Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a noninvasive electromagnetic geophysical technique that produces profiles showing a virtual cross-section of soil, sediment and bedrock layers.   This technique works well in electrically resistive materials such as quartz sand, limestone, sandstone, coal and most igneous and metamorphic rocks.  Depth of penetration up to 100 feet in clean dry sand, 300 feet in unweathered granite.  Radar is absorbed by clay, most shales, saltwater and other electrically-conductive materials.

Since 1987, we have evaluated thousands of sites in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, Alaska, Bahama Islands, Belize, Mexico, and Hawaii.  SEI performs over 400 GPR surveys per year.  We use the most advanced, digital control units available today.  Survey projects range from residential subsidence investigations, sinkhole activity studies, landfill delineation, utility pipe location, soil cavity detection, and concrete rebar location.  All operators have completed the manufacturer’s training course.

Applications

Used to map soil and sediment thickness and elevation of subsurface interfaces or determine lateral continuity of soil and sediment layers.  Delineate geologic features such as buried sinkholes, lenses of organic soil, soil voids, caves, mineralized veins and fractures.  Locate buried man-made objects such as pipes, drums, tanks and land filled trenches. Can also be used to profile stream and lake-bottoms and sandy sub-bottom sediment layers.  Concrete evaluations including thickness and location of rebar.