No-contact GPR for investigating painted walls

Abstract

In this paper a no-contact ground penetrating radar for investigating painted walls is presented. It operates at 10 GHz central frequency with 4 GHz bandwidth. Its mechanical positioner is able to scan a surface 1.4 m wide and 1.9 m high. This equipment has been specifically designed for investigating the painted walls of the Tutankhamon tomb in the Kings' valley in Egypt. The aim of this radar survey is to gather information about the shallow layers (the plaster and the existence of possible plaster voids affecting the future stability of paintings) up to 0.5 m depth.