Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is typically the go-to technology when a concrete scan is needed on an existing concrete slab. GPR can typically find what most people are looking for when scanning concrete, such as the location of embedded rebar or post-tension cables, electrical lines, telecommunication cables, and the like. GPR is the preferred technology because it is a quick, effective, and affordable way to get a fairly accurate reading of where it is safe to cut, drill, or core into the concrete.
However, according to Enhanced Scanning in Southern California, a company that specializes in concrete scanning services: “Sometimes, simply knowing the location of structural steel elements in concrete is not enough. There are times when you need to understand spacing, depth of cover, rebar diameter, delamination, honeycombing, voiding, slab thickness, crack depth estimation, crack mapping, and more before you can proceed with a project.”
Unfortunately, not every company offering concrete scanning services has the ability to tell you all of the above information—although they may tell you that a GPR scan is sufficient. When a wholistic concrete scan is needed, you need to work with a company that will bring in multiple tools and scanning techniques to the project. Some of those tools and technologies include ultrasonics, eddy currents, and rebound hammers. These tools will be used to reinforce the results of a GPR concrete scan, when a GPR scan alone isn’t enough to proceed safely.
Why would someone need a wholistic concrete scan, as opposed to just a GPR concrete scan? If they are completing a major repair or renovation to a structure, it’s important to know if the concrete slab they are working with is structurally sound and will continue to be structurally sound if disturbed in any way. They would need to know where it is safe to cut into the concrete (if, in fact, it is at all), and if the slab can support the renovation. Experienced general contractors who regularly work on large structures, as well as structural engineers, know the importance of a thorough concrete scan, but sometimes it can be difficult to convince a property owner that the extra expense of hiring a concrete scanning service that does more than just a quick GPR scan is necessary.
If you are the owner of a property that is supported by a concrete slab, you would be wise to heed the advice of an expert who tells you that a thorough concrete structural analysis is needed before any repairs or renovations can take place. Not doing so could result in expensive damages to your building, or even worse, serious injury to those involved in the project.
To learn more about expert concrete scanning services in Riverside, San Diego, and throughout Southern California, visit the Enhanced Scanning website.
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