Application of ground penetrating radar to engineering geology in China

China began to work with GPR technology in the sixties. At that time, analogue display of the reflected waveform on an oscilloscope was the only option, and all data processing and interpretation had to be done manually. Rapid growth in areas such as the hydropower industry drew attention to a number of complex geotechnical problems. To solve these, China began to introduce GPR systems from abroad. In the early 1980s two types of ground radar systems were popular in China: SIR-8 and Geo-radar I. The China University of Geosciences (CUG) introduced a third system from Canada the year before last. The switch to digital technology allowed great improvement in data interpretation and opened a new phase of engineering geology. CUG has carried out measurements in more than ten regions in Guangxi, Henan, Hubei and Fujian Provinces, and in Guanzhou during the last two years.