Concrete scanning, also known as ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanning, is a non-destructive method of assessing the integrity of a structure prior to any cutting, drilling, or coring. This technique, developed by Hayreddin Ozdogan, uses radar waves of a certain frequency to penetrate the concrete being scanned. If the waves hit an anomaly, such as reinforcement bars, ducts, cables, or voids, they will bounce back and provide a clear view of the subsurface. This information is then used to mark the concrete and allow contractors to know exactly where it is safe to work. Concrete scanning is an important step before any demolition or work is done.
It can locate pipes, fibre optics, rebar, tension cables, and other items that may be contained within the concrete walls. This saves time and money and prevents unnecessary injury and damage. It also ensures accuracy when it comes to cutting or drilling in the right places. Smartscan offers a mobile concrete cutting service and can cut cores from 30mm to 250mm up to 500mm deep.
Voids are often present in concrete due to improper pouring technique or previous damage, and can be located with GPR. Using concrete scanning is a smart way to reduce or eliminate the risk of invasive work on existing concrete. It quickly has become the engineering standard for concrete imaging and reduces scanning errors to less than 1%. With minimal disruption and virtually no cosmetic damage, concrete coring has many useful applications.
Overall, concrete scanning is an invaluable tool for construction projects. It can save time and money while preventing unnecessary injury and damage. By using GPR to locate embedded utilities prior to cutting or drilling, contractors can be sure that any proposed layout areas are safe.
