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(bright music)

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(machine humming)

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- [Narrator] Properly diagnosing

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and repairing infrastructure
damage is a major expense

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to the state of Texas.

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Having the right forensic
information is one key

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to keeping those costs down.

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Using Electrical
Resistivity Imaging, or ERI,

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is one new, extremely effective method

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of providing the Texas
Department of Transportation

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with the data they need

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to avoid unnecessary
maintenance expenditures.

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A research team at the University of Texas

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at Arlington recently completed
an implementation project

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that assessed the effectiveness
of this diagnostic method.

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In multiple real world scenarios,

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the project has demonstrated
the efficacy of ERI

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in diagnosing subsurface issues,

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resulting in an updated
manual as well as training

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for how to use this technology
and forensic assessment.

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- In the initial project,

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we conducted extensive literature reviews

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and laboratory electrical
resistivity tests

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to develop a comprehensive research manual

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for the electrical resistivity imaging

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and identified the potential benefits

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of the ERI in enhancing
geotechnical analysis

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for transportation systems.

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- Electrical resistivity
imaging is basically

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introducing electrical
current into the earth

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and based on the
resistance that we measure

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from what's underneath, we
characterize that material,

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whether we have a moisture
or we have a strata,

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like a rock or anything that's problematic

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like sulfate presence.

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- Think about it, our
infrastructure systems,

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we build them on the ground

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and the only information
that we have about it

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is about a few boreholes
that we put in the ground

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before the construction.

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What we did is we
provided more information

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to the Department to
eliminate the uncertainties

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and eliminate those unnecessary costs.

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Subsequent to the successful development

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of an Electrical
Resistivity Imaging Manual

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for subsurface exploration,

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we implemented that in
the implementation phase.

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We implemented that for 13
real TxDOT projects in Dallas

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and Forth Worth district.

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In Dallas district, what we did is for one

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of the pavement design
projects along a roadway,

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we mapped the high sulfate
concentration areas

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that they create problems for pavements,

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and we showed it to TxDOT,

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so that they can design
better the pavements.

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In Fort Worth district,
they had a retaining wall,

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that they had problems
with the retaining wall,

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and we did, we used
the technology in order

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to identify the source of that problem,

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to help the engineers in TxDOT in order

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to address the issues they
had with the retaining wall.

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So we implemented the
technology in 13 projects,

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and we helped the TxDOT,

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and we showed that how the
technology can be used in order

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to help them in the design

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and maintenance of infrastructure systems.

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- So the benefits for TxDOT is being able

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to use a very simple solution
that does not require us

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to close a roadway to
do a major operation,

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and that can be implemented
by a trained maintenance

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or inspector to be able

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to basically have a quick understanding

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of what's underneath the
surface of the ground.

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- It could improve the highway safety

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because it mitigates

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and it prevents the unexpected
failures on the pavements.

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- [Narrator] For more information

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and to find the publication
for this project,

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please visit the TxDOT research library

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at the link shown below.