Locate conduits, post-tension cables, and rebar/reinforcing wire mesh, detect current carrying cables
Hitting something when cutting and coring can be dangerous and costly. Scan before you cut, drill or bore!
“Cutting or polishing with diamond tools and imaging with GPR is faster than a comparable survey, renovation or demolition methods” – CSDA Resource Guide 2018-2019
GPR is an accepted and routinely used non-destructive method for imaging objects in concrete prior to cutting or coring.
Damage Prevention & Safety
It is beneficial to add GPR into your business to prevent damage prior to cutting and coring because:
Cutting through structural components can reduce the structure’s integrity
Cutting an embedded conduit, gas pipe or post-tension cable can cost lives
Not doing so opens up your firm and your customers to damage claims and potential safety hazards
GPR can help with:
Pinpointing structural elements in concrete such as
Rebar
Post-tension cables
Metallic and non-metallic pipes and conduits
Wire mesh
Locating conduits (plastic & metallic) and in-floor heating lines in concrete, or just below a slab-on-grade
Measure the cover depth of embedments
Map rebar and rebar patterns
Measure slab thickness
Detecting voids and cavities beneath slab-on-grade
Organizations like the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association (CSDA) have recognized the importance of imaging concrete with GPR and have included it as part of their best practices to avoid hits, damage, delays and ensure operator safety during cutting and coring operations; issues crucial to grow your business.
Scan, Locate & Mark Targets In Real-Time
Use GPR to easily locate reinforcement, conduits and any other objects embedded in concrete and mark their location on the ground in real-time while on-site
Site reconnaissance scans
Simply push the system across an area, and buried targets will appear as hyperbolas under the concrete surface. To pinpoint the location of the target, pull the system backwards to the top of the target indicated on the screen.
Perform quick GPR lines to identify areas of interest and get a overall picture of the site
GPR is fast and effective allowing users to get site conditions by performing reconnaissance scans to decide where and if a fuller scan is required. Simply push the system back and forth over an area, and buried targets will appear as hyperbolas under the concrete surface.
Quickly scan and mark targets by viewing a cross-section of GPR data collected over a concrete floor
Depth to Targets
Display the position and depth of targets on your GPR cross section
Pop up position indicator on a GPR cross-section that shows the position and depth of a rebar
Rebar and reinforcements
Perform both line and grid scans to generate 2D and 3D images of your site for safe drilling and cutting where rebar is present
Get a cross section data of rebar in real time using Line Scan
Grid scan allows for on-site 3D images to better visualize rebar for safe drilling and coring
Post-tension (PT) cables
GPR allows for safe renovation to take place by showing the location of post-tension (PT) cables to avoid cutting them and risking worker safety and the integrity of the structure, GPR also provides information about the as-built structure and the location and quantity of the PT cables to aid in planning for future work.
Case Study
A depth slice image showing the typical pattern of a group from Post Tension cables bundled together
GPR cross section collected along a traverse directly over a PT cable in a concrete deck structure showing the PT cable drooping between support columns.
Conduits
GPR enables contractors to plot depth slice and PCD images to locate all embedded objects including the conduits, and safely core without cutting anything .
Non metallic conduits being observed through rebar on a 2nd floor concrete slab in a hotel undergoing renovation using GPR and PCD sensors.
Wire Mesh
Locate wire mesh in concrete to know where to core
Depth slice image of a wire mesh at 8” depth in concrete. The drill locator shows exactly where to safely drill holes and minimize the risk of hitting concealed objects
Power Cables with Power Cable Detector (PCD)
The PCD sensor in the GPR system allows current-carrying wires embedded in or beneath concrete to be distinguished from other structures, allowing operators to know the risks at the site
Case Study
Views of a GPR depth slice image (left) and a PCD image (right) to detect active AC
Reco Wall
Use GPR to avoid hitting the reinforcing strips that extend behind pre-cast concrete panels when drilling
Depth slice image of a reco wall showing the reinforcement inside the pre-cast panels as well as the reinforcing strips connected to the panels
Bottom of Concrete
GPR can provide an estimate of the thickness of the concrete slab by imaging the bottom of the concrete; this is very useful when access to only one side of the a concrete slab is possible.
GPR cross-section image showing the top of the rebar cover as well as the bottom of a concrete slab
Radiant Heating Tubes
To minimize the risk of hitting an embedded heating tube and causing costly project delays, GPR can be used to scan and mark the locations of tubes, allowing drill locations to be quickly and safely determined before cutting begins.
See beyond reinforced concrete to get high resolution data of other features of interest such as utilities
Case Study
GPR cross-section data showing drainage and outflow pipes that are visible below a double layer of rebar
Long lines
Line Scan GPR surveys of a large area can be used to provide preliminary information of a concrete floor to determine the feasibility of any renovations, and to understand the uniformity of the structure before work begins.
Long line scan surveys provide a real-time assessment of targets embedded in concrete to get a better understanding of the site.
Large grids
When surveys over large areas are required, GPR can be easily deployed. Single systems can be used to collect large grids, or many smaller grids can be collected and easily merged together in software. In addition, if speed of collection is critical, multiple GPR units can be combined into multi-channel array platforms that can collect large swaths of data quickly, if speed of collection is critical.
Depth slice image of a large grid of 50 x 100 m collected on the floor of an empty underground water reservoir undergoing refurbishment showing various features of interest
Four 4×4 ft grids pieced together using EKKO_Project™ to track a conduit across the floor
Concrete Assessment
GPR can safely and non-destructively provide information about the internal structure of concrete, including the position, amount and cover depth of rebar, evidence of corrosion, locations of structural elements including post-tension cables and indications of potential voids. This is critical for confirming quality of newly built structures, assessing safety and condition of existing structures, and planning for future renovation projects.
Voids under concrete
GPR can be used to locate voids that sometimes form under concrete. Voids under concrete produce a strong reflection, due to the large contrast between the properties of concrete and the air or water filled void underneath.
GPR line accross a slab-on-grade concrete floor reveals voids. The strong contrast between the concrete and air-filled void produces a strong reflection at the bottom of the slab
Depth slice at the bottom of the concrete slab shows the lateral extent of the voids in red. The ability to collect large grids with GPR combined with EKKO_Project™ software provides quick and easy visualization of large areas, especially useful for void detection.
Corrosion Inspection
GPR is used to find deterioration in concrete because GPR waves are attenuated and scattered by an area of concrete that is deteriorated
GPR line on a bridge deck shows an area of weaker rebar reflections between 8 and 15 feet compared to the surrounding area, suggesting a potentially corroded area.
Visualize GPR data and Generate Added Value Reports
For post-survey data analysis and value-added reporting, GPR data can be saved for future reference and turned into comprehensive deliverables for your customers.
Value Added Reporting
EKKO_Project™ software organizes and displays data exported from all Sensors & Software GPR systems to extract valuable insights and produce superior deliverable for your clients.
GPR Summary report generated with EKKO_Project™ GPR analysis software
Visualize your Line Scan data in GPR post-processing software
GPR lines collected over large survey areas can be displayed in EKKO_Project™ to better identify areas of interest below a concrete floor.
A long 2D GPR line being collected to identify areas of interest below a concrete floor. The area highlight outlines possible areas where voids might be present.
Add Interpretations in Line Scan Data to augment your GPR reports
Add color-coded interpretations and annotations on your GPR cross-section.
Dipping rebars highlighted by red dots and annotated for future reference.
Visualize your survey site
Overlay detailed scans of your GPR survey on floor plans, site photos or engineering drawings to illustrate key findings of your survey.
GPR and PCD image data superimposed on a building floor plan using EKKO_Project™. The GPR data (left) shows the distribution of the reinforcing in the slab-on-grade. The PCD response (right) shows the classic lozenge-shaped response of twisted parallel wires.
3D Visualization
Collecting grid scan data allows for the results to be exported to volume rendering software to better visualize your data and add value to your reports
3D volume image of grid scans show a rebar (left) and wire mesh (right)
PT cables under rebar
Sensors & Software GPR Systems
Advantages
Easy to use, flexible operation
Ground-coupled GPR to provide the best quality, deepest penetration and highest resolution data possible
Intuitive and powerful processing software to efficiently analyse and report results
Georeferenced data collection for integration into GIS systems
Industry recognized GPR expertise and support to help you maximize your GPR returns
We offer a selection of systems for concrete scanning, so you can choose the one that is best for your project needs.
The Conquest® 100 GPR is a light, portable device that provides a fast, non-invasive method to gain accurate insights of objects below the concrete surface, even on a curved surface or column.
The Noggin® offers the ultimate in flexibility. Choose between four different center frequencies and four different configurations to suit your application. Noggin systems also offer custom data acquisition options for non-traditional locating projects.
