Could Your Project Benefit From GPR Concrete Scanning?
Posted on: 30 November 2021
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When you are engaged in the installation of pipework, electrical cables, or CCTV, it's common to focus on what you can see. You know where you want to place the pipes or cables, and you will design a way to achieve your goal. One of the problems you must face while creating your plans is determining what infrastructure may already be in the ground. If your installation involves drilling into concrete, you can't risk fracturing a gas pipe or cutting through an electricity cable, and GPR concrete scanning can help prevent that.
Isn't everything marked?
Often, any underground utilities will be marked on the original plans, but over time these documents can become less helpful. Maybe the location of a pipe isn't accurately depicted, or the infrastructure was added later. If the homeowner has had repairs or modifications carried out, there could be hidden infrastructure where you might not expect it. The best way to ensure that your concrete coring or drilling isn't going to cause any problems is to arrange for GPR concrete scanning to clearly show every location where something is hidden in the concrete.
How does GPR concrete scanning work?
If you aren't familiar with GPR concrete scanning, it uses ground penetrating radar to locate embedded utilities. It is a safe and versatile technique that is not destructive and can inspect any concrete surface including, columns, floors, and walls. GPR concrete scanning is sometimes used for leak detection but can be more frequently employed to see what objects are below the surface of the concrete. Once a scan has been completed, it can be compared to any existing property documentation so that any discoveries can be identified and marked for future reference.
What does GPR concrete scanning show?
GPR scanning records the density of each object scanned. It doesn't directly identify each object below the surface. If you want to know what a scanned object may be, you can often refer to the original property documentation. If there is nothing shown on the documentation, you may be able to rely on the experience of the scanning team to work out what a particular object is. They will have scanned everything from electrical cables and post-tension cables to PVC and gas pipes, and each of these will have a specific density the team will be used to seeing on the scanner. To find out how GPR concrete scanning can benefit your construction project, call your local team today.