Design and Implementation of Three-Channel Drainage Pipeline Ground Penetrating Radar Device

Area of Science:

• Geophysics
• Civil Engineering
• Non-destructive Testing

Background:

• Conventional video inspection is limited to internal pipeline defects.
• Single-channel radar inspection devices have restricted detection direction and depth in water pipelines.
• There is a need for more comprehensive and efficient pipeline inspection methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a three-channel drainage pipeline ground penetrating radar (GPR) inspection device.
• To overcome the limitations of single-channel devices regarding detection direction and depth.
• To enable synchronous detection of the pipeline's interior, body, and external environment.

Main Methods:

• Designed and assembled a prototype three-channel GPR inspection device.
• Integrated three radar channels with specific frequencies (1.4 GHz and 750 MHz).
• Incorporated a 4-million-pixel video camera with high positioning accuracy (<1 mm) and IP68 waterproof grade.

Main Results:

• The device achieved a detection accuracy of 0.1° for pipe deformation and 1.2 m detection depth outside the pipe.
• Corrosion thickness detection accuracy was 15 mm.
• In a field test on the Jianguomenqiao sewage pipeline, 87 defects were identified, including loose soil, voids, and cavities.

Conclusions:

• The developed three-channel GPR device effectively enhances detection depth and efficiency for drainage pipelines.
• The system successfully identified various internal and external pipeline defects in a real-world engineering application.
• This technology offers a significant improvement over conventional and single-channel inspection methods.