Whether you work in construction, you’re renovating or building a new structure, concrete scanners are an immensely vital piece of equipment that can make your job easier and safer. Demolishing, cutting, or digging into the concrete before scanning it can pose a major safety risk. If you’re not already familiar with what concrete scanning is, this post is for you. Here are all the benefits of concrete scanning gold coast.
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Concrete scanning, what is it?
A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is used to scan concrete and this is called concrete scanning. The purpose of doing this is to establish whether objects are underlying in the concrete and, to determine their location before modifying it in any way. GPR works by utilising radar pulses, these are harmless and non-destructive. It can identify objects such as voids, rebar, wirings, post-tension cables, electrical wires and more. While GPR is an effective tool that can recognise materials within concrete with precision, a trained professional must conduct the scanning to ensure the items are precisely located.
The many benefits of concrete scanning
Here are some of the many benefits of concrete scanning:
It is safer
Just winging it and hoping for the best when altering established concrete structures is highly risky. It pays for your safety and those around you to have your concrete professionally scanned before making any alterations.
Some of the many things you may hit include reinforcing bars, live conduits, or pipeworks. You may even cause a utility outage as a result. Coming into contact with a live wire or forcibly hitting a hard object like rebar can cause serious injury or even death. Depending on the extent of the injury, the worksite might have to be shut down as a result. Safety for yourself and everyone else needs to be at the forefront and not something that should be overlooked. Concrete scanning can ensure that all people working on or near the concrete can conduct their work safely.
Can improve efficiency
GPR is a step up from traditional scanning methods such as X-Ray. X-Ray needs two points of access to scan the subject area whereas GPR only needs one. Sometimes there aren’t two access points, and attempting to scan it using an X-Ray can be near on impossible. Not only that, GPR is much faster than X-Ray, and it produces clearer, more accurate pictures. Having a professional scan done prior to any concrete works can give you peace of mind as there will be no setbacks once you get started allowing you to get the job done on time.
Can help to avoid added costs
No one wants to have to pay for additional equipment or repairs that could have been avoided. These often cause delays, not to mention they are expensive. Injuries cost money, site shutdowns cost money, and so does having to replace damaged machinery. While having your concrete professionally scanned does cost money, it can save you massively in the long run.
Ensure structural integrity isn’t compromised
Often, objects within the concrete are purposely put there to make it structurally sound. If you cut or dig into this, you can compromise the integrity of the entire structure, and this may put other surrounding fixtures or components at risk. This can jeopardise how safe the site is and it may need to be shut down until a structural engineer can look at it.
Protect your reputation
If your site gets shut down due to negligence on your part, this can have a detrimental effect on the reputation of your business. You may be seen as someone who cuts corners, and people will be less likely to recommend you to others. This is not the only problem you’ll run into, there is a good chance you could be slapped with a fine or penalty as well.
Some common objects experienced GPR technicians pick up in concrete
Voids and weaknesses
An experienced technician will have no trouble finding issues such as dislodged materials, voids or empty pockets in both the sub-grade material and the concrete itself. A variety of things can cause this, some include erosion, compaction or burst pipes. Finding these ensures that the site is stable and there is no potential for it to collapse.
Rebar
The technician can accurately locate post-tension cables and rebar in the concrete and mark their locations so that everyone on the site knows exactly where they are.
Embedded electrical cables
Finding embedded electrical cables before starting any work on concrete is essential to prevent electric shock and to not cause any power outages nearby. There are a couple of ways your technician can go about finding these.
When is the best time to get concrete scanning done?
You should always get concrete scanning before you interfere with existing concrete. Always ensure that the technician is insured, licenced and competent with all facets of concrete scanning. Taking the time to get your concrete scanned can save you money and time.
Looking for the leading concrete scanning company in South East Queensland?
As you can see, concrete scanning offers many benefits! Our team here at South East Scanning utilise the latest scanning technology to provide you with accurate and comprehensive reporting allowing you to get on with the job safely and fast. For all your concrete scanning needs, contact our friendly team today for more information.