Tunnel and Underground SpaceISSN:1225-1275(Print) 2287-1748(Online)한국암반공학회

Recently, road cave-ins, also referred to as ground sinking, have become a problem in urban environments. Public utility facilities such as sewage pipelines, communications pipes, gas pipes, power cables, and other types of underground structures are installed below the roads. It was reported that cave-ins are caused by the aging and lack of proper maintenance of underground facilities, as well as by construction problems. A road cave-in is first initiated by the formation of cavities typically induced by the breakage of underground pipelines. The cavities then grow and reach the base of the pavement. The traffic load applied at the surface of the roads causes an abrupt plastic deformation. This type of accident can be considered as a type of disaster. A road cave-in can threaten both human safety and the economy. It may even result in the loss of human life. In the city of Seoul, efforts to prevent damage before cave-ins occur have been prioritized, through a method of discovering and repairing joints through the 3D GPR survey.