English Abstract
Abstract :
Besides geophysical inspections, the most common methods employed in near
subsurface mapping are destructive and non-destructive excavation. This research focuses on
studying the last method. Intensive literature and industrial search reveal firstly: There is no
universal procedure or system that standardizes the best subsurface mapping approach.
Secondly, the geophysical inspection’s output is not directly compatible with other thematic
layers. Lastly, there are no databases or official records for the interaction of subsurface
features with the different sensors and host materials and their conditions. Therefore, this
research aimed to design an experimental prototype that leads to finding and storing these
interactions to be used in feature detection. This information was called the Feature
Characteristics (FC). In addition, it aimed to design a prototype for a new feature detection
system called the Integrated Subsurface Mapping System (ISMS). This system proposes a
new procedure that guides the user to determine the detectability of targeted features and the
best combination to do it. The ISMS depends on the obtained FC. The outputs of the ISMS
are a regular geophysical profile, 3D maps and diagrams, and a compatible Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) thematic map. To achieve the mentioned goals, it was required to
design and implement several experiments to study the subsurface FC. Then, these
characteristics were used to design the proposed system. Next, the system was designed using
a high-level Unified Modelling Language (UML) chart. Lastly, a MATLAB programmed
code was used to produce a 3D spatial map using the experimental results. The designed
experiments focused on three features: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), voids, and plastic
features, due to their high potential impact on the civil, structural design, and the
environment. Besides, they are rarely addressed in the literature. Three detection methods
were selected for the near subsurface mapping experiments, because of their applicability:
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Ultrasound Waves, and thermography. In addition, sand,
gravel, and loamy soils were selected because they are among the most common soils. The
research findings were significant because: It is the first research to investigate and develop
the FC for MSW, voids, and plastic. Secondly, ISMS became the foundation for a novel
decision support system (DSS) that facilitates detection procedures. Furthermore, ISMS
produces a 3D thematic layer that could be integrated with other thematic maps. Lastly, the
obtained map accuracy was assessed by comparing the mapped features with their actual
location. The accuracy of the resulted maps was within acceptable civil engineering limits.
This research recommended extending the work to study more variables, features, sensors,
host soils, and conditions. So, the FC database could be comprehensive, and the feature
detection yields more accuracy. Finally, it is recommended to program the ISMS and write
the operational manual to facilitate the feature detection process.
