Bridge Deck Investigations Using Ground Penetrating Radar
Aleksandra V. Varnavina, Aleksey K. Khamzin, and Evgeniy V. Torgashov
Missouri University of Science and
Technology
Ground penetrating radar data were acquired across eleven bridge decks in
central Missouri in an effort to demonstrate the utility and cost-effectiveness of
using a high-frequency ground-coupled ground penetrating radar system to
assess the condition of bridge decks. Areas of degradation (both half-deck and
full-deck) were identified based on rebar amplitudes and apparent depths (top
layer of rebar in both the upper and lower mats). Core control was acquired in
each span of each lane in order to verify and constrain the geophysical
interpretations. The bridge decks were intentionally oversampled (traverse
spacing and scans per inch) so that optimum
acquisition parameters could be
identified. With respect to the utility of the geophysical data sets, the primary
objective was to demonstrate that high-frequency ground penetrating radar
control can be used to reliably assess the integrity of bridge decks (both halfdeck
and full-deck). With respect to cost-effectiveness, the cost-benefit of the
tool was assessed based on the usefulness of the relevant interpretations to the
Missouri Department of Transportation and the estimated cost of generating the
interpretations.
Optimum
acquisition parameters were also identified.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90182©2013 AAPG/SEG Student Expo, Houston, Texas, September 16-17, 2013