Locate Obstructions
Before you begin any concrete cutting project, it is often necessary to identify the location of any potential obstructions, including rebar, conduits, post-tension cables, and more. Because these obstructions can severely impact how you conduct your sawing project, it is important to proactively locate them before the work even begins. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) offers an effective method to determine the location of objects that may compromise your concrete cutting work.
Rebar
Ground penetrating radar is a very effective way to locate intact steel rebar. The steel reflects adequate energy to return strong hyperbolas that are easily read. Glass rebar, on the other hand, can be trickier to locate. Non-metallic objects are always more difficult to detect than metal, but the location of glass rebar can still usually be determined by a skilled GPR technician.
Post-tension Cables
Post-tension cables show up reliably on GPR scans, but can be difficult to distinguish from steel rebar. It can also be tricky to determine the exact depth of post-tension cables as they are often bundled together and this can make the reading more complex, which is why it is important to work with a concrete scanning company that has the experience needed to accurately read the results.
Other Potential Obstructions
GPR is also useful for a variety of other applications, including locating conduits, interior structural reinforcements (also known as double targets), corrugated metal decking, radiant heat tubes, and steel mesh. For each of these applications, GPR provides an accurate, efficient, and non-invasive method for ensuring that an obstruction will not compromise your concrete cutting project.
Trust Concrete Visions for Your Concrete Scanning Needs
Concrete Visions is a spin-off of G&M Services, which has been providing concrete sawing, drilling, and coring services for over 17 years. We have the skills needed to locate obstructions beneath your concrete and our technicians are trained to respond to issues as they arise on the job. Our concrete scanning services have an incredibly high rate of success, with over 99% accuracy. In fact, in 2010, out of 6,800 projects that we completed, only 7 incidences were reported. We also take safety incredibly seriously and offer ongoing training to all of our employees to encourage safe work practices. With our extensive skill and commitment to safety and quality, you can be sure that Concrete Visions will do the job right. Concrete Visions provide obstruction location services to clients in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Baltimore.