ATRAS — An automated GPR system for data acquisition and storage for roads and bridges

The use of mobile GPR acquisition units for the inspection of roads and bridges has been reported by numerous authors. Pavement thickness, concrete cover of rebar and the detection of zones with increased chloride contents are some examples of problems that are addressed using mobile acquisition units. Usually, GPR surveys are carried out for a specific purpose on a specific object. This paper describes the implementation of a different approach. A fully automated acquisition system is mounted on a trailer. Data acquisition is carried out by non-trained persons travelling by car for other reasons than data acquisition. GPR data are then stored in a database together with processed DGPS data. Thus a stock of GPR data is made available for inspection and monitoring of whole transport networks. This paper describes the soft- and hardware components of the system together with examples of it's use.