Detection of Service Pipes and the Risk of Collapsing Sinkholes at the Lake of Constance in Switzerland Using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
Edi MEIER, Inma GUTIÉRREZ et al
After a severe winter in Switzerland, two sinkholes opened suddenly on the much used water
front of the harbour promenade in Arbon (Lake of Constance), following a time span with
intensive wind that brought big waves to the shore. The public building authority is
responsible for the safety of the boardwalk. They decided not only to search for further
sinkholes but also to document the present underground condition. This will be used for the forthcoming restauration work. In order to get a precise underground documentation of the area a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey was executed. This nondestructive method gives as a result images of the subsurface structures as well as of installations like service pipes. The underground structure of the port facilities is clearly shown in the radar images (reflectograms).
For the city council of Arbon this radar documentation is a helpful tool for the emergency
decisions as well as for the planning of the future lakeshore constructions.
Event: FIG WW 2019 Hanoi
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