PRESS RELEASE
26 September 1995

Portable, Ground Penetrating Radar Survey Systems launched in Latin America

Following market successes in North America, Europe, and Asia, Geophysical Survey Systems Inc., (GSSI), of New Hampshire, USA, announces the release of three, non–destructive, diagnostic systems to the Latin American market. Two are based on Ground Penetrating Radar, (GPR), techniques, and the third uses a digitally controlled, electro-magnetic (EM) sensor with 7 multiplexed frequencies to detect ground conductivity variations caused by sub-surface features.
The systems are used to detect buried utility services, highway and structural problems, geological features and subsurface pollution.

The GPR method, referred to by the manufacturer as "Subsurface Interface Radar," (SIR), is employed to detect buried power and pipe lines, inspect roads and bridges and to detect a variety of other, man-made and natural underground features, at depths up to 30 meters, depending on the resolution required.
The lower cost, EM based instrument, is designed for rapid, preliminary surveys and for localized verification of features detected by the SIR systems. Other applications for both techniques include locating underground pollution sources, mapping ground water, and scanning archaeological sites. The systems are also used in mining applications to locate mineral deposits and to ensure mine safety.
Model SIR System-10H is a predictive maintenance tool, primarily suited to rapid, continuous scanning of highways and tunnels. The company claims that new antenna designs and improved radar control circuitry have increased data collection rates so that surveys can be conducted at normal traffic speeds, thus eliminating the costly disruption created by slower methods such as core sampling, which is also destructive, and only produces a localized sample of pavement condition.
GSSI's second radar based system to be released, the SIR System-2, combines portability with semi-automatic operation. Samuel Heald, Director of Marketing, states that advanced software has made possible the semi–automatic operation feature, which requires only one manual setting to facilitate use by inexperienced operators. Manual overrides are provided for the adjustment of all parameters by more experienced users.
The control unit weighs only 6 kgs, and the portability and light weight suits the equipment to a wide variety of applications. These include structural surveys in civil engineering, such as determining the location of metal beams and reinforcing steel in construction projects, finding the position of pipes and power lines in public works undertakings, and the identification of mineral deposits and geological hazards in mining operations. This system can also be used for scanning hazardous waste sites to locate buried drums or buried trenches.
The third system is the MFEM-7 Sensor which detects subsurface objects and features by responding to changes in electrical impedance between two coils as they are passed over the ground. The use of 7 different excitation frequencies enhances the ability of the system to detect a wide variety of features and materials. This sensor costs less than the radar instruments and, as such, can be used as an alternative to, or in conjunction with them for preliminary or verification surveys.

Geophysical Survey Systems Inc. has specialized in the design, manufacture and application of non-contact survey and detection systems for more than 20 years, and markets its products worldwide through local representatives./ins

Captions 1: Geophysical Survey Systems Inc.'s SIR System-2 with a Model 3102A, (500MHz), antenna, being used to find underground utilities.

Caption 2: GSSI's portable SIR System-2, Ground Penetrating Radar, (GPR), is designed for one man, semi-automatic surveys of structures, geological formations, buried utility services, and mine workings. The SIR System-2 is pictured here with a GSSI Model 3102A, (500MHz), antenna.

For more information, contact:
Thomas J. Fenner, Director of Sales
Geophysical Surveys Systems Inc.
P.O. Box 97
North Salem, NH 03073-0097, USA
Telephone +1 603 893 1109
Fax +1 603 889 3984