OMHT method for weak signal processing of GPR and its application in identification of concrete micro-crack

Abstract

In the light of the problem of weak reflection signals shielded by strong reflections from the concrete surface, the detection and the recognition of hidden micro-cracks in the shield tunnel lining were studied using the orthogonal matching pursuit and the Hilbert transform(OMHT method). First, according to the matching pursuit algorithm and the strong reflection-forming mechanism, and based on the sparse representation theory, a sparse dictionary, adapted to the characteristics of the strong reflection signal, was selected, and a matching decomposition of each signal was performed so that the weak target signal submerged in the strong reflection was displayed more strongly. Second, the Hilbert transform was used to extract multiple parameters, such as the instantaneous amplitude, the instantaneous frequency, and the instantaneous phase, from the processed signal, and the ground penetrating radar (GPR) image was comprehensively analyzed and determined from multiple angles. The results show that the OMHT method can accurately weaken the effect of the strong impedance interface and effectively enhance the weak reflected signal energy of hidden micro-crack in the shield tunnel segment. The resolution of the processed GPR image is greatly improved, and the reflected signal of the hidden micro-crack is easily visible, which proves the validity and accuracy of the analysis method.