Development of a Non-Nuclear Soil Density Gauge to Replace Nuclear Density Gauges

Orphaned radioactive sources are a worldwide problem. DHS DNDO is seeking replacement technologies for non-medical orphaned nuclear devices. One such device is the Nuclear Density Gauge (NDG), which is used as a portable test instrument on construction sites where is susceptible to being lost, stolen or damaged. According to the NRC, there are about 25,000 of these units in the US. Of these, the GAO reports that 300 are reported as lost or stolen each year. These units pose an obvious security risk. They are also an environmental risk due to the improper disposal or damage of these units. Outside the US, there is an estimated additional 25,000 units. TransTech has developed a spectrographic impedance instrument which uses low energy electromagnetic signals to determine soil density and moisture. In Phase I, TransTech has demonstrated that its technology can achieve measurement precision comparable to a NDG and statistically identical readings with a single soil class. The Phase II objective is to demonstrate that it can be used with other soils and be a replacement for the NDG. Having already successfully commercialized a number of devices for the construction industry, TransTech is ideally positioned to transfer this technology to the market.