How does concrete scanning work?

You may have heard of concrete scanning before, it's an integral tool used in the construction industry to boost efficiency and overall safety. But how does it work exactly? In this post, we'll share everything you need to know about concrete scanning, and how it works.

What is concrete scanning?

Concrete scanning is the process of pinpointing the location of contents within the concrete using a scanning device such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR). This allows workers to avoid underlying and potentially hazardous items that are embedded in the concrete. GPR is fast and very dependable and can locate items in their exact location. Unlike X-ray, GPR is non-invasive, and no specialised PPE or site clearing is required to complete the scan.

Here are some common things that concrete scanning can be used for:

1. Slabs

2. Ceilings

3. Bridges

4. Roofs

5. Walls

6. The ground

7. Balconies

8. Tunnels

9. Coloums

The importance of concrete scanning

Construction type work comes with risks, and coring, drilling, demolishing or cutting into concrete comes with a higher level of risk. This is because concrete will often contain structural elements such as rebar or post-tension cables, and it's common for electrical wires and conduits to be installed into the concrete. Altering the concrete in any way without having it scanned beforehand can be extremely dangerous, and it can affect the structural integrity of fixtures around it. Not to mention you may disrupt a utility service.

Everyone deserves to work in a safe environment, and concrete scanning allows workers to proceed with their work safely. It not only ensures that everyone is safe, but it can help to prevent damage to equipment and delays too.

GPR scanning done by our highly skilled team can provide you with comprehensive reporting on the depth and location of objects as well as discrepancies in the concrete that are undetectable from plain sight.

Other reasons why concrete scanning is so important:

1. Avoid costly repairs and site shutdowns

2. Ensures you are complying with building safety standards

3. Ensures you do not affect the structural integrity of the concrete or surrounding structures

What can concrete scanning find?

Here are some of the more common things that are found when scanning concrete with GPRs:

1. Voids

2. Conduits

3. Mesh conduits

4. Slab thickness

5. Both non-metallic and metallic utilities

6. Rebar

7. Post-tension cables

8. Pre-tension cables

9. Pipes

How does concrete scanning work?

We use state of the art Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to scan concrete and these send electromagnetic pulses into the ground which bounce back to the device to produce an accurate image of what is contained below the surface, much like an x-ray. Different radio wavelengths indicate possible variances and hazards within the concrete. Our GPRs can produce the highest resolution imagery.

How much does concrete scanning cost?

The cost of concrete scanning can vary greatly depending on the size of the area that needs to be scanned. Other factors that affect the cost are the complexity of the project and the location. While concrete scanning does cost money, it can save you more money in the long term by avoiding delays in the construction timeline and damage to equipment from altering concrete without prior scanning. Not only that, you can keep everyone on-site safe. Scheduling a concrete scan is the most effective way to keep your job on track. If you are interested in prices, give our team a call, and we may be able to give you a rough idea of the cost over the phone based on the specifics of the job.

Factors that can affect GPR's ability to produce accurate readings

Depth

The depth of the object embedded in the ground can influence whether they are detectable or not. GPR can typically only penetrate 30 metres deep, so if there are objects underlying this deep or deeper, they may not get picked up on the GPR signals. The type of material you are scanning can also affect the effectiveness of the signal. GPR capabilities with concrete are around 2 feet deep whereas high conductivity material such as moist clay is generally much less. Low conductivity materials such as dry sand can be scanned up to 100 feet.

Water content

The water content in the material can also affect the GPR's ability to scan the ground sufficiently. The presence of water in the material can significantly affect dielectric permittivity. Some materials can become polarised in the electric field.

Safe, efficient and non-destructive

Some of the biggest selling points of GPR are that it is safe, efficient and non-destructive. You do not have to alter the concrete in any way shape or form to conduct concrete scanning. Because of this and its efficiency, it is the most effective way to scan concrete.

We can laminate several scans into a single image to provide a 3D interpretation of the fixtures and objects within the concrete.

Why choose South East Scanning?

Here at South East Scanning we only use the very best GPR scanning equipment and all our technicians are highly skilled and experienced in scanning concrete and interrupting results to provide you with accurate and prompt reports. We take immense pride in the standard of our work and we aim to provide the very best scanning services here in South East Queensland. If you have any questions about concrete scanning and how it works, feel free to reach out! We are happy to answer any questions you may have.