THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Detection has long been considered a challenging subset within surveying – reliant on complex technology and specialised expertise while difficult to monetise. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR), in particular, has often been dismissed as an expensive tool with uncertain benefits, limiting its adoption.
But the landscape is shifting. Advancing technology and surging demand are evolving detection and the opportunities it presents for surveyors. With expertise in precision and data integrity, surveyors are uniquely positioned to leverage GPR, enhance their service offerings, and address the demand for real-world data.
Therefore, diversifying into detection to grow your business isn’t just smart; it’s a strategic move to stay competitive, responsive, and resilient.
No longer a nice-to-have
Increased safety awareness, driven by costly utility strikes and tighter regulations, has made accurate subsurface analysis a priority for different sectors and governments.
For example, in the United States alone, $30 billion (roughly €26 billion) is lost annually from assets damaged during excavation work; globally, that number is estimated at $100 billion. In addition to the expense, strikes pose safety risks and often cause a domino effect of disruption, potentially impacting power supply, water services, internet, and more. Recognising that the “dig and hope” approach is too costly a strategy, utility, construction, and engineering companies increasingly employ GPR surveys to eliminate accidental strikes and enhance safety for workers and the public.
Governments worldwide are mandating rigorous underground detection before excavation, with GPR emerging as a preferred, non-invasive solution. Simultaneously, the need for excavations rises with aging infrastructure updates and utility expansions. These projects all require detailed surface and subsurface data.
in the United States alone
(roughly €26 billion)
is lost annually from assets damaged during excavation work; globally, that number is estimated at
The smart city surge
The rise of smart cities – urban areas leveraging technology and data for greater efficiency and sustainability – also drives a greater focus on subsurface asset collection and management. Above-ground development often begins with mapping underground utilities, making detection systems like GPR a natural fit.
Integrated with AI, cloud analytics, and GIS platforms, GPR provides real-time insights for applications such as utility detection, historical preservation, disaster prevention, and smart water management, prompting project managers to prioritise detection services.
Additionally, detection adds an underground dimension to digital twins – virtual models of built environments. Cities like Singapore, Los Angeles, Rotterdam, and Seoul are already using subsurface digital twins, while others, including Houston, Copenhagen, Melbourne, and Quebec City, are adopting them to manage urban growth.
Surveyors and detection
The need is clear and, thanks to their expertise in spatial data collection, interpretation, and mapping, adopting GPR is a natural extension of established skillsets and workflows. GPR complements the advanced geospatial tools surveyors already use, such as GNSS and total stations, and by georeferencing subsurface data, they can deliver greater accuracy in utility mapping.
Detection services also enhance surveyors’ existing collaborations with engineers and construction professionals, where they can add to the data they already provide for more comprehensive project insights. This alignment of skills, tools, and position in the industry makes surveyors ideal candidates for expanding into underground detection.
However, a key question remains: is GPR accessible enough to turn a new tech investment into lasting business value?
Accessible innovation
To us, accessibility means usable and scalable solutions, where powerful and portable GPR devices, intuitive software, and user-friendly interfaces open the door for adoption. It also means a clear and quick path to service offerings that translate into high ROI.
From entry-level systems for basic detection needs to high-performance array systems, we have developed GPR devices that ensure companies can find the solution that fits their budget, technical expertise, and service expansion goals.
For example, the Leica DS4000 has the highest resolution and furthest penetration depth for an entry-level GPR, empowering users to go beyond standard technology. Supported by the patented equalized scrambled technology (EsT), the DS4000 enables surveyors to better detect very small targets like fibre optics and identify deep targets like sewage pipes in a single pass.
For services, this means that with one instrument, surveyors can penetrate previously inaccessible geophysical applications to offer pavement analysis or bedrock identification, along with enhancing deliverables for established detection use cases in utilities, construction, and infrastructure.
Powerful 3D arrays
Another significant move towards creating more accessible detection technology is the development of 3D array systems. Unlike traditional 2D GPR, which relies on line scans and offers limited contextual insight, 3D arrays provide full-area coverage and tomographic views of underground assets. Available as portable array systems or vehicle-mounted instruments, they enhance both the accuracy and the productivity of field teams.
For example, IDS GeoRadar Stream DP and Stream UP enable users to identify and capture 10 to 20 centimetres of sub-asphalt and deeper layers to detect subsidence. The demand for this type of multi-purpose utility scanning is growing, and we predict it will expand to other markets as well.
Easier data interpretation
Another way we make GPR more accessible is by coupling robust, detailed, and accurate GPR data with AI-driven software that makes interpreting that data easier. AiMaps cloud-based software provides intelligent processing for array radar data so that users can turn scans into meaningful deliverables faster.
Deep-learning algorithms improve underground utility analysis and extraction and help produce clearer 3D visualisations for a better understanding of depth and position. This allows surveyors to create high-impact and easy-to-decipher deliverables for customers.
Multi-source data integration
Modern detection solutions integrate into positioning and data capture methods surveyors are already familiar with, like GNSS, total stations, and mobile mapping, making it easier to offer new services and supplement existing ones.
For example, firms already leveraging mobile mapping can easily add IDS GeoRadar’s Stream UP, a vehicle-mounted GPR system, to expand the data they acquire at once.
The Stream UP can capture extensive areas at speeds up to
By pairing it with mobile mapping devices like the Leica TRK300, companies can create 3D models of both above- and below-ground surfaces.
Extending reality capture to subsurface digital twins creates new business opportunities with clients involved in smart city initiatives and digitised infrastructure projects. For example, UK-based geospatial company, Severn Partnership, adopted the Stream UP alongside mobile mapping and quickly saw big benefits: “Innovation and investment keep us at the forefront of the industry,” says Ben Barnard, commercial director of Severn Partnership. “Stream UP is one of the latest examples. We’re the first company in the UK that is integrating mobile mapping with GPR for simultaneous data capture, which is giving us a unique place in the market. And in less than seven months, we’ve won new clients and significant work.”
Dig into GPR to future-proof services
Detection technology is sitting at the intersection of where demand and readiness meet.
As surveyors’ roles continue to expand and customers continue to expect more, it is smart to view detection technology as a strategic enabler with the proven power to elevate and evolve service offerings, win more work and position firms as innovative leaders.
Surveyors who invest in detection technology now are placing themselves ahead of the curve, enabling them to capture a growing market, stay ahead of competitors and meet evolving customer needs.
