Skip to main content

Tunnel inspection investigation innovation in Japan

A new approach to tunnel inspection technology in Japan could yield major benefits in determining quality and safety. A team comprising specialists from Japan’s Institute for Laser Technology and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency is having evaluating the use of lasers for upgrading tunnel inspection methods as part of a two year research programme. The new technique is said to allow inspectors to examine tunnel wall conditions at a higher frequency of 25 times/second. The technology also allows tunnel wall
January 14, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A new approach to tunnel inspection technology in Japan could yield major benefits in determining quality and safety. A team comprising specialists from Japan’s Institute for 3098 Laser Technology and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency is having evaluating the use of lasers for upgrading tunnel inspection methods as part of a two year research programme.

The new technique is said to allow inspectors to examine tunnel wall conditions at a higher frequency of 25 times/second. The technology also allows tunnel wall conditions to be inspected to a depth of 10cm under the surface. The new method uses a combination of laser technology and ultrasonic flaw detectors to evaluate conditions to greater depths than would previously have been possible.

Key features of the system include the use of a special lens as well as water-cooling in the laser to reduce heat generated by the equipment and boost performance.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • MTVs help transfer material efficiently
    June 20, 2016
    Mention the letters MTV and most people will think you’re referring to Music Television, the firm that revolutionised the music video. But in the road construction sector the letters have another meaning: Material Transfer Vehicle. Roadtec pioneered the MTV concept with its Shuttle Buggy, which it introduced in 1989. The concept was a novel one, providing a transition between the truck hauling the asphalt to the site and the asphalt paver. The idea of the machine was that it would provide a buffer system
  • Efficient stockpile and site monitoring
    October 23, 2017
    Effective monitoring of aggregates stockpiles as well as face excavation can deliver greater quarrying efficiency. One of the latest innovations in quarrying is the use of drones, which provide major benefits for optimising operations. The use of affordable drone hardware and software solutions can help reduce stockpile inventory time by as much as 70%. Through the recent partnership between Trimble and Propeller, drone data can now be an everyday tool in quarries by proving a transformational impact
  • Advances in asphalt testing
    June 18, 2012
    The latest asphalt testing equipment brought onto the market is both innovative and highly accurate as Kristina Smith reports Advanced pavement design requires advanced test equipment. And advanced test equipment takes time and money to design, engineer and produce. But if your expensive testing machine could perform a few more tricks, buying one would make financial sense to more organisations. This is the thinking behind IPC Global’s new Uniaxial Fatigue Test Kit for its Asphalt Performance Mixer Tes
  • Advances in asphalt testing
    August 31, 2012
    The latest asphalt testing equipment brought onto the market is both innovative and highly accurate as Kristina Smith reports Advanced pavement design requires advanced test equipment. And advanced test equipment takes time and money to design, engineer and produce. But if your expensive testing machine could perform a few more tricks, buying one would make financial sense to more organisations. This is the thinking behind IPC Global’s new Uniaxial Fatigue Test Kit for its Asphalt Performance Mixer Tes