Detection of water content inhomogeneities in a dike model using invasive GPR guided wave sounding and TRIME-TDR® technique

Guided wave sounding (GWS), an invasive application of ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and time domain reflectometry with intelligible micro elements (TRIME-TDR®) were used to investigate the distribution of volumetric water content (VWC) in a dike model under controlled conditions in order to detect possible dike damage. The dike model, which was constructed with soil of the texture class loamy sand, was flooded at different levels of water between 0.3 and 1.25 m high from a waterproof baseline. The two techniques were applied to retrieve VWC information from the same location at the crest of the dike model. Both techniques assessed reflection data from the lower end of a metal probe lowered through a common access borehole and successfully detected a water content inhomogeneity in the model at a depth of about 0.6 m from the crest. Comparison of the colocated VWC measurements from the two techniques showed almost identical trends with a root mean square deviation of 0.018 m3 m−3. GWS, however, showed a much higher depth resolution than TRIME-TDR®. Accompanying analytical and numerical modelling show that GWS sounding should be applicable to water content exploration in existing, 10–20 m deep boreholes. (paper)