Guided wave inspection of buried structures

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This proposal seeks funding for a three year research programme into the inspection of buried structures using guided waves. The scientific basis for the use of guided waves to inspect structures such as pipelines, railway lines, plates and pipes has been developed successfully now for about 2 decades, led in particular by researchers in the UK. The new understanding has been taken up in industry, so far concentrating with great success on the inspection of pipelines. However, critically, the enabling scientific research was done for exposed structures, but guided waves in buried structures are radically different. The surrounding materials, which typically include sound-absorbing protective coatings, reduce the practical range of inspection and often give rise to unwanted components of signals which hinder interpretation. These limitations are becoming very apparent in industry where there is a huge attraction to apply the guided wave method to inspect buried parts of pipelines which are otherwise inaccessible. The proposed research will address these problems, aiming to provide the scientific basis for the reliable inspection of buried and coated pipes over maximum distances. The outcomes will have generic benefit also for the guided wave inspection of any other kinds of buried or coated structures.The proposal is being submitted within the UK Research Centre in Non Destructive Evaluation (RCNDE) to the targeted research programme, the funding for which is earmarked by EPSRC for industrially driven research.