Triple Filtering of Terrain Conductivity Data for Precise Tracing of Underground Utilities
Terrain conductivity meters (TCMs) are efficient devices for different sorts of subsurface investigations, including detecting and tracing buried utilities, such as metallic pipes and cables. However, data collected using TCMs are usually ambiguous and hard to interpret. This ambiguity originates fr...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Geosciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/5/179 |
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| author | Mohamed Rashed Abdulaziz Alqarawy Nassir Al-Amri Riyadh Halawani Milad Masoud Maged El Osta |
| author_facet | Mohamed Rashed Abdulaziz Alqarawy Nassir Al-Amri Riyadh Halawani Milad Masoud Maged El Osta |
| author_sort | Mohamed Rashed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Terrain conductivity meters (TCMs) are efficient devices for different sorts of subsurface investigations, including detecting and tracing buried utilities, such as metallic pipes and cables. However, data collected using TCMs are usually ambiguous and hard to interpret. This ambiguity originates from the complex shape of apparent conductivity anomalies, the influence of irrelevant conductive bodies, and the interference of random noise with the collected data. To overcome this ambiguity and produce more interpretable apparent conductivity maps, a three-step filtering routine is proposed and tested using different real datasets. The filtering routine begins with applying a Savitzky–Golay (SG) filter to reduce the effect of random noise. This is followed by a modified rolling ball (MRB) filter to convert the complex M-shape of the anomaly into a single trough pointing to the underground utility. Finally, a virtual resolution enhancement (VRE) filter is applied to enhance the pinpointing apex of the trough. The application of the proposed filtering routine to apparent conductivity data collected using different terrain conductivity meters over different utilities in different urban environments shows a significant improvement of the data and an effective ability to reveal masked underground utilities. The proposed triple filtering routine can be a starting point for a new generation of TCMs with a built-in operation mode for instantaneous delineation and characterization of underground utilities in real time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9b12da25ea7c4a8d8f1cd2ae761f868c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-9b12da25ea7c4a8d8f1cd2ae761f868c2025-08-20T03:48:01ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632025-05-0115517910.3390/geosciences15050179Triple Filtering of Terrain Conductivity Data for Precise Tracing of Underground UtilitiesMohamed Rashed0Abdulaziz Alqarawy1Nassir Al-Amri2Riyadh Halawani3Milad Masoud4Maged El Osta5Water Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi ArabiaWater Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi ArabiaWater Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi ArabiaWater Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi ArabiaWater Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi ArabiaWater Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi ArabiaTerrain conductivity meters (TCMs) are efficient devices for different sorts of subsurface investigations, including detecting and tracing buried utilities, such as metallic pipes and cables. However, data collected using TCMs are usually ambiguous and hard to interpret. This ambiguity originates from the complex shape of apparent conductivity anomalies, the influence of irrelevant conductive bodies, and the interference of random noise with the collected data. To overcome this ambiguity and produce more interpretable apparent conductivity maps, a three-step filtering routine is proposed and tested using different real datasets. The filtering routine begins with applying a Savitzky–Golay (SG) filter to reduce the effect of random noise. This is followed by a modified rolling ball (MRB) filter to convert the complex M-shape of the anomaly into a single trough pointing to the underground utility. Finally, a virtual resolution enhancement (VRE) filter is applied to enhance the pinpointing apex of the trough. The application of the proposed filtering routine to apparent conductivity data collected using different terrain conductivity meters over different utilities in different urban environments shows a significant improvement of the data and an effective ability to reveal masked underground utilities. The proposed triple filtering routine can be a starting point for a new generation of TCMs with a built-in operation mode for instantaneous delineation and characterization of underground utilities in real time.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/5/179electromagneticapparent conductivityrolling ballSavitzky–GolayVRE |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed Rashed Abdulaziz Alqarawy Nassir Al-Amri Riyadh Halawani Milad Masoud Maged El Osta Triple Filtering of Terrain Conductivity Data for Precise Tracing of Underground Utilities Geosciences electromagnetic apparent conductivity rolling ball Savitzky–Golay VRE |
| title | Triple Filtering of Terrain Conductivity Data for Precise Tracing of Underground Utilities |
| title_full | Triple Filtering of Terrain Conductivity Data for Precise Tracing of Underground Utilities |
| title_fullStr | Triple Filtering of Terrain Conductivity Data for Precise Tracing of Underground Utilities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Triple Filtering of Terrain Conductivity Data for Precise Tracing of Underground Utilities |
| title_short | Triple Filtering of Terrain Conductivity Data for Precise Tracing of Underground Utilities |
| title_sort | triple filtering of terrain conductivity data for precise tracing of underground utilities |
| topic | electromagnetic apparent conductivity rolling ball Savitzky–Golay VRE |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15/5/179 |
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