SINGAPORE – As sinkholes increasingly disrupt urban areas across Asia, from China to Singapore and South Korea, cities are now turning to cutting-edge technology to predict and prevent these ground collapses before they occur. At the forefront of this effort is ground-penetrating radar (GPR), a non-invasive tool that scans beneath the earth’s surface to detect hidden voids and weak spots in the soil.
In places like Shenzhen, China, GPR systems developed by DECOD Science & Technology, a Singapore-based engineering firm are being mounted on vehicles that roam city streets. These mobile units emit high-frequency electromagnetic waves into the ground, capturing signals that bounce back from underground anomalies such as cavities, broken pipes, or unstable layers of soil.
“It’s like doing a health check for the city’s infrastructure,” said Zhi Haiyan, founder of DECOD. The goal is to identify subsurface risks before roads collapse, avoiding costly damage and safeguarding public safety.
Singapore began using GPR widely after a dramatic sinkhole appeared on Tanjong Katong Road South. Authorities combined radar data with ground probing—drilling rods as deep as 20 meters and seismic scanning, which maps underground layers through reflected sound waves. The integrated data gave engineers a comprehensive view of subsurface conditions before starting road repairs.
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Beyond prevention, GPR has proven useful in emergencies. In Malaysia, GPR was used in rescue missions following a sinkhole that swallowed vehicles, helping locate debris and potential survivors. In Taiwan, it’s used to assess earthquake aftermaths. Even Indonesia is now creating a national sinkhole monitoring program.
However, interpreting radar data isn’t always straightforward. Factors like soil moisture and material types can distort results. To overcome these challenges, researchers in South Korea have introduced AI-powered solutions, including UcNet a convolutional neural network (CNN) that boosts GPR accuracy and reduces false alarms through advanced signal analysis.
Climate change adds further urgency. Frequent cycles of drought and flooding destabilize soil layers, increasing the risk of collapse. Experts warn that passive infrastructure monitoring is no longer enough. Instead, proactive strategies using GPR, AI, and early-warning systems—are essential for building urban resilience.
Traditional responses, such as injecting grout to fill voids, are still in use (as seen in Singapore), but the emphasis is shifting. With real-time diagnostics and predictive modeling, cities can transition from reaction to prevention, shielding infrastructure and citizens alike from the dangers that lurk beneath the streets.
Source: CNA
