68 research outputs found
Consultation response pro-forma: consultation on the proposed amendment to the charges for unreasonably prolonged occupation of the highway
No full textProfessor Chris Rogers on behalf of the Mapping the Underworld Research Project comprising academics from the Universities of Birmingham, Bath, Southampton, Leeds and Sheffiel
Ground penetrating radar surveys of gravel barrier beaches, Waitaki Coast, South Island, New Zealand
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Point vibration measurements for the detection of shallow-buried objects
No full textAbstractA major UK initiative, entitled ‘Mapping the Underworld’, is seeking to address the serious social, environmental and economic consequences arising from an inability to locate accurately and comprehensively the buried utility service infrastructure without resorting to extensive excavations. Mapping the Underworld aims to develop and prove the efficacy of a multi-sensor device for accurate remote buried utility service detection, location and, where possible, identification. One of the technologies to be incorporated in the device is low-frequency vibro-acoustics, and application of this technique for detecting buried infrastructure is currently being investigated. Here, the potential for making a number of simple point vibration measurements in order to detect shallow-buried objects, in particular plastic pipes, is explored. Point measurements can be made relatively quickly without the need for arrays of surface sensors, which can be expensive, time-consuming to deploy, and sometimes impractical in congested areas.At low frequencies, the ground behaves as a simple single-degree-of-freedom (mass–spring) system with a well-defined resonance, the frequency of which will depend on the density and elastic properties of the soil locally. This resonance will be altered by the presence of a buried object whose properties differ from the surrounding soil. It is this behavior which can be exploited in order to detect the presence of a buried object, provided it is buried at a sufficiently shallow depth. The theoretical background is described and preliminary measurements are made both on a dedicated buried pipe rig and on the ground over a domestic waste pipe. Preliminary findings suggest that, for shallow-buried pipes, a measurement of this kind could be a quick and useful adjunct to more conventional methods of buried pipe detection
Site assessment of multiple sensor approaches for buried utility detection
No full textThe successful operation and maintenance of buried infrastructure within urban environments is fundamental to the conservation of modern living standards. Breakdown in supply of utilities is quickly noticed and requires a swift response to repair the network. Open-cut methods are predominantly used, in preference to trenchless technology, to effect a repair, or replace or install a new section of the network. This is, in part, due to the inability to determine the position of all utilities below the carriageway, making open-cut methods desirable in terms of dealing with uncertainty since the buried infrastructure is progressively exposed during excavation. However, open cut methods damage the carriageway and disrupt society’s functions. This paper describes the progress of a research project that aims to develop a multi-sensor geophysical platform that can improve the probability of complete detection of the infrastructure buried beneath the carriageway. The multi-sensor platform is being developed in conjunction with a knowledge-based system that aims to provide information on how the properties of the ground might affect the sensing technologies being deployed. The fusion of data sources (sensor data and utilities record data) is also being researched to maximise the probability of location. The project has reached a stage where the majority of the sensing technologies being developed for the multi-sensor device have undergone initial testing on site and this has shown some interesting findings. This paper describes the outcome of the initial phase of testing along with the development of the knowledge-based system and the fusing of data to produce utility map
Keynote lecture: Classification of arid soils for engineering purposes: An engineering approach
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