Through-Soil Wireless Communication System for Embedded Geotechnical Instrumentation

Omar Baltaji, Youssef M.A. Hashash, Sijung Yang, Andrew Singer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Conventional underground instrumentation systems, embedded in soil, suffer from major limitations imposed by their wired connectivity. Congestion of instruments and vulnerability of connections to defects due to human activities and aggressive underground conditions, cause significant cost increases and robustness limitations. Numerous attempts for developing through-soil wireless communication systems have been made recently, employing electromagnetic waves, magnetic induction techniques, and seismic waves, though none has provided a complete practical and cost-effective communication scheme. In this paper, a biologically-inspired, through-soil wireless communication system that employs acoustic and seismic waves is described. Successful data transmission has been achieved in laboratory experiments over 1 m range at kbps data rates and in the field over tens of meters at tens of bps rates. The deployment of this system in geotechnical applications and the accompanying challenges are also outlined. This technology has the potential of impacting geotechnical, geophysical, earthquake, mining, agricultural, and numerous other applications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationGeotechnical Special Publication
EditorsChristopher L. Meehan, Sanjeev Kumar, Miguel A. Pando, Joseph T. Coe
PublisherAmerican Society of Civil Engineers
Pages200-208
Number of pages9
EditionGSP 313
ISBN (Electronic)9780784482155
ISBN (Print)9780784482155
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
Event8th International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering: Soil Erosion, Underground Engineering, and Risk Assessment, Geo-Congress 2019 - Philadelphia, United States
Duration: Mar 24 2019Mar 27 2019

Publication series

NameGeotechnical Special Publication
NumberGSP 313
Volume2019-March
ISSN (Print)0895-0563

Conference

Conference8th International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering: Soil Erosion, Underground Engineering, and Risk Assessment, Geo-Congress 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPhiladelphia
Period3/24/193/27/19

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Building and Construction
  • Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

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