An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis

L. Bianchini Ciampoli; M. G. Brancadoro; C. Ferrante; A. Benedetto; F. Tosti; A.M. Alani

doi:10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043

An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis

L. Bianchini Ciampoli, M. G. Brancadoro, C. Ferrante, A. Benedetto, F. Tosti, A.M. Alani

Faculty of Engineering, Computing & the Environment

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

This study reports on an investigation into the grain size distribution of the railway ballast using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and image analysis. The proposed approach relies on the hypothesis that the dimension (grading) of the ballast aggregates can influence the back-reflected spectrum received by the use of GPR. This assumption was confirmed by the finite difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations of the GPR signal, which were run by using the numerical simulator package gprMax 2D. A regression model was developed which related the "equivalent" diameter of the ballast aggregates and the frequency of the peak within the received spectrum. The model was validated in the laboratory environment by means of a 155 cm x 155 cm x 50 cm methacrylate tank, filled up with railway ballast. An air-coupled GPR system equipped with a 2000 MHz central frequency antenna was used for testing purposes. A total of three spatial distributions of the ballast aggregates within the tank were investigated, by emptying out and filling up thrice the tank with the same material. The geometric information on the ballast grading obtained from the simulation-based regression model was compared to the actual grading curve of the ballast. To this effect, an algorithm based on the automatic image analysis was developed. The comparison showed that the modelled aggregate diameter corresponded to the 70 % of the grading of the material sieved out in the laboratory. This contribution paves the way to new methodologies for the non-destructive assessment and the monitoring of segregation phenomena within the railway ballast layers in railway track-beds.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043
Publication status	Published - 28 Jun 2017

Bibliographical note

Note: This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848

Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh

Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh

Keywords

GPR
Ground-penetrating radar
FDTD simulations
Railway ballast
Image analysis
Civil engineering

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10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043

https://doi.org/10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043

Cite this

Bianchini Ciampoli, L., Brancadoro, M. G., Ferrante, C., Benedetto, A., Tosti, F., & Alani, A. M. (2017). An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis. In This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh https://doi.org/10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043

Bianchini Ciampoli, L. ; Brancadoro, M. G. ; Ferrante, C. et al. / An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis. This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh. 2017.

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abstract = "This study reports on an investigation into the grain size distribution of the railway ballast using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and image analysis. The proposed approach relies on the hypothesis that the dimension (grading) of the ballast aggregates can influence the back-reflected spectrum received by the use of GPR. This assumption was confirmed by the finite difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations of the GPR signal, which were run by using the numerical simulator package gprMax 2D. A regression model was developed which related the {"}equivalent{"} diameter of the ballast aggregates and the frequency of the peak within the received spectrum. The model was validated in the laboratory environment by means of a 155 cm x 155 cm x 50 cm methacrylate tank, filled up with railway ballast. An air-coupled GPR system equipped with a 2000 MHz central frequency antenna was used for testing purposes. A total of three spatial distributions of the ballast aggregates within the tank were investigated, by emptying out and filling up thrice the tank with the same material. The geometric information on the ballast grading obtained from the simulation-based regression model was compared to the actual grading curve of the ballast. To this effect, an algorithm based on the automatic image analysis was developed. The comparison showed that the modelled aggregate diameter corresponded to the 70 \% of the grading of the material sieved out in the laboratory. This contribution paves the way to new methodologies for the non-destructive assessment and the monitoring of segregation phenomena within the railway ballast layers in railway track-beds.",

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note = "Note: This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh",

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Bianchini Ciampoli, L, Brancadoro, MG, Ferrante, C, Benedetto, A, Tosti, F & Alani, AM 2017, An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis. in This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh. https://doi.org/10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043

An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis. / Bianchini Ciampoli, L.; Brancadoro, M. G.; Ferrante, C. et al.
This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh. 2017.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis

AU - Bianchini Ciampoli, L.

AU - Brancadoro, M. G.

AU - Ferrante, C.

AU - Benedetto, A.

AU - Tosti, F.

AU - Alani, A.M.

N1 - Note: This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh

PY - 2017/6/28

Y1 - 2017/6/28

N2 - This study reports on an investigation into the grain size distribution of the railway ballast using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and image analysis. The proposed approach relies on the hypothesis that the dimension (grading) of the ballast aggregates can influence the back-reflected spectrum received by the use of GPR. This assumption was confirmed by the finite difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations of the GPR signal, which were run by using the numerical simulator package gprMax 2D. A regression model was developed which related the "equivalent" diameter of the ballast aggregates and the frequency of the peak within the received spectrum. The model was validated in the laboratory environment by means of a 155 cm x 155 cm x 50 cm methacrylate tank, filled up with railway ballast. An air-coupled GPR system equipped with a 2000 MHz central frequency antenna was used for testing purposes. A total of three spatial distributions of the ballast aggregates within the tank were investigated, by emptying out and filling up thrice the tank with the same material. The geometric information on the ballast grading obtained from the simulation-based regression model was compared to the actual grading curve of the ballast. To this effect, an algorithm based on the automatic image analysis was developed. The comparison showed that the modelled aggregate diameter corresponded to the 70 % of the grading of the material sieved out in the laboratory. This contribution paves the way to new methodologies for the non-destructive assessment and the monitoring of segregation phenomena within the railway ballast layers in railway track-beds.

AB - This study reports on an investigation into the grain size distribution of the railway ballast using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and image analysis. The proposed approach relies on the hypothesis that the dimension (grading) of the ballast aggregates can influence the back-reflected spectrum received by the use of GPR. This assumption was confirmed by the finite difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations of the GPR signal, which were run by using the numerical simulator package gprMax 2D. A regression model was developed which related the "equivalent" diameter of the ballast aggregates and the frequency of the peak within the received spectrum. The model was validated in the laboratory environment by means of a 155 cm x 155 cm x 50 cm methacrylate tank, filled up with railway ballast. An air-coupled GPR system equipped with a 2000 MHz central frequency antenna was used for testing purposes. A total of three spatial distributions of the ballast aggregates within the tank were investigated, by emptying out and filling up thrice the tank with the same material. The geometric information on the ballast grading obtained from the simulation-based regression model was compared to the actual grading curve of the ballast. To this effect, an algorithm based on the automatic image analysis was developed. The comparison showed that the modelled aggregate diameter corresponded to the 70 % of the grading of the material sieved out in the laboratory. This contribution paves the way to new methodologies for the non-destructive assessment and the monitoring of segregation phenomena within the railway ballast layers in railway track-beds.

KW - GPR

KW - Ground-penetrating radar

KW - FDTD simulations

KW - Railway ballast

KW - Image analysis

KW - Civil engineering

UR - http://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/3262/

U2 - 10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043

DO - 10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh

ER -

Bianchini Ciampoli L, Brancadoro MG, Ferrante C, Benedetto A, Tosti F, Alani AM. An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis. In This work was supported by Mr. Spartaco Cera, IDS Georadar, Clax Italia s.r.l. and COST Action TU1208 ‟Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar”. Published in Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR2017), 2017. Piscataway, U.S. : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. ISBN 9781509054848 Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh Organising Body: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh. 2017 doi: 10.1109/IWAGPR.2017.7996043

An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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An investigation into the railway ballast grading using GPR and image analysis

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