Underground utility detection system and method

• US 6,975,942 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Young, Gary Neal, Alft, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Toan M.
• Application Number:
  US10/867,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 702/5, 702/14, 342/22, 367/37, 373/48
• US Class Current: 702/5
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/00 Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/6163 Electromagnetic

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for detection of one or more underground utilities. Radar waves and seismic waves of about the same wavelength are generated and communicated into a subsurface. Radar and seismic response signals resulting from communication of the radar and seismic waves into the subsurface are concurrently received. Data associated with the received radar and seismic response signals are stored. One or more underground utilities within the subsurface is/are detected using the stored data. The underground utilities may include metallic and non-metallic utilities.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting one or more underground utilities, comprising:

a radar system configured to generate and detect ground penetrating radar waves;

a seismic system configured to generate and detect seismic waves, the radar and seismic waves having about the same wavelength;

memory for storing data detected by the radar and seismic systems; and

a processor coupled to the radar and seismic systems and memory, the processor controlling contemporaneous acquisition of radar and seismic system detection data and detecting underground utilities within the subsurface using the stored data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a positional reference system, the positional reference system producing position data associated with a position of the radar and seismic systems.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves comprise seismic shear waves.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves have frequencies of at least about 3 kHz.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves have frequencies in the range of about 3 kHz to about 5 kHz.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves have frequencies in the range of about 2 kHz to about 3.2 kHz.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves have frequencies of about 1 kHz or less.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths sufficient for detecting underground utilities of a predefined size.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined size of the underground utilities is greater than about ⅛

a wavelength associated with a dominant frequency of the seismic waves.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths sufficient for detecting underground utilities having a dimension of at least ⅜

inch.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths of about 3 inches.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths of less than about 0.5 feet.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths of less than about one foot.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves have velocities ranging from about 500 feet/sec to about 800 feet/sec.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic system comprises one or more vibratory transducers.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seismic system comprises one or more velocity transducers.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the underground utilities comprise one or more non-metallic utilities.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines depth and location of the detected one or more underground utilities.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor performs joint inversion of stored data to determine depth and location of the detected one or more underground utilities.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a fusion engine configured to fuse the stored data to produce fused data, the processor configured to detect the one or more underground utilities within the subsurface using the fused data.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor computes tolerance factor data associated with the stored data.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor weights the stored data using the computed tolerance factor data.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores ground truth data and the processor processes the ground truth data to enhance accuracy of underground utility detection.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a map of the detected utilities using the stored data.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the processor incorporates data associated with the mao within a Geoaraohic Information System.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a 2-D map or a 3-D map of the detected underground utilities.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the processor.

28. An apparatus for detecting one or more underground utilities, comprising:

means for generating radar waves and seismic waves of about the same wavelength;

means for concurrently receiving radar and seismic response signals resulting from communication of the radar and seismic waves into a subsurface;

means for storing data associated with the received radar and seismic response signals; and

means for detecting the one or more underground utilities within the subsurface using the stored data.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the seismic waves have frequencies of about 5 kHz or less.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths sufficient for detecting underground utilities having a dimension of at least ⅜

inch.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths of less than about one foot.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the underground utilities comprise one or more non-metallic utilities.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, comprising means for detecting depth and location of the detected one or more underground utilities.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, comprising means for computing tolerance factor data associated with the stored data.

35. The apparatus of claim 28, comprising means for generating a map of the detected one or more underground utilities.

36. The apparatus of claim 28, comprising means for displaying data associated with the detected one or more underground utilities.