The technology has the potential to enable Central Alliance to assist organisations by mapping the ground remotely from space using satellite imaging analysis. The innovative, cutting-edge technology is targeted to highlight issues across areas of land, as well as spot areas that could be prone to earthworks or structure failures.

Data analysis can also help understand the potential impacts of third-party effects and their interaction with critical infrastructure and identify ‘at-risk' locations, where structures or earthworks could be prone to failure.

 "Advancements in spaceborne technology are set to revolutionise the way we manage our infrastructure and assets," said Richard Pidcock, joint managing director at Central Alliance (pictured above). "The ability to map ground properties and third-party impacts ‘remotely' from space is a result of new to the market processing methods and Utilis' patented algorithms that allow us to use spaceborne synthetic aperture radar satellites to detect water on Earth.

"This is developed from technology used in research to find water on other planets. There are key benefits with this remote technology that enables us to ‘see through' vegetation and into the ground, day or night and independent of weather conditions.

"The analysis will hopefully allow assessments to be made, potential areas of geotechnical instability identified, as well as risk mapping, and impacts on critical infrastructure.

"Much greater areas [70km x 50km approximately] can be monitored using satellite imaging, without the time and resource associated with traditional methods of field-based inspections and surveys. It also brings significant health and safety benefits and resource efficiencies than ‘Earth-based' systems."