Accuracy analysis in determining the location of underground objects using GPR involving lidar data

Abstract

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is one of the most useful non-destructive techniques for locating underground objects. Advancements in this technology have facilitated the development of new sensors over the past decade. In this paper, an accuracy assessment of the location of underground objects using various GPR antennas is presented. To achieve the stated goals, measurements of 5 concrete slabs, reinforced with steel bars of various diameters and located at variable depths were taken. The experiment includes the usage of three GPR antennas to assess the format, characteristics, and differences of extracted data. This set of antennas from different manufacturers varied in terms of operating frequency. Additional lidar data from TLS (terrestrial laser scanning) was utilized in the methodology to provide precise surface measurements and therefore, external orientation of the surveyed data. The experiment allowed for the determination of vertical and horizontal accuracy for three tested antennas and the assessment of increasing errors value with greater depth of the measured items, which is important for surveying accuracy forecasting.