Analysing soil pattern and characteristic of underground pipeline using penetrating radar [GPR] at two different study area / Muhammad Idraki Hamzah

The work of detecting buried underground utilities had become one of the most important part in every construction project in order to avoid damaging to any existing buried underground utilities. The condition of the buried underground utilities and soil subsurface conditions can be observed by correctly interpret the radargram image and the textural features contained in them. Due to the nature of the GPR signal, the radargram image produced can be affected by many factors especially the types of soil subsurface in the area where the underground utilities detection are done. This thesis describes a research project done to estimate, identify and analyse the types of soil subsurfaces in two different area in order to assess the GPR penetration capabilities in each of them. Furthermore, this research also involved the use of two GPR antenna frequency of 250 MHz and 800 MHz. (Fritzsche, 1995), showed through modelling that GPR signals at 900 MHz would be strongly attenuated in moist soils and in clay soils especially. A series of scanning are taken at each of the study area with different settings, where at the Kodiang sites, the study area are 10m x 15m and both types of GPR antenna frequency which is 250 MHz and 800 MHz were use. While at Bukit Kayu Hitam sites, the study area are 5m x 10m where both types of GPR antenna frequency which is 250 MHz and 800Mhz were use as well. This are done to compare the soil pattern of the study area and to see how different antenna frequency is affected in different types of soil subsurface. The processed radargram image are classified according to their textural features and geometry pattern of the profiles by visual interpretation of the interpreter. From the interpretation made, the radargram were manage to classified the soil pattern and characteristics together with aid of comparison from the Schematic Reconnaissance Soil Map as a strong references. Thus, based on the analysis, the soil pattern and characteristics which influence the potential of the pipeline laydown project by using GPR, the relevant types of the GPR data in terms of the soil pattern, and the image display as well as the 2D radargram model of the soil pattern and characteristics from GPR data for the pipeline laydown project at two different study area are obtained. Therefore, the results from the GPR and Soil Moisture Probe presented in this thesis conclude that the types of soil subsurface need to be considered and taken into account when doing GPR scanning as they affect the depth penetration and the radargram image produced as well as will affect the physical structure of underground pipelines utilities.