Utility Detection - A Comparative Study of Single Channel and Hand-Pushed Array GPR Systems

Summary Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has been an integral part of utility surveying since the early 2000’s and the use of GPR systems for civil engineering applications and utility mapping has been the focus of research since the early days of the development of the GPR method. This study examines the difference between the two main developments for utility surveying – single-channel GPRs and high-density GPR arrays. Comparative data was collected in the town of Gainsborough, UK with the aim of discussing and highlighting the advantages and disadvantages for each system. The results demonstrate the high efficiency of multi-channel array GPR, offering higher resolution results, increased data quality and faster data collection. However, single-channel GPR can be more efficient and cost-effective in hardware and data collection in areas with tight urban footpaths/sidewalks, such as city centres with numerous street furniture and obstacles.