Detection of shallow underground targets using electrical resistivity tomography and the implications in civil/environmental engineering

Abstract Applying the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) technique in detecting very near-surface targets is quite challenging in geophysical investigation, especially in civil and environmental engineering for adequate planning and designing of structural foundations, contributing to the overall safety and efficiency of construction projects. However, locating the exact position and depth of underground targets such as faults, underground utilities, and contaminants is more challenging. Therefore, this study is aimed at examining the geophysical response of various buried targets and evaluating the ability of ERT to detect buried targets in terms of locations and depths of occurrence in the context of engineering investigation and environmental studies. A laboratory test was conducted on the targets to determine their electrical conductivity and resistivity before burial. The two-dimensional (2D) ERT survey was performed on thirteen targets buried at the site using both Wenner and dipole–dipole (DD) arrays. Both arrays captured the metallic targets with a low electrical resistivity contrast (< 0.1 Ωm) corresponding to the laboratory results. In comparison, the positions of the non-metallic buried targets were found to have a high resistivity contrast greater than 3000 Ωm, matching the laboratory results. The modelled pipes and the car engine block captured by both DD and Wenner arrays on 1.0 m electrode spacing were relatively smeared and poorly resolved in shapes, sizes and geometries, while some were not captured. The electrode spacing of 0.25 m and 0.50 m was explored on undetected targets, which provide a better resolution with sizes and depths compared to 1.0 m spacing but did not produce satisfactory results in some cases. The success and failure of ERT to detect a few targets were discussed alongside the environmental and engineering implications. The effectiveness of both arrays was assessed by their sensitivity in mapping the change in subsurface resistivity values. The DD array shows sensitivity to horizontal variations in resistivity values with low signal. In contrast, the Wenner array shows a good signal strength with a good change in the horizontal and vertical resistivity values. In addition, both arrays show capacity in mapping the geophysical signature of the buried targets and subsurface structures, which has significant application in engineering and environmental investigations.