. To evaluate its potentials for reducing risk and uncertainties associated with soil profile presumptions between boreholes, also to evaluate if GPR can provide objective quantifiable data that can be understood by any level of geotechnical engineers.