Ground-Penetrating Radar

AFRL engineers used prototypes of recently developed ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electronic cone penetrometer (ECP) devices to determine whether voids and anomalies in a particular airfield's subsoil were facilitating crack formation in an aircraft runway. Using the data collected during their Langley Air Force Base (AFB), Virginia, investigation, they were able both to determine the extent (and, in some cases, the cause) of the subsoil deterioration and to provide several recommendations for repairing abnormal or weakened portions of the runway. This field investigation also provided valuable information about the AFRL-developed prototype inspection devices; the evaluation results will aid designers in further refining these developmental products.