How GPR concrete scanning works, what it finds, and how to use the results before you cut, core, or drill.
Concrete looks solid and simple from the surface. Inside, it often holds a lot more: reinforcing steel, post-tension cables, electrical conduits, and other embedded items. A concrete scan shows you what’s in there before any tool touches the slab.
How a scan works
We use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). A technician moves a scanner across the surface, and it sends radar signals into the concrete and records what comes back. Embedded objects show up in the data, and our team reads it and marks the results directly on the surface.
Because the process is non-destructive, nothing is cut, drilled, or broken to find out what’s inside.
What a scan can locate
- Rebar. Reinforcing steel and its layout.
- Post-tension cables. Cables under tension that are especially dangerous to cut.
- Conduits. Electrical and other embedded conduits.
- Other embedded targets that could be hit during drilling, sawing, or coring.
What we can scan
Many kinds of concrete structures can be scanned to assess construction, integrity, and suitability for planned work, including:
- Floor and ceiling slabs
- Beams and columns
- Walls
- Bridges and underpasses
- Tunnels
When a scan makes sense
- Before coring or drilling for pipes, anchors, or penetrations
- Before sawing openings in slabs and walls
- During renovations and retrofits, where the original structure may differ from the drawings
- When planning new openings and you need to choose a safe location
What you get from the scan
- Clear markings on the surface showing what was found and where
- A safer plan for the cut, because the crew can choose locations that avoid embedded items
- Fewer surprises, less rework, and a lower chance of damage, outages, or delays
Good to know
- A scan is a snapshot of the area scanned. If the cut location moves, scan the new location.
- Markings are only useful if the whole crew knows what they mean, so brief everyone before work starts.
- Results can depend on site conditions, so it helps to tell your scanner what you plan to do and where.
The bottom line
Scanning takes little time compared with the cost of hitting something you didn’t know was there. At Sigma GPR Services Inc., we provide GPR concrete scanning across British Columbia, so you can cut, core, and drill with confidence.
Planning to cut, core, or drill in BC? Get in touch before you start.
+1 (778) 302-0868
[email protected]
sigmagpr.com