Case Studies — Underground Detection Projects

AviationTianjin, China

Airfield pavement survey with wireless 3D GPR

An operating airport needed to verify the condition of reinforced concrete aprons and taxiways without closing the field. Using the TD9800 wireless 3D GPR we scanned the pavement structure at driving speed, mapping rebar distribution and identifying areas of missing reinforcement and voiding beneath the slab. The airport engineering team received a defect map they could feed directly into maintenance planning — with zero disruption to operations.

1airfield surveyed

0operational closures

3Dsubsurface imaging

TD9800wireless GPR

Equipment: TD9800 wireless 3D ground penetrating radar

Ground penetrating radar survey on airfield pavement

GasTianjin, China

50 km urban gas pipeline inspection

A city gas distributor required a condition baseline across roughly 50 km of distribution mains in a dense urban district. Combining electromagnetic locating with the GPR we mapped exact pipe alignment and depth, then surveyed the coating with a fault detector. Every coating break was logged with GPS coordinates, giving the utility a prioritised repair list instead of a blanket replacement programme.

50 kmpipeline inspected

GPStagged defect list

2methods combined

Prioritisedrepair list delivered

Gas pipeline detection in urban environment

Pipeline locating equipment in the field

Equipment: pipeline locator + coating fault detector

MunicipalBeijing, China

100 km² urban utility mapping programme

A district-level municipal programme covering roughly 100 square kilometres: build a complete, authoritative underground utility database. Radar and electromagnetic surveys ran in parallel — radar resolving non-metallic and deep assets, locators resolving energised networks. The deliverable was a GIS-ready utility map with depth attribution, adopted as the district's planning reference.

100 km²area covered

GISready deliverable

Allutility types

2-in-1GPR + EM survey

Equipment: GPR + pipeline locator

Nuclear / WaterYangjiang, Guangdong

Radar detection trial at a nuclear power plant water supply

At five separate sites within a nuclear power station's water supply system, we ran GPR trials to verify the technology's reliability under the site's demanding safety and QA regime. The survey successfully detected both metallic and non-metallic buried services — including assets that electromagnetic methods alone had missed — and demonstrated that GPR could be deployed safely inside a constrained, security-controlled plant environment.

5survey sites

M + NMmetallic & non-metallic

QAsite regime passed

GPRmethod validated

GPR survey at power plant water supply site

Equipment: ground penetrating radar

Oil & GasXinjiang, China

200 km transmission pipeline coating survey

A 200 km long-distance oil transmission pipeline crossing remote terrain required a full coating condition assessment. Walking the line with a DC coating fault detector, we recorded signal strength and defect indications continuously, locating coating damage along the entire route and grading the pipeline's overall coating health. The operator received a section-by-section integrity report to drive targeted excavation and repair.

200 kmroute surveyed

Fullroute coverage

Gradedcoating health

DM3class instrument

Long-distance pipeline coating survey equipment

Equipment: pipeline coating fault detector

PowerShanghai, China

Cable route detection for metro construction

Ahead of metro construction works in Shanghai, underground power cable routes had to be fixed precisely to protect both the cables and the worksite. Electromagnetic locating fixed live cable paths while GPR confirmed depth and position where records were uncertain. The corridor was cleared for excavation with every HV route marked and documented.

HVroutes protected

Metroworks enabled

2methods combined

Markedfull corridor

Equipment: pipeline locator + GPR

WaterGuangzhou, China

Water network leak detection

A municipal water supplier was carrying unexplained losses across part of its distribution network. We surveyed the network with acoustic leak detection backed by precise pipe locating, pinpointing multiple leak positions. Repairs targeted only the confirmed points — measurable reduction in non-revenue water without wholesale replacement.

Multileaks located

Targetedrepairs only

NRWlosses reduced

Acoustic+ locating

Equipment: pipeline locator + coating fault detector

TelecomShenzhen, China

Fibre optic cable route location

A telecom operator needed exact fibre and duct routes fixed ahead of civil works in a busy district. Locator surveys traced the cable routes and depth of cover along the alignment, and every crossing point was marked. Construction proceeded with no service strikes on the surveyed sections.

0service strikes

Depthof cover mapped

Markedall crossings

Locatesurvey only

Equipment: pipeline locator

Project references

More references available on request

Beyond the selected projects above, our engineering team has delivered detection and survey work for Sinopec field pipelines, city gas companies, coal-field exploration programmes, municipal drainage authorities and long-distance water transmission projects. Tell us your industry and region and we will share the closest matching reference with contact-verifiable details.

Proven in the field