Action TU1208 

Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar

COST Success Story

Training School on Ground Penetrating Radar for the assessment of transport infrastructures

Osijek, Croatia, March 6-9, 2017

The COST Action TU1208  organised a  Training School on "Ground Penetrating Radar for the assessment of transport infrastructures."

This  course was held in the  Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek (Croatia), on March 6-9, 2017. Trainees from all over the world were welcome to attend the school for free.

This Training School was  targeted to Early-Career Investigators, PhD students, Master students and  engineers interested in Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and its civil-engineering applications. The main focus was on the use of GPR for the non-destructive assessment of roads, bridges and railways, as well as for the detection of utilities in urban areas. Several practical sessions took place. Discover  the class scheduling, reported below!


Here is a document explaining how to reach Osijek and the Faculty of Civil Engineering. This document also includes some basic information about Osijek and  suggestions for accommodation. A private bus   was available for Trainers and Trainees, on 5 March 2017, to travel from Zagreb airport and  city centre to Osijek.  Moreover, the same private bus brought back Trainees and Trainers from Osijek to Zagreb airport and city centre on 10 March 2017 (see page 9 of the document).


Coordinators of the Training School were Prof. Damir Varevac (Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek,  Croatia, TU1208 WG Member) and Prof. Lara Pajewski (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, TU1208 MC Chair).

Trainers were Prof. Lara Pajewski, Prof. Damir Varevac, Dr Sonia Santos Assuncao (Murphy Surveys, Ireland, TU1208 WG Member),  Dr Kevin Banks (KB GPR Surveys, United Kingdom), Dr Simona Fontul (LNEC - Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil,  Portugal, TU1208 MC Substitute Member), Prof. Miro Govedarica (Faculty of Technical Sciences of Novi Sad, Serbia, TU1208 MC Member), Prof. Ivica Guljaš  (Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek,  Croatia), Dr Aleksandar Ristic (Faculty of Technical Sciences of Novi Sad, Serbia, TU1208 MC Substitute Member), Prof. Tatjana Rukavina (University of Zagreb, Croatia, TU1208 WG Member) and Dr Carl Van Geem (BRRC - Belgian Road Research Center, Belgium, TU1208 WG Member).


Equipment used during practical sessions:

- Pulsed GPR and air-coupled/ground-coupled antennas by IDS Ingegneria dei Sistemi, owned by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek, working at the following centre frequencies: 200 / 600 MHz (dual system), 900 MHz, 2 GHz.   

- Pulsed GPR and air-coupled antennas by GSSI, owned by the University of Zagreb, working at the following centre frequencies: 1 GHz and 2.2 GHz.

- Pulsed GPR  and ground-coupled antennas by GSSI (SIR 3000), owned by the University of Novi Sad, working at the following centre frequencies: 400 MHz and 900 MHz.

-  RD8000 electromagnetic locator of utilities and GPS Trimble 5800 for geolocalisation, owned by the University of Novi Sad.

- Equipment for infrared and ultrasound inspections, owned by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek.

- Equipment for  ambient-vibration measurements, owned by the Faculty of Civil engineering of Osijek.


Class Scheduling


Monday, 6 March 2017 

Time

Trainer

Activity

08:30 - 09:00


Registration.

09:00 - 09:15

  Local Authorities

Welcome to participants.

09:15 - 10:00

  S. Fontul

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) basic principles, capabilities and limits. Applications of GPR in civil engineering.

10:00 - 10:45

  L. Pajewski

Introduction to the COST programme and to the Action TU1208 "Civil engineering applications of Ground Penetrating Radar." 

10:45 - 11:00

  D. Varevac

GPR activities in the Osijek Faculty of Civil Engineering.

11:00 - 11:30


Tea & Coffee Break

11:30 - 12:30

  C. Van Geem

GPR applied to roads and bridges.

12:30 - 13:00

  S. Fontul

GPR applied to railways.

13:00 - 14:00


Lunch

14:00 - 14:45

  C. Van Geem

Pavement management.

Combined use of GPR with complementary non-destructive testing techniques.

14:50 - 15:35

  M. Govedarica

  A. Ristic

GPR applied to detection and localisation of utilities in urban areas. Guidelines and good practice in Serbia.

15:35 - 16:00

  K. Banks

The point of view of a private end-user:

Overview on GPR services offered by KB GPR Surveys, in United Kingdom. Case studies.

16:00 - 16:30

 

Tea & Coffee Break

   16:30 - 16:45

  S. Fontul

GPR applied to airports.

16:45 - 17:10

  S. Santos Assuncao

The point of view of a private end-user:

Overview on GPR services offered by Murphy Surveys, in Ireland. Case studies.

17:10 - 17:30

  T. Rukavina

GPR activities in Zagreb University.

17:30 - 18:00

  All

Discussion.



Tuesday, 7 March 2017   

Time

Trainer

Activity

08:30 - 09:15

  L. Pajewski

Choice of GPR equipment for different applications.

GPR system performance compliance.

09:15 - 09:40

  S. Fontul

An in-depth look into structure and function of pavement structures.

   09:40 - 10:40

  M. Govedarica

  A. Ristic

GPR applied to the detection and localisation of utilities in urban areas: More details and advanced case studies.

10:40 - 11:00


Tea & Coffee Break

11:00 - 12:00

  K. Banks

The point of view of a private end-user:

Advanced case studies by KB GPR Surveys.

12:00 - 13:00

  S. Santos Assuncao

The point of view of a private end-user:

Advanced case studies by Murphy Surveys.

13:00 - 14:00


Lunch

14:00 - 16:00

  All Trainers.

  Activity coordinator:

  D. Varevac

Practical Session:

Use of GPR on a 100 m long section of the main road, in front of the University building. Evaluation of pavement thicknesses. Detection and localisation of utilities.

The road section will be secured and we will have the support of Osijek Road Service and Traffic Police.

16:00 - 16:30

 

Tea & Coffee Break

16:30 - 18:30

  C. Van Geem

Practical Session:

GPR data processing - Roads.



Wednesday, 8 March 2017

Time

Trainer

Activity

09:00 - 10:00

  L. Pajewski

Electromagnetic modelling for GPR applications. Introduction to freeware electromagnetic simulators developed in TU1208.

10:00 - 11:00

  C. Van Geem

Combined use of GPR and deflection measurement devices, on roads.

11:00 - 11:30


Tea & Coffee Break

11:30 - 12:15

  C. Van Geem

Structural evaluation of existing pavements based on deflection measurements and GPR data.

12:15 - 13:00

  C. Van Geem

Practical Session:

Backcalculation of E-moduli and  evaluation of remaining life of road structures, by using the freeware tool Qualidim.

13:00 - 14:00


Lunch

14:00 - 16:00

  All Trainers.

  Activity coordinator:

  D. Varevac

Practical Session:

Use of GPR on a secured section of a tramway, with ballast (5 min walk from the University).

16:00 - 16:30

 

Tea & Coffee Break

16:30 - 18:00

  C. Van Geem

Pavement management.

19:30 - 21:00


Big Band Jazz concert, in the University.

Time

Trainer

Activity

08:30 - 09:00

  S. Fontul

An in-depth look into structure and function of railway structures.

09:00 - 10:00

  S. Fontul

Combined use of GPR and other techniques for track-condition evaluation, on railways.

10:00 - 11:00

  S. Fontul

Practical Session:

GPR data processing - Railways.

11:00 - 11:30


Tea & Coffee Break

11:30 - 12:30

 

Poster Session

12:30 - 13:00

  S. Fontul

GPR applied to airports: Advanced case studies.

13:00 - 14:00


Lunch

14:00 - 16:00

  All Trainers.

  Activity coordinator:

  D. Varevac (GPR)

  and I. Guljas

  (other techniques)

Practical Session:

Use of GPR on a prestressed concrete pedestrian bridge, over the railway station, nearby the University.

Use of infrared and ultrasound inspection techniques. Ambient-vibration measurements.

16:00 - 16:30

 

Tea & Coffee Break

16:30 - 17:00

  D. Varevac,

  L. Pajewski

Final discussion and closing.



Thursday, 9 March 2017

A Poster Session will take place on Thursday, with posters prepared by Trainees to present their research activities.


Training School Grants

for PhD students & early-career investigators

The COST Action TU1208 offered 10 x  400,00 EUR grants to PhD Students and Early-Career Investigators  willing to attend the Training School. The COST Action TU1208 is proud to offer free courses: this Training School did not have a registration fee and Trainees from all Countries are welcome to  attend for free.   


Rules for Grant  Applications:

COST Training School Grants represent a contribution to cover travel, meal and accommodation expenses.  According to COST rules, only Trainees from COST Countries and from approved institutions in Near-Neighbour Countries can apply for a Grant.

To submit a Grant Application, the following items had to be sent to school@gpradar.eu:

  1. Curriculum vitae including the list of publications.
  2. Motivation letter written and signed by the Applicant.
  3. Support letter written and signed by the PhD Supervisor (for PhD Students) or by a colleague (for Early-Career Investigators, i.e., researchers who received their PhD no more than 8 years ago).

The applications will be examined by the School Coordinators and an answer will be givien within a few days.  Please be aware of the following rules:

  • Trainees can apply for a Grant  if their institute AND residence is  at least 100 km from Osijek.
  • Trainees whose Institute AND/OR residence is from 100 to 300 km from Osijek can apply for a reduced Grant of 300 EUR.
  • Trainees whose Institute AND residence is farther than 300 km from Osijek can apply for a full Grant of 400 EUR.
  • Local  Trainees, as well as Trainees from IPC and Trainees from NNC working in Institutions not participating in TU1208,  are very welcome to attend the training school for free, but they cannot apply for a  Grant.
  • Granted Trainees  will have to anticipate all their expenses. During the school they will have to sign the Attendance List everyday. After the school they will have to write a   report, to be submitted by 9  April 2017. The Grant will be paid after the school and after the submission of the report.


The selection of Granted applications is based on the COST key principles of excellence and inclusiveness. COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon2020 and its policy contributes to the "Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation" Horizon 2020 goal. To identify excellent applicants, we ask applicants to submit a curriculum vitae, a motivation letter and a support letter. At the same time, we aim at achieving inclusiveness. This objective is developed by COST around three main elements: support to Early-Career Investigators, fostering of gender balance and support to researchers coming from less-research intensive COST Member Countries.


List of Granted Trainees:

  • 1. Salih Serkan Artagan (Anadolu University, Turkey, TU1208 MC Substitute Member) - 400 EUR
  • 2. Julijana Bojadjieva (University Ss Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) - 400 EUR
  • 3. Vladislav Borecky (University of Pardubice, Czech Republic, TU1208 WG Member) - 400 EUR
  • 4. Željko Bugarinović  (University of Novi Sad, Serbia) - 300 EUR
  • 5. Michał Dąbrowski (Nicolau Copernicus University, Poland, TU1208 WG Member) - 400 EUR
  • 6. Melda Kucukdemirci (Istanbul University, Turkey, TU1208 WG Member) - 400 EUR
  • Miomir Miljković (University of Niš, Serbia, TU1208 WG Member) - 400 EUR - Declined
  • 7. Mezgeen A. Rasol (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain) - 400 EUR
  • 8. Silvestar Sesnic (FESB - University of Split, Croatia) - Near Neigbour Country
  • 9. Milan Vrtunski  (University of Novi Sad, Serbia, TU1208 WG Member) - 300 EUR
  • 10. Hossain Zadhoush (The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom) - 400 EUR


List of further Trainees registered to the Training School:

  • 11. Ivana Barišić (Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Croatia)
  • 12. Sanja Dimter (Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Croatia)
  • 13. Josipa Domitrović (University of Zagreb, Croatia)
  • 14. David Gergely Pall (University of Szeged, Hungary)
  • 15. Jelena Kaluđer (Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Croatia)
  • 16. Pavel Lopour (University of Pardubice, Czech Republic)
  • 17.  Jelena Matijević (Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Croatia)
  • 18. Kruno Minažek (Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Croatia)
  • 19. Irena Ištoka Otković (Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Croatia)
  • 20. Filp Ruška (Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Croatia)
  • 21. Zdenko Samaržija (Free lancer historian, Croatia)
  • 22. Ninoslav Tomljanovic (Institut IG+ d.d. - Regional Center Osijek -  Geotechnical department, Croatia)
  • 23. Özgür Yurdakul (Anadolu University, Turkey)
  • 24. Martina Zagvozda (Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Croatia)



Register to the school! Send an email to school@gpradar.eu


Facebook Group of the Training School:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/254209138322371/


 


For information concerning COST Action TU1208 and TU1208 GPR Association, please take contact with the Chair of the Action and President of the Association, Prof. Lara Pajewski. From 4 April 2013 to 3 October 2017, this website was supported by COST, European Cooperation in Science and Technology - COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme Horizon2020. TU1208 Members are deeply grateful to COST for funding and supporting COST Action TU1208. As of 4 October 2017, this website is supported by TU1208 GPR Association, a non-profit association stemming from COST Action TU1208.


Blog: http://tu1208blog.gpradar.eu/