Reveal – Quantum Gravity Sensor for Civil Engineering

The presence of sinkholes, mineshafts and other buried objects under construction sites is a huge problem in civil engineering. These underground openings are a risk to the health and safety of people working on the site. They are also a risk after construction work has been completed as they can move and increase in size over time and may open up causing a building; a road or a bridge to subside or collapse with devastating effect. The REVEAL project aims to develop a quantum gravimeter which can be used for subterranean surveying to identify these underground objects before construction takes place. This reduces the risk for people working on the site and allows remedial work to be carried out before building takes place, decreasing the risk of future structural problems. The project aims to produce an instrument with at least twice the sensitivity of competing classical gravimeters so that even smaller and deeper holes in the ground can be detected.