Infrastructure

Infrastructure refers to a set of systems and services that enable a country or region to operate successfully. The infrastructure we come across in our daily lives includes physical features we can travel on or through such as roads, railways, bridges, and tunnels. It also extends to the network of buried utilities, such as electricity and telecommunications lines, water supply and gas pipelines, drainage and sewers.

Infrastructure forms the backbone of modern economies, and there is a dualistic relationship between the two. Investment in infrastructure drives economic growth, which in turn results in changes to the demands on infrastructure. Consequently, increasing value is placed on managing and maintaining existing infrastructure assets, as well as planning new developments.

The inspection and analysis of ageing infrastructure assets or those newly installed rely on reliable quantitative data to make informed decisions concerning condition and integrity. Concrete, and other human-made composites (such as asphalt), are widely used as construction materials. As a non-destructive method, GPR can be used to scan these penetrable materials before cutting or coring, or other non-destructive testing.

GPR can see into a structure to provide accurate information showing orientation and depth to subsurface features and objects, an advantage over the more traditional manual and visual inspection methodologies. The information provided by GPR is routinely used to help prioritize repair or rehabilitation works according to their importance.