Supporting Singapore’s urban development with Stream UP for underground truth

Underground detection provides accurate, real-time data on the location, depth and size of subsurface utilities. This nondestructive method reduces the need for costly trial holes, minimises disruptions, and enhances safety for workers and the public. It optimises resource allocation, shortens project timelines, and supports informed decision-making, leading to more efficient and sustainable urban development.

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Francesca Guerra

Marketing Manager at IDS GeoRadar, part of Hexagon.

Singapore is a metropolitan city-state, home to more than five million people. High population density and limited land availability pushes its construction industry to pioneer urban development projects that make the most effective use of underground spaces for new utilities while maintaining existing buried infrastructure.

A comprehensive understanding of subsurface infrastructures is essential to ensure accurate and reliable work planning and to increase the safety of workers and the general public during all construction phases.

Founded in 1993, infrastructural utility engineering company HSC Pipeline Engineering Pte Ltd has 30 years of experience in building underground utilities — paired with a strong culture of integrating new relevant technologies and methods into its service offerings. Across the city of Singapore, it has become a key partner for pipeline and utility survey projects.

years of experience

Km/h

Maximum speed at which Stream UP can operate

STREAM UP — CAPTURING UNDERGROUND UTILITIES IN EXTENSIVE AREAS

HSC operates Stream UP: a multichannel, multifrequency, double-polarised, lightweight GPR system from IDS GeoRadar, part of Hexagon. Effortlessly mounted on any standard vehicle, the Stream UP enables the dynamic detection and precise mapping of underground utilities while on the move. It is the right solution to efficiently capture extended urban underground environments. HSC’s GPR vehicle does not slow down traffic in the big city of Singapore while it collects the necessary data for utility projects. Stream UP can operate at a speed of up to 150 kilometres per hour, with a suggested operating velocity of 60 km/h for a perfect balance of safety, data quality and work efficiency.

The lightweight Stream UP solution is easy to set up and can be mounted directly on site. Two people are needed for transportation and assembly, and just one operator can control it. Stream UP operates seamlessly without ground contact. This frictionless operation significantly alleviates system stress, leading to a notable reduction in maintenance overheads. Stream UP utilises Hexagon’s cutting-edge software technologies to generate insightful and actionable data. Field software uMap and postprocessing software IQMaps power fast interfacing between users and GPR data.

PROVIDING ACCURATE DETECTION OF UNDERGROUND UTILITIES

Utility owners’ asset drawings often fail to provide reliable data on the exact location of utilities. Even surveyed coordinates can prove inaccurate due to accumulated systemic errors over time, or mere estimations made after backfilling trenches. As a result, the exact positioning of pipes can remain elusive.

GPR systems such as Stream UP quickly scan vast areas and deliver a complete and reliable 3D overview of underground utilities, providing a clear view of underground infrastructures and enabling optimised planning and safer excavations and installations.

When comparing the performance of Stream UP with the traditional trench survey method, which examines underground structures roughly every 30 metres and only sees about 3.3% of the entire operational area, the immense value of Stream UP becomes clear: It can cover 100% of the survey area without the need for excavation, offering a comprehensive view of the underground landscape.

For HSC that means, it can rely on a noninvasive inspection of underground utilities to provide an accurate and reliable map of underground utilities up to 2.5 metres to three metres depth.

Utility strikes have become more commonplace over the world, with severe accidents on the rise that cause civil and business losses in the millions. Stream UP drastically reduces the risk of hitting underground infrastructure while digging by leveraging its nondestructive testing nature. Delivering reliable ground truth, Stream UP equips teams with the knowledge they need to avoid dangerous or sensitive areas when installing utilities, ensuring a safer and more efficient operation.

“MEASURE TWICE, DIG ONCE”

This system enabled HSC to drastically reduce the number of trench surveys required for each surveying project which translates into a significant decrease in costs. Using Stream UP for the analysis of underground infrastructure has led to savings of more than 90% per lane and kilometre and enabled HSC to adopt a workflow that is less disruptive for the public.

Digging trenches will always be time-consuming and costly. Stream UP allows for a comprehensive detection and mapping of the underground utilities, bypassing the need for invasive methods such as vacuum digging. Its noninvasive GPR technology provides highly reliable data in a fast and productive way, fulfilling the need for good quality information without the traditional encumbrances of dig-to-find.