GPR Q & A Time

Bruce Vandre, P.E. Pavement Analysis Engineer, Utah Department of Transportation GPR Panel Member, AASHTO Technical Implementation Group

Questions
Does Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) offer opportunities for performance improvement? Is GPR a high payoff technology? What is GPR? How can it be used for pavement evaluation? Is it reliable? What are the advantages compared to coring? How can a DOT obtain GPR surveys? What are some examples of forensic GPR? What is the Impact of new FCC rules on GPR implementation? Would you rather be approximately correct or precisely wrong? Why is a GPR survey a condition precedent to a FWD survey?

AASHTO Technical Implementation Group (TIG)

Yes
performance improvement, high payoff (July 31, 2002)

Focus Technology
http://www.aashtotig.org/focus_technologies/gpr/

Objective of TIG project:

Expand DOT use of GPR

Overcome Barriers
Funded Work Plan
- New Regulations - Bad Experience

Inform pavement specialists - Presentations - Demo projects Training: schools and CDs Guideline Specifications

TIG Panel Members

Carl Bertrand Bouzid Choubane Marc Loken Bruce Vandre Jack Springer Tom Scullion TxDOT Chairman FDOT MnDOT UDOT FHWA TTI

Vandre Disclaimer

Technical Experts
Tom Scullion Carl Bertrand

DOT Success Story: Texas

TxDOTs GPR Development Effort

87 - 88 89 - 90 90 - 99 95 96 96 02 99 02 00 02 02 03 02 03 GPR first demonstrated to TxDOT Evaluation + Specification Development Software Development- Research system purchased - numerous research studies TxDOT purchases first system Training schools Quality Control Studies Buy additional units Integrating GPR and FWD Fighting with Feds

What is GPR?
Measurements of reflected energy and arrival times Calculations of material conductivity (dielectric constants) and travel distance between reflection surfaces (layer thickness)
based upon measurements

Fundamental Physics Law: Energy will be reflected at interfaces having significant differences in dielectric constants.

GPR Requirement: distinct-electrically different materials

Becoming a One-minute Expert

Electromagnetic Energy
50 pulses/sec ~ 1 reading per 2 feet @ 60 mph
(50 pulses/sec x 3600 sec/hour x hour/60 miles x miles/5280 feet = 0.6 pulse/foot)

Air launched eair = 1

energy (volts) reflected at layer interface

5v 10v 3v 1v

time Calculation: e1 = f(eabove, pulse (10v), reflected energy (5v) Calculation: e2 = f(e1,10v, 5v)
1v

Assuming no attenuation

calculation: f(time and e)

Dielectric (e) is an electrical property of material

Basics of GPR
Reflections captured from surface and subsurface layer interfaces Thickness of surface layer calculated from t1 Amplitudes of reflection strongly influenced by layer moisture content and density Changes in surface reflection A1 used to detect segregation Changes in base reflection A2 used to detect changes in base moisture content

Amplitude Polarity volts Dielectric decreases with depth

+
Dielectric increases with depth

e=6 e=4 e=7 e=10

Typical Dielectric Values

HMAC Aggregate Base (Dry) Aggregate Base (Sat) CTB PCC (old) PCC (new) 57 < 10 > 16 79 8 10 - 20

Simple Constitutive Models

HMA = Air + Asphalt + Rock e=5 to 7 e=1 e=2.2 e=4-7 Untreated Base = Air + Water + Rock e=>10 e=1 e=80 e=4-7

Resolution of Layers Near Surface

Typical 1 GHz for pavement

Frequency

Antenna Frequency

Penetration Depth

Will GPR Work??????

(will energy be reflected at material interfaces) HMA e=+6.5 UTB e=+10 Clay Subgrade e=14 HMA e=+6 HMA e=+6.5 PCC e=+8 CTB e=+8

Ponded Surface Water HMA e=+6.5 UTB e=+10 Clay Subgrade e=14

HMA e=+6 HMA e=+5 HMA e=+6

UTB e=+10 Subbase e=+11

How can GPR be used for pavement evaluation?

Flexible Pavements (UDOT Experience) FWD Analysis Distress Forensics Defects in Hot Mix layers (air voids, trapped moisture) As-built -HMA thickness construction pay factors -Evaluating structure after rotomilling Locating buried concrete pavements Deterioration in asphalt covered bridge decks Pavement Rehabilitation studies (identifying changes in structure) Less success for concrete pavements System Structure
Does not work everywhere - can be oversold

Is GPR reliable???????
GPR Thickness Accuracy vs Cores (Maser 1996)

New Asphalt Existing Asphalt Concrete Granular Base

(3 - 5%) (5 10%) (5 10%)** (8 15%)**

** requires adequate contrast between layers

GPR Service is not breakfast in bed.

Quality Assurance
Users are 1-minute experts (right conditions) Calibration (cores, cores,cores) Examination of stacked images Data archiving for future review Antenna tests Test section evaluations Standards for purchasing and service contracts

GPR System
Antenna (energy transmission and receiving) Location Referencing (DMI and GPS) Data Acquisition (locations and measurements) Integrated Video Data Processing (software)
Thickness and dielectric computation Stacking graphics Handle thin layers Handle vehicle bounce

TTIs Test Section

What are GPR advantages compared to coring???

+Safety: moving rather than stationary operation people not directly exposed to traffic Cost: $4 vs $50

How can a DOT obtain GPR surveys?

Buy equipment or services

The UDOT Experience (from 1998)

6 Contracts (emergency, sole source, design consultants) Request for Proposals (9 responses) Two Continuing Contracts (unit prices for 3-year term, indefinite time, indefinite quantity)

2002 RFP Cost per Mile RFP Evaluation Criteria:

Technical Capability (40%) , Previous Experience (20%) Cost (40%)

Unit Costs
Network Thickness Survey (Lane Mile) Design Thickness Survey (Lane Mile) Survey Data Analysis (Hour)

$ Range Network (500 samples) 25-50 Design (50 samples) 55-170 Mobilization: 5 8,000 Software/Training: 8-33,000

*Information Presentation including Reports, Locations Logs, and Maps (Hour) *Weather Delays (Hour) Mobilization to Salt Lake City and Return to Home Base (Each) *Travel: from Salt Lake City to Survey Location, between Survey Locations, from Survey Location to Salt Lake City (Mile) *Per Diem (Man Days) Software and Training for Viewing GPR Scans and Performing Thickness Evaluation (Lump Sum) *fixed by UDOT

Questionable

Deliverables
Station 1+00 Material Thickness (inches) Asphalt Mix 6 Aggregate Base 8

FWD Analogy Modulus (ksi) 456 42

+
Annotation Event DMI Chainage(mi) PC Pavement Change 0.0167 ST> Beginning of Structure 0.4269 <ST End of Structure 0.4519 MP Mile Post 0.7897 Lat 40.163198N 40.157879N 40.157731N 40.155239N Lon 110.403104W 110.404600W 110.405027W 110.410397W Elev 1682.1 1683.3 1683.7 1701.2

What are some examples of forensic GPR?

Pavement Evaluation Tools

Use of GPR in Pavement Rehabilitation projects Identifying section breaks with GPR

Void location
GPR data from IH 35 (Joe Leidy TxDOT)

normal

Alligator 4

SH 36

A stripped out layer 3 -4 inches below the surface

SH 47 DCP data
0 0.00 -5.00 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Alligator 2 SH 47
Depth

-10.00 -15.00 -20.00 -25.00 -30.00 -35.00 -40.00 -45.00 Number blows

Causes of failure
Disappearing stabilized subbase layer Very poor subgrade

Whats the problem with the base layer?

24th St. Ogden Utah As-built

Strata Layer

What is the Impact of new FCC radar rules on GPR implementation???

Severely limit power output between 0.96 and 3.1 GHz Protecting GPS systems which operate at 1.6 GHz Most existing air coupled systems operate at 1GHz Existing units grandfathered-in AASHTO requested waiver for DOTs based on public safety and cost savings Manufactures scrambling to modify current units and develop new ones
Make sure equipment purchased or used by contractors is legal.

Why is a GPR survey a condition precedent to a FWD survey?

For Variable Pavement Conditions Delineate structural sections considering conditions spaced < 2 feet

Would you rather be approximately correct or precisely wrong???

For Variable Pavement Conditions

500 to 2500 approximations vs 10 to 30 precise data points

Right Time:

before fwd and DCP

Right Place: materials with contrasting

dielectric constants

Right Way: with quality assurance Right Cost: personal judgment as to value