Issues over high-speed non-invasive monitoring of railway trackbed

In recent years there has been an increase in the knowledge of, and need for, high-speed non-invasive monitoring of infrastructure. The various technologies involved, ground penetrating radar (GPR), infrared thermography, conductivity, etc. are becoming widely accepted as proven techniques to determine the condition of various structures from bridges and retaining walls to highways and railway lines.This paper will discuss the various applications of GPR and infrared thermography on the UK infrastructure, with concentration on the high-speed applications of these non-invasive techniques. This will lead into the limitations both on the style of the survey and the maximum speed obtainable while still recording sensible data. Calculations are undertaken to obtain the maximum speed of a radar survey as well as an infrared survey. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]