This technology is an embedded monitoring system for composite ground, such as embankments or road subgrades. It uses two opposing embedded frames fixed by spacing supports. One frame’s transducer transmits compression and shear waves, which are received by the transducer on the opposite frame, allowing an analysis device to determine ground characteristics based on wave velocity.
Conventional ground surveys, such as borehole or probe penetration methods, often yield uncertain results due to soil disturbance during excavation. Ring-type probes struggle with accuracy in stiff clay as soil tends to clump inside. Surface non-destructive testing is costly and requires skilled personnel. Furthermore, composite ground—where conditions change over time due to natural consolidation and heavy equipment loads—has been difficult to monitor continuously because measurements vary at each point in time.
This technology installs multiple shear wave transmitting transducers at 0°, 45°, and 90° angles along the frame's spacing axis to identify ground anisotropy through directional shear wave velocity. Transmitting and receiving transducers are placed in parallel, and embedded ribs are added to the frame edges to stabilize signal paths. A TDR probe for measuring relative permittivity is installed on the top of the frame, while electrical resistivity electrodes and temperature sensors are exposed on the opposite side to track moisture levels. Applicable to road and railway embankments, landfills, coastal reclamation sites, and large structural foundations, this system allows for long-term, continuous, and undisturbed recording of changes in ground stiffness and moisture resulting from post-construction consolidation and traffic loads.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Hyper-convergence Construction Forensic Research Center.
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