3D Wireless Seismic Survey Technology and its Application in Hong Kong

Design and construction of underground structures, such as basements and tunnels, always face the risk of unforeseen ground conditions, which are difficult to determine based on preliminary GI information.  Traditionally, GI information, such as desk study, trial pits, and boreholes can only provide discrete details. This leads to unnecessary design review and introduces additional time and cost implications to the project. Seismic surveys, commonly used in the “Oil & Gas” industry, may provide an alternative solution to allow the interested parties to acquire valuable underground information through a non-destructive approach.  In this paper, an advanced 3D wireless seismic survey technology will be introduced, which has recently been conducted in Hong Kong to collect additional underground information for the construction work. The technology uses unique seismic sources combined with an expandable wireless multi-channel seismic data acquisition system and GPS to collect comprehensive seismic data.  These recordings are taken and, using specialised seismic data processing, transformed into 3D visual images of the earth’s subsurface in the survey area.  And geoscientists can indirectly use those seismic data to obtain a picture of the structure and nature of the stratum and rock layers' structure and character.  The technology is instrumental in urban areas as it possesses the flexibility and mechanism to scan the location where the surface is obstructed by structures.