People who buy concrete scanning services do not always understand the technology. As a result, no one questions the level of effort and the degree of confidence in the results. If an accident occurs, the mentality is that the concrete scanner is at fault. However, concrete scanners take the position that there are no guarantees.
I agree, no one can guarantee services that produce results from indirect observations. However, this should be the exception to the rule, not the rule of operation. Both methods rely heavily on technical interpretation to locate and identify structures within the concrete. In addition, the radiation emitted by these devices carries some health concerns.
It can also be time consuming and the costs can be somewhat prohibitive, especially when working on a tight budget.
Scanning
concrete to locate underground utilities or mapping utilities embedded in concrete slabs can be a difficult job. X-ray concrete scanning has long been used in the construction industry because of its accuracy. X-ray concrete scanning equipment can only scan one side of the structure, making GPR more suitable for scanning concrete slab structures.This scan data allows 2D or 3D images of the area being examined to be viewed without the need for costly and risky excavation or exploratory drilling. As a result, contractors, estimators, project managers, site supervisors and engineers can conveniently assume that all GPR concrete scanning services are the same. That is, you need to be able to go back to the survey area and know how to apply the GPR concrete scanning results to the area in question. Although GPR location and marking services for private facilities and utilities are very popular, GPR systems, with their wide frequency range, are capable of detecting and delineating many subsurface features.
While one can be very confident that a single GPR concrete scan line is showing what is deep underground, it may not reveal the whole picture. GPR and X-ray scanning devices are two of the best options among the technologies for non-invasive scanning of concrete structures. The use of GPR to locate or find underground utilities and private underground facilities is divided into two types of services. There are the prices of professional GPR services, the services of utility locating and marking companies and the "rest of the people or "others".
In my experience, cost is the number one deciding factor when selecting a GPR concrete scanner. Instead of scanning the concrete in an area to see if there are lines, you could also map the compressed air line to make sure it is not near the area where the concrete is being cut. If the primary concern is to locate a specific line or feature, it is important to confirm that the GPR scan results are imaging what you want to locate.
