The Impact of Frequency in Surveying Engineering Slopes Using Ground Penetrating Radar

Abstract

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is one of the non-invasive techniques commonly used to identify “anomalies” in the ground. It has been proven very effective in different fields ranging from the location of pipes and other underground services to the identification of archaeological sites. After the 1994 Kwun Lung Lau accident in Hong Kong, the Government has been commissioning the feasibility of different geophysics techniques to identify any issues related to engineering slopes and retaining walls. Among the different techniques tested during phase I, Electrical Imaging (EI) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) were the most applicable in the study of old masonry walls. This paper aims to stress the importance of using the appropriate frequencies during the GPR survey of engineering slopes. In order to do that, two independent contractors who used different frequencies to carry out the GPR survey on the same area will be compared.