Concrete scanning equipment is getting more sophisticated all the time. The manufacturers of ground penetrating radar (GPR) concrete scanners are figuring out how to make them more user friendly and more accessible in terms of price, and as a result, some construction companies are starting to invest in their own concrete scanning equipment. They figure they can save some money by doing their own concrete scans, rather than hiring a company like ours that provides concrete scanning services every time they need to know what is embedded in their concrete.
It’s true that concrete scans can be some of the more straightforward projects we complete, as long as the concrete slab we are examining is, well, straightforward. But unfortunately, not every slab we come in contact with is a standard concrete slab. For example, there may be conduit under the rebar that can be very difficult for an inexperienced person to locate because a GPR signal can’t pass through metal. There are also certain “high stakes” projects where a high level of accuracy is required in the concrete scan. Using professional concrete scanning services in these cases is the wise choice, even if it means spending a bit of money.
One of the main advantages of using a company like Enhanced Scanning is that we have additional tools, besides just GPR, that can be utilized when initial results need confirmation. In situations where a great deal of detail is needed, a concrete X-ray may be necessary.
As of now, in order to effectively use ground penetrating radar (GPR) to scan a concrete slab, you still need to go through some training in order to accurately interpret the results. It’s not immediately obvious what you’re looking at when you see the output of a GPR device, since it is displayed as a series of hyperbolas on a screen. Are you looking at rebar or a live electrical line? If you don’t have a lot of experience with concrete scanning, you might struggle to tell the difference. This might change as technology continues to improve and GPR equipment becomes even more user friendly and affordable to the average contractor, but as things currently stand, most projects require the expertise of a trained and experienced GPR technician.
If you’re someone who is thinking about doing your own concrete scanning, rather than hiring a concrete scanning service, just be aware that you may not be able to get the same level of accuracy in your results that the technicians at Enhanced Scanning would be able to provide. If you’re good with that, go ahead and buy, rent, or borrow some GPR scanning equipment for your projects. But when you have a project that needs detailed, reliable results, remember to contact us at Enhanced Scanning.
The post Is There Still a Demand for Professional Concrete Scanning Services? appeared first on Enhanced Scanning.