PRESS RELEASE
July 19, 1996

Ground-penetrating radar combines data gathering, analysis and reporting in one system

A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system that combines data-collection, analysis and report-writing capabilities in a single, rugged unit has been introduced in Asia by Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI), North Salem, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

The new system — named Subsurface Interface Radar (SIR) System-2P — is the first GPR system to perform all three functions in the field, said Samuel R. Heald, the company's director of marketing. Engineers and scientists previously had to gather data in the field with one system, then analyze it and write their reports on separate computers in the laboratory or office.
GSSI, which is a subsidiary of OYO Corporation, Japan, is also introducing two other products to Asian markets, the SIR-10H pavement analyzer and the VEM-300 electromagnetic sensor, both successful in the U.S. and Europe.
Engineers, geoscientists, public works directors, archaeologists and others use GPR systems to detect man-made objects and natural phenomena, such as underground storage tanks, contamination plumes, rock formations, utility pipes and cable, and deterioration in concrete infrastructure. Electromagnetic pulses are used to detect these underground targets without excavation.
The enhanced SIR-2P has twice the hard-drive capacity of the standard SIR-2, and has Windows 95, Microsoft Office and RADAN post-processing software installed at the factory. It also comes equipped with a module that adds ports for a keyboard, external SGVA monitor, mouse, serial/parallel data transfer and ethernet high-speed data transfer.

Pavement analyzer and electromagnetic sensors also introduced
Capable of rapid, continuous scanning of highways, bridge decks and tunnels, the SIR-10H is designed to make preventive maintenance more efficient. The company says that new antenna designs and improved circuitry increase data collection to permit surveys to be conducted at normal traffic speeds, eliminating costly disruption created by traditional core-sampling methods.
The 12-lb. VEM-300 is a man-portable, digital, multi-frequency electromagnetic sensor. Data is collected at user-selected frequencies of 300 Hz to 20 kHz, providing, according to the company, the ultimate flexibility in depth of investigation and degree of target resolution. The electromagnetic sensor complements GPR systems and can be used in conjunction with them for preliminary search or verification surveys. The new product detects subsurface objects and features by responding to changes in electrical impedance between two coils, as they are passed over the ground.
Typical electromagnetic-sensor applications include locating pipes, tanks, drums, and buried metallic targets, and mapping pollution plumes in groundwater, bedrock topography, and terrain conductivity. According to the company, initial results from field studies indicate that the multi-frequency VEM-300 is superior to conventional signal frequency units for the identification of metallic and non-metallic targets.
GSSI markets its complete line of geoscientific instruments through a growing network of local sales/service distributors in Asia and the rest of the world./ins

Caption: The SIR System-2P from Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc., combines data gathering, analysis and report-writing in one unit, and performs the three functions in the field.

For further information contact:
Thomas J. Fenner
Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.
Post Office Box 97
North Salem, NH 03073-0097, U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (603) 893-1109
Fax: +1 (603) 889-3984
E-mail: gssisales@aol.com