Enhanced Ground Penetrating Radar Analysis for Buried Pipeline Characterisation and Leakage Detection

Abstract

This study presents an advanced approach to Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for characterising buried pipelines and detecting water leakages. GPR is a non-destructive technique used to detect subsurface dielectric objects such as pipelines. The research combines theoretical modelling, experimental validation, and numerical simulation across various pipe materials (metal, fiberglass, PVC) and soil types (clay, sand, and silt). Hyperbolic signatures and power reflectivity in radargrams were analysed to estimate pipe radius, with an accuracy of 75.7%. Methods for feature recognition, anomaly detection, and signal enhancement were applied to improve the identification of buried utilities and leak zones. The study incorporates four comparative approaches: attenuation characteristic analysis, time-frequency spectral analysis, and Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) simulation. Corroded pipes are effectively detected through attenuation analysis, while cracked pipes are identified using time-frequency spectral methods. FDTD simulations reveal that sand-based models are computationally less intensive than those involving finer soils like clay or silt. Signal filtering techniques, including fitted velocity modelling and hyperbola extraction, improve the clarity and reliability of radargrams. In conclusion, this integrated GPR-based approach significantly advances underground pipeline diagnostics, offering a powerful tool for infrastructure maintenance, leak detection, and utility mapping in urban environments.