Supporting Singapore’s urban development with Stream UP for underground truth.

Stream UP, an easy way to capture underground utilities on extensive areas.

HSC operates IDS GeoRaradar’s Stream UP; a multichannel, multi-frequency, double-polarized, lightweight GPR system that can be installed on the back of any standard vehicle to accurately detect and map underground utilities on the move.

Stream UP is the right solution to efficiently operate in extended urban environments. Just as another vehicle on the road, HSC’s GPR vehicle does not slow down traffic in the big city of Singapore while it also collects the necessary data for utility projects to be planned and executed. Stream UP can operate at a speed of up to 150 km/h (93 mph), with a suggested operating velocity of 60 km/h (37 mph) for a perfect balance of safety, data quality and work efficiency.
The Stream UP solution is lightweight and easy to setup; this innovative GPR system can be mounted directly on site, needing only two people for transportation and assembly and just one operator to control it. Stream UP, operates in complete absence of contact with the ground and so dramatically reduces the stress on the physical system, consequently reducing its maintenance overheads.

Stream UP employs Hexagon’s latest software technology solutions for manifesting actionable information: uMap on-field software and IQMaps post-processing software for fast interfacing between users and GPR data.

Providing accurate detection of underground utilities with Stream UP GPR system.

Utility owners’ asset drawings often fail to provide reliable data on the exact location of utilities; even surveyed coordinates sometimes happen to be inaccurate, due to the accumulation of systemic error over time, or just “guessing” on where pipes are after trenches have been backfilled. By using GPR systems such as IDS Stream UP, a quick scan of vast areas for underground utilities becomes possible and having a complete and reliable 3D overview of where things are buried becomes a reality. GPR systems are a key component of success in the accurate localization of underground utilities, enabling
optimised planning and safer excavations and installations.

Since its first introduction, Stream UP has revolutionised the way surveyors conduct utility analysis, minimising excavation disruptions, saving costs and time while dramatically increasing productivity. For their efforts to improve how work is done, HSC has been awarded many accolades at various levels, including the Techblazer Award 2023 for Best Adoption (SME).

See here for the press release.

HSC Pipeline Engineering Pte Ltd found in Stream UP the perfect underground mapping solution providing with a fast and full scan of the intended work area and the clearest view on underground infrastructures.

Stream UP represents the easiest way to capture underground utility assets on extensive areas, facilitating the whole process - before, during and after data acquisition - while boosting overall productivity. If we compare Stream UP’s performance to the standard trench survey approach, that checks for underground structures approximately every 30 meters and permits vision of only 3.3% of the entire operations theatre, it is possible to understand the great value Stream UP can add to underground surveys by covering 100% of the intended survey area with no excavating.

With Stream UP, HSC can rely on a non-invasive inspection of underground utilities to provide an
accurate and reliable map of underground utilities up to 2.5m-3m depth.

Utility strikes have become more commonplace over the world, with severe accidents on the rise that cause civil and business losses in the millions. Stream UP drastically reduces the risk of hitting underground infrastructure while digging by leveraging its non-destructive testing nature. In-fact, as it provides ground truth, Stream UP enables work teams with awareness on where not to dig when utilities need to be laid.

This system enabled HSC to drastically reduce the number of trench surveys required for each surveying project with an important decrease in costs. The use of Stream UP for the analysis of underground infrastructure has led to savings of more than 90% per lane/km, and more importantly, it enabled HSC to adopt a more sustainable workflow with less disruption to the public – it’s the win-win philosophy of “measure twice, dig once”.

Digging trenches will always be time-consuming and costly. Stream UP allows for a comprehensive detection and mapping of the underground utilities, bypassing the need for invasive methods such as vacuum digging. Its non-invasive GPR technology is able to provide highly reliable data (80%-90%) in a fast and productive way, fulfilling the need for good quality information without the traditional encumbrances of dig-to-find.

Stream UP main Benefits:

• Complete and detailed detection of the survey area, for a clear view of underground infrastructures;
• Non-invasive detection of underground utilities, for improved safety;
• An important decrease in costs, bypassing the need for invasive surveying methods such as vacuum digging.
• Data Reliability and accuracy, for good quality information;

Stream UP main Features:

• Light Shell and modular structure;
• No road surface contact;
• Fast Acquisition Speed (up to 150km/h);
• Approved by traffic regulations;
• High Data Quality.

Download the Use Case.