The University of Kentucky (UK) initiated construction on a 550,000-square-foot cancer treatment center, strategically located within the university's existing healthcare complex. The facility spans over three and a half city blocks, repurposing land previously occupied by residences built in the 1920s. The historic nature of the site presented unique challenges, as almost forty residential structures were impacted, many with detached water cisterns and a network of utilities that posed potential risks during excavation. Recognizing these complexities, Project GPR was contracted to survey and map 15 acres in collaboration with the site survey team to proactively address these subsurface hazards.
The extensive survey encompassed identification of active and abandoned utilities, septic systems, cisterns, and other buried storage tanks, requiring meticulous examination and documentation. Project GPR’s team approached this task systematically, scanning each residence’s footprint to account for any subsurface anomalies. Standard field practices, such as marking areas with paint and flagging, facilitated on-site identification, while critical regions were further analyzed with advanced post-processing software. This data, georeferenced with coordinates tied to each reading, enabled comprehensive spatial analysis and allowed the team to isolate areas with significant anomalies based on amplitude variations. These geospatial assessments produced highly informative deliverables, providing the client with a clear visual representation of subsurface conditions across the site.
The UK cancer treatment center project highlighted the effectiveness of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology in pre-construction risk mitigation. By combining traditional field techniques with advanced data processing, Project GPR successfully delivered precise and actionable insights into complex subsurface landscapes. This project also underscored Project GPR’s commitment to advancing the technology, software, and data analysis in utility locating and GPR applications, enabling clients to benefit from cutting-edge solutions that enhance safety and efficiency in challenging construction environments.
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