Granted Patent B2

US 12,241,885 · App. 17/730,671 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

Inventor: Robert Ernest Troxler (Raleigh, NC)

G01N33/42E01C19/235G01N9/24G01N22/04G01N33/246G01S13/0209G01S13/32G01S13/885G01V3/12

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A ground penetrating radar system comprising:

a system controller configured to produce an electromagnetic signal for signal penetration of a pavement material;

a controller configured to produce a frequency modulated electromagnetic wave or a time domain modulated pulsed wave; and

an ultra wide band (UWB) antenna coupled to the system controller, wherein the UWB antenna is configured to transmit the produced electromagnetic signal to the pavement material and receive the electromagnetic signal as a reflection from the pavement material; and

wherein the system controller is further configured to:

receive the electromagnetic signal from the UWB antenna,

wherein the system controller is further configured for multi use,

wherein the system controller is capable of switching into a moisture mode or a material mode;

wherein the system controller is further configured to attain a measurement correlation of at least one of a relative, absolute, or complex permittivity of the pavement material depending on the measurement mode and based on one of a received first reflection signal and a second reflection signal;

wherein the system controller, when operated in the moisture mode, is further configured to select a moisture calibration curve for a selected pavement material;

wherein the system controller, when operated in the moisture mode, is further configured to determine the moisture content of the pavement material based on the correlation to dielectric constant or complex permittivity;

wherein the system controller, when operated in the material mode, is further configured to select a density or thickness calibration curve for a selected asphalt or concrete pavement material;

wherein the system controller, when operated in the material mode, is further configured to determine a bulk material property of at least one of a density or thickness of the pavement material based on the measurement correlation to the dielectric constant or the complex permittivity; and

wherein the system controller is configured to select, when in the material mode, one or more system measurement parameters for in situ measurements based on a selected mode corresponding to the pavement material, wherein the pavement material is one of soil, aggregate, sub base, asphalt, concrete, or roller compacted concrete.

2. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 1 , wherein a permittivity probe is mounted on to the antenna and in contact with the surface for ground truth data and reducing thickness errors.

3. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 1 , wherein the system controller is further configured to determine thickness of the pavement material based on the received electromagnetic signal reflected from the pavement material.

4. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 1 , wherein the system controller is further configured to attain a correlation of at least one of a relative, absolute dielectric constant, or complex permittivity of the pavement material based on at least one of a received first frequency reflection signal and second frequency reflection signal.

5. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 4 , wherein the system controller is further configured to determine the density of the pavement material based on the measured response correlated to dielectric constant of the pavement material.

6. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 5 , wherein the system controller is further configured to determine one of thickness, density, modulus and moisture content of the pavement material based on a frequency difference between the transmitted electromagnetic signal and the received electromagnetic signal.

7. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 6 , wherein the system controller is further configured to adjust the determined density of the pavement material based on the correlation of surface roughness of the pavement material.

8. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 7 , wherein the system controller is further configured to determine moisture content of the pavement material based on a correlation of the dielectric constant or complex permittivity.

9. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 6 , wherein the system controller is further configured to adjust the determined moisture content of the pavement material based on a correlation of determined surface roughness of the pavement material.

10. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 8 , wherein the system controller is further configured for dual use, wherein the system controller is capable of switching from a moisture mode to an asphalt mode for changing system parameters relating to asphalt.

11. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic signal is a frequency modulated electromagnetic wave signal.

12. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic signal is a time domain modulated pulse signal.

13. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 1 , wherein the pavement material is one of soil, aggregate, rock, asphalt, cement and concrete.

14. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 1 , further configured to be coupled with an intelligent compaction unit or intelligent compaction roller.

15. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 14 , wherein the system controller is configured to measure thickness of the pavement material.

16. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 14 , wherein the system is configured to measure moisture of the pavement material.

17. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 14 , wherein the system is configured to measure at least one of density and modulus of the pavement material.

18. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 14 , wherein the system is configured to aid in obtaining optimum compaction of a soil by monitoring soil moisture.

19. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 14 , wherein the system is configured to aid in obtaining optimum compaction of a soil by monitoring at least one of soil moisture, density, modulus, applied compaction energy, the rolling pattern, and displaying progress on a display.

20. The ground penetrating radar system of claim 1 , further comprising a positioning system.

21. A method comprising:

providing a system controller, which is configured for multi use, wherein the system controller is capable of switching into a moisture mode or a material mode; and to set, when in the selected mode, one or more system measurement parameters for in situ measurements based on a selected mode corresponding to the pavement material, wherein the pavement material is one of soil, asphalt, aggregate, sub base, cement, or roller compacted concrete;

producing, by the system controller, an electromagnetic signal for signal penetration of the pavement material, wherein the system controller is a controller configured to produce a frequency modulated electromagnetic wave or time domain modulated pulsed wave;

transmitting, by an ultra wide band (UWB) antenna coupled to the system controller, the produced electromagnetic signal to the pavement material and receive the electromagnetic signal as a reflection from the pavement material; and

receiving, by the system controller, the electromagnetic signal from the UWB antenna,

attaining, by the system controller, a measurement correlation of at least one of a relative, absolute, or complex permittivity of the pavement material depending on the measurement mode and based on a received at least one of a first reflection signal and a second reflection signal;

selecting, by the system controller when operated in the moisture mode, a moisture calibration curve for a selected pavement material;

determining, by the system controller when operated in the moisture mode, the moisture content of the pavement material based on the correlation to dielectric constant or complex permittivity;

setting, by the system controller when operated in the material mode, a density or thickness calibration curve for a selected asphalt or concrete pavement material;

determining, by the system controller when operated in the material mode, a bulk material property of at least one of a density or thickness of the pavement material based on the measurement correlating to the dielectric constant or the complex permittivity; and

setting, by the system controller when in the material mode, one or more system measurement parameters for in situ measurements based on a selected mode corresponding to the pavement material, wherein the pavement material is one of soil, aggregate, asphalt, cement, or roller compacted concrete.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising obtaining, by the system controller, a quality indicator of the selected pavement material based on the moisture, modulus, density or thickness determined by the in situ measurements correlated from the complex permittivity or dielectric constant measurement response made under the set one or more system measurements parameters of the mode.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising determining, by the system controller, a positioning measurement and the material measurement, and wherein the method further comprises wirelessly relaying the positioning measurement and the material measurement to a site server, individual computer devices, and the cloud.

Continuity (4)

References Cited (75)