Ashghal to use 3D radar technology to identify road defects

Doha: As part of the preventive operation and maintenance plans for the roads network in Qatar, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has applied the latest technologies to scan asphalt using three-dimensional radar (3D-GPR) to inspect lower layers of roads, bridges and the sewage network.

The Roads Operation and Maintenance Department at Ashghal has recently applied this advanced technology on Al Asiri Bridge (known as Midmac Bridge) and other vital sites in Qatar including highways, main roads and local roads, within a comprehensive operation and maintenance plan to identify and explore voids and defects in the road layers at an early stage before they appear on the surface. The radar beams penetrate the surface layers of asphalt to reach the lower layers in order to identify any shortcomings or gaps in the foundations before they appear on the surface. The deep scanning process is carried out with a high accuracy of up to four meters below the surface of the earth.