 |
March
24, 2003 |
Software Gives Clearer Focus to Radar
Images
Dimitri Grivas, professor of civil and environmental
engineering, is taking the concept of ground-penetrating radar
(GPR) above ground. Grivas is enhancing the technology to take
the guesswork out of seeing what’s inside major infrastructure
such as bridges, pipelines, and buildings. More accurate readings
could detect dangerous material weaknesses, structural cracks,
or even embedded explosives.
Below is an image of the floor of the JEC (room
7001) in GPR (top).
GPR has been used for years to peer inside the
earth, concrete, and other materials. But it’s far from
perfect. Images are not crisp enough for accurate interpretation,
or important details are simply not captured. Often engineers
have to guess if what they see is a foreign object or just a material
defect.
Grivas is developing new software for GPR systems
that will interpret images as they are revealed, and deliver clearer,
sharper pictures. The enhanced technology no doubt will be used
to assist the homeland security mission of protecting and strengthening
the nation’s public infrastructure, Grivas says.
“Dramatically improving methods of inspecting
and evaluating the conditions of bridges, pavements, buildings,
and pipelines has taken on a new urgency,” says Grivas,
professor at Rensselaer’s Center for Subsurface Sensing
and Imaging Systems. “Once completed, our research will
result in a new generation of infrastructure management systems,
which are based on knowledge of the true internal condition of
civil structures. This will be a revolutionary advancement.”
Geophysical Survey Systems, based in New Hampshire,
is providing hardware and software for Grivas’ research
program.
|
