This work focuses on the use of easy-to-apply procedures that allow rapid visualization of components of water supply systems (WSSs) by non-highly qualified personnel. We use a methodology that does not alter the conditions and characteristics of the environment (nondestructive methods), specifically the study of images obtained with ground penetrating radar (GPR). The study is based on the ana...

There are important economic and humanitarian applications for systems that can find the source of an odour or volatile chemical buried under the ground. These applications cover the spectrum from harvesting truffles, to finding the location of leaking gas pipes and land mines. This paper presents current progress of the RoboMole project which aims to develop robotic systems that can burrow thr...

This paper proposes a probabilistic conic mixture model based on a classification expectation maximization algorithm and applies this algorithm to Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) spatial data interpretation. Previous work tackling this problem using Hough transform or neural networks for identifying GPR hyperbolae are unsuitable for on-site applications owing to their computational demands and t...

The current OPSS and OPSD that provide specifications for drainage pipes in Ontario, are shown to be a simplified and more conservative version of the traditional Marston-Spangler method. The SIDD method was developed through extensive finite element analyses. It improves the pipe installation practice by lessening the requirements in bedding and compaction, and allowing the use of native backf...

Multimodal detection of subsurface targets such as tunnels, pipes, reinforcement bars, and structures has been investigated using both ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and seismic sensors with signal processing techniques to enhance localization capabilities. Both systems have been tested in bi-static configurations but the GPR has been expanded to a multi-static configuration for improved perfor...

Pipeline infrastructure is decaying at an accelerating rate due to reduced funding and insufficient quality control resulting in poor installation, little or no inspection and maintenance, and a general lack of uniformity and improvement in design, construction and operation practices. The current practice that is being followed to inspect the conditions of pipes is usually time consuming, tedi...

Ground Penetrating Radar is becoming increasingly popular to use as a non-destructive assessment method for investigating reinforced concrete structures. The large amount of data collected take significant level of experience to interpret. Ground Penetrating Radar scans of concrete produce images which are made of arc segments. The shape of each arc is determined by the shape of the object, pos...

In 2005 The UK Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) commenced funding a project called Visualising Integrated Information on Buried Assets to Reduce Streetworks (VISTA). The project aims to precisely map buried assets (gas pipes, telecom cables, etc) and increase the efficiency of the process in challenging environments such as in urban canyons, where GPS fails to work or is not reliable eno...

In recent years, we have witnessed an increase in road subsidence accidents urban areas, threatening the safety of citizens. Various facilities, such as water and sewage pipes, telecommunication facilities are buried under roads, aging these is one factors causing subsidence. particular, old sewer pipes a primary cause However, most maintenance work on carried out based how long ago they were u...