Deep buried metal pipeline detection using frequency domain
electromagnetic method
Abstract
In municipal construction, to avoid casualty and property loss the
buried pipelines beneath the construction site should be accuracy
located. There are many locating method such as magnetic method,
electromagnetic method, infrared thermography, ground penetrating radar,
acoustic location system etc. All these methods mentioned above can only
make an acceptable result at the depth down to 5 m. In this study,
improved frequency domain electromagnetic method (FDEM) is used to
locate deep buried metal pipeline (>10 m). In this method,
the mathematic model is rebuilt and special probe with the diameter of
20mm is designed. It was conduct by two steps. First, Using the regular
FDEM method to estimate the approximately depth and horizontal location.
Then, the electromagnetic field induced by metal pipeline is measured by
the probe in the borehole drilled within 5 m away from the projection of
pipeline on the ground and the full curve inversion method is used to
give the accuracy depth and planimetric position. Result show that the
improved FDEM method can detect the deep buried (>10 m)
pipeline with the relative accuracy of and planimetric position with the
relative accuracy of . With the advantage of high accuracy and
trenchless, it can improve efficiency by replacing excavation
verification in the buried pipeline on site investigation. Regular FDEM
method usually locates the underground metal pipeline by measuring the
eigenvalue of specific frequency electromagnetic characteristic curve
upon the vertical direction. Improved FDEM method combine the eigenvalue
method and full curve inversion method. Furthermore by detecting
electromagnetic field in the borehole the detection line is closer to
the pipeline and the interference is less which leads to a high S/N.
That why the improved FDEM have a high accuracy in deep buried metal
pipeline locating. On the other hand, the probe is designed to well
match the current instrument, so it need not to add special receiver
which make the method more economical to apply. The location without
error of deep buried pipeline especially the deep buried oil and gas
metal pipeline is vital. The improved FDEM could provide an effective
way in locating the deep buried metal pipeline.