Action TU1208
Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar
COST Success Story
TU1208 GPR Roadshow
This is a successful series of science communication events where stakeholders, private companies, professionals and interested citizens can find out what is Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), discover how this technique can be used for seeing the unseen, and learn about the applications of GPR in civil engineering and beyond.
So far, six editions of the GPR Roadshow were held in: Lisbon (Portugal), Rome (Italy), Athens (Greece), Osijek (Croatia), Novi Sad (Serbia) and Pardubice (Czech Republic). The communication events held in those countries are shortly resumed below, in reverse chronological order; you can also explore a photoalbum by clicking here. Additionally, several communication activities were carried out in Estonia in the recent years, with citizens and children.
Roadshow Event 6: Pardubice, May 25th, 2017
Please visit the dedicated website: http://georadar.upce.cz/en/index.html
Roadshow Event 5: Novi Sad, March 10th, 2017
This event was held in the main Congress Hall of the Faculty of Technical Sciences of Novi Sad (Trg Dositeja Obradovica 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia).
In front of the Congress Hall a GPR equipment exhibition took place. We also had a poster session for young researchers. Experts from Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Serbia shared their experience with Attendees. Interesting discussions took place. The event was in Serbian, but talks given by foreign experts weree in English.
Programme of the event
Time | Speaker | Activity |
9.15 – 10.15 | Registration & Breakfast. Exhibition of GPR equipment that private companies, professionals and researchers are using. Poster session. | |
10:15 - 10:30 | Local Authorities | Welcome to participants. (in Serbian) |
10:30 - 10:50 | Miro Govedarica (Faculty of Technical Sciences of Novi Sad, Serbia, TU1208 MC Member) | Introduction to the dissemination day, overview on the research and teaching activities at the Faculty of Technical Sciences of Novi Sad. (in Serbian) |
10:50 - 11:20 | Miro Govedarica & Aleksandar Ristic (Faculty of Technical Sciences of Novi Sad, Serbia, TU1208 MC Member & MC Substitute Member) | Introduction to Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): basic principles, capabilities, limits, applications. (in Serbian) |
11:20 - 12:00 | Simona Fontul (LNEC - Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Portugal, TU1208 MC Substitute Member) | GPR applied to roads. Examples. (in English) |
12:00 - 12:20 | Tea & Coffee Break | |
12:20 - 13:15 | Aleksandar Ristic (") | GPR applied to utility detection. Examples. (in Serbian) |
13:15 - 14:15 | Lunch | |
14:15 - 14:45 | Simona Fontul (") | GPR applied to railways. Examples. (in English) |
14:45 - 15:00 | Damir Varevac (Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek, Croatia, TU1208 WG Member) | GPR activities in the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek (Croatia). (in English) |
15:00 - 15:45 | Lara Pajewski (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, TU1208 Chair) | Introduction to the COST programme and to COST Action TU1208 "Civil engineering applications of Ground Penetrating Radar" (in English) |
15:45 - 16:15 | Coordinated by Miro Govedarica and Lara Pajewski | Roundtable with Stakeholders and private companies (in Serbian and English) |
16:15 - 16:30 | Tea & Coffee Break | |
16:30 - 17:30 | Coordinated by Milan Vrtunski and Željko Bugarinović (Faculty of Technical Sciences of Novi Sad, Serbia) | Practical demonstration of GPR technique (measurements in the vicinity of the building where the meeting will be held, with different kinds of equipment) |
Roadshow Event 4: Osijek, March 6th, 2017
This event was held in the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek (Vladimira Preloga 3 (University Campus), 31000 Osijek, Croatia, Room 0.2 (ground floor)). Experts from Belgium, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Serbia and Slovenia, working in Universities, Research Centers and private companies, contributed to the event and shared their experience with Attendees. Interesting discussions took place. The event was in English.
The dissemination day wass followed by a free Training School on Ground Penetrating Radar. For more information about the school, please visit this page.
Here is a document that was prepared by the Local Organizers to explain 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 accompanied participants from Zagreb to Osijek, and back to Zagreb after the event.
Programme of the event
Time | Speaker | Activity |
08:30 - 09:00 | Registration | |
09:00 - 09:15 | Local Authorities | Welcome to participants and presentation of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek |
09:15 - 10:00 | Simona Fontul (LNEC - Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Portugal, TU1208 MC Substitute Member) | Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) basic principles, capabilities and limits. Applications of GPR in civil engineering. |
10:00 - 10:45 | Lara Pajewski (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, TU1208 Chair) | Introduction to the COST programme and to the Action TU1208 "Civil engineering applications of Ground Penetrating Radar." |
10:45 - 11:00 | Damir Varevac (Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek, Croatia, TU1208 WG Member) | GPR activities in the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Osijek. |
11:00 - 11:30 | Tea & Coffee Break | |
11:30 - 12:30 | Carl Van Geem (BRRC - Belgian Road Research Center, Belgium, TU1208 WG Member) | GPR applied to roads and bridges. |
12:30 - 13:00 | Simona Fontul (") | GPR applied to railways. |
13:00 - 14:00 | Lunch | |
14:00 - 14:4 | C. Van Geem (") | Pavement management. Combined use of GPR with complementary non-destructive testing techniques. |
14:45 - 15:35 | Miro Govedarica & Aleksandar Ristic (Faculty of Technical Sciences of Novi Sad, Serbia, TU1208 MC Member & MC Substitute Member) | GPR applied to detection and localisation of utilities in urban areas. Guidelines and good practice in Serbia. |
15:35 - 16:00 | Kevin Banks (KB GPR Surveys, United Kingdom) | 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 | Simona Fontul (") | GPR applied to airports. |
16:45 - 17:10 | Sonia Santos Assuncao (Murphy Surveys, Ireland, TU1208 WG Member) | 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 | Tatjana Rukavina (University of Zagreb, Croatia, TU1208 WG Member) | GPR activities in Zagreb University. |
17:30 - 18:00 | All | Final discussion. |
Roadshow Event 3: Athens, September 27th-28th, 2016
The third successful event of our Road Show was held in Athens and spanned over two days. It focused on the use GPR in archaeology and cultural-heritage management. The local organiser institution was GEOSERVICE, a Greek company funded in 1990 and providing state-of-the-art services, at European level, in the field of non-destructive geophysics. The event was supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education and Sport, via its Directorate for Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments.
The event was attended by 76 participants (74 from Greece and 2 from abroad). Most lectures were given in Greek.
During the first day, the GPR technique was explained to Attendees while performing practical demonstrations in the National Gardens of Athens. In the morning, an area with mosaics was surveyed. The measured data were plotted and printed, to then be interpreted and discussed with Attendees. In the afternoon, an area with ruins buried under a flat lawn was investigated. During the second day, a workshop took place in the City of Athens Cultural Centre (Antonis Tritsis Amphitheatre), including a series of technical talks and a final open discussion. The flyer of the event and the programme of the workshop (translated in English) are reported below, where you can also download the slides presented by the Speakers.
Time | Speaker | Activity |
10:30 - 10:45 | Klisthenis Dimitriadis (TU1208 WG Member, President of GEOSERVICE, EL) Maria Mertzani (Director of the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments in Greece, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education and Sports, EL) | Welcome to participants |
10:45 - 11:30 | Dr Lara Pajewski (Chair of COST Action TU1208, Roma Tre University, IT) | |
11:30 - 11:50 | Dr Fabio Tosti (TU1208 WG Member, Research Fellow at the University of West London, UK) | |
11:50 - 12:10 | Prof Andreas Loizos (Vice-Chair of COST Action TU1208, National Technical University of Athens, EL) | |
12:10 - 12:30 | Klisthenis Dimitriadis (TU1208 WG Member, President of Geoservice, EL) | |
12:30 - 13:00 | - | Buffet at the foyer |
13:00 - 13:20 | Dr Georgianna Moraitou (Head of Conservation, National Archaeological Museum of Athens, EL) | |
13:20 - 13:50 | Maria Mertzani (Director of the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments in Greece, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education and Sports, EL) | |
13:50 - 14:10 | Dr Demosthenes Giraud (Emeritus Director of the Directorate for the Restoration of Ancient Monuments, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education and Sports, EL) | |
14:10 - 15:30 | All participants | Open discussion: - Scientific and technical questions - Ideas for implementing non destructive methodologies in the conservation of cultural heritage and start new projects where GPR can be employed - Ideas for the creation of new international synergies at EU level, in the field of non destructive assessment by using GPR. Linking Greek Attendees to the Members of COST Action TU1208. |
Roadshow Event 2: Rome, April 29th, 2016
The second dissemination day of our Roadshow was a successful event and was focused on the use of GPR in civil engineering. The local organiser institution was the Engineering Department of Roma Tre University.
This event was attended by 96 participants (89 from Italy and 9 from abroad).
All lectures were given in Italian, but slides were in English in order to facilitate the foreigners in the comprehension of the exposed subjects.
The flyer of the event, with the technical programme, is reported below. Furthermore, here you can download the presentation given by Dr Lara Pajewski and here you can download a contribution published on the "Strade & Autostrade" Italian journal (vol. 4-2016, pp. 2-3), resuming the event.
Roadshow Event 1: Lisbon, March 2nd, 2016
The first dissemination day of our Roadshow was a successful event and focused on the use of GPR in civil engineering. The local organiser institution was the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC).
The event was attended by 104 participants (92 from Portugal and 12 from abroad).
Most lectures were given in Portuguese, but Action Members coming from other Countries gave talks in English to offer a European perspective on the topic. Additionally, all slides were in English in order to facilitate the foreigners in the comprehension of the exposed subjects.
The flyer of the event, with the programme, is reported below.
Future editions
There are no initiatives scheduled for the upcoming months, but we are planning some activities for 2019-2020; for more information, please visit again this page in the months to come.
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.
