Ground penetrating radar imaging of water leaks from buried pipes based on back-projection method

In this paper, the application of ground penetrating radar (GPR) imaging for detecting the water leaks from buried pipes is examined. Experimental water leakage conditions for a shallowly buried plastic pipe are realized within the laboratory sand and outdoor soil mediums. The successive B-scan GPR measurements of the mediums are performed at various time instants while the water is leaking out of the pipe. The corresponding time-series B-scan images are reconstructed using the back-projection algorithm that we have specifically formulated for the subsurface GPR imaging applications. The signatures of the leak regions are then assessed by both direct interpretation of the resultant images and application of change detection procedures. The obtained results demonstrate the capability of GPR for locating the sources of the leaks accurately.

► We experimentally investigate the GPR detection of water leaks from buried pipes.
► We acquire the B-scan data of the subsurface region that is exposed to water leakage.
► We specifically tailored the back-projection algorithm for GPR image reconstruction.
► Results show that leak regions can be identified throughout the GPR application.