Over the past several years, agencies have more widely accepted the use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), as a supplementary tool for determining pavement thicknesses. While traditional pavement evaluation techniques are found to be time consuming, localized, and destructive, the use of GPR provides a non-destructive survey method with pavement thicknesses typically collected at intervals of 100 mm . Often these surveys can be completed with the survey vehicle travelling at the posted speed limit, with little disruption to the travelling public. As the use of GPR surveys continues to gain acceptance within the transportation industry, our understanding of its abilities also continues to advance. Although this survey is an effective tool for determining pavement thicknesses, there are many other applications where this technology can improve current pavement evaluation practices. The objective of this paper is to discuss the effectiveness in using GPR equipment as a pavement evaluation tool, and to present some innovative applications of the equipment. Some examples of these innovations include: the determining voids beneath concrete slabs; identifying subsurface pavement distress/repair areas; identifying frost tapers at culvert locations; and locating drainage outlets for pavement sub-drains. Continued advancement in the use of this technology will help develop a better understanding for the performance in our existing pavements, and help engineers design for a better tomorrow.
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