Concrete is one of the most commonly used materials for construction. Strong, durable and easy to work with, concrete is used across residential, commercial, and industrial constructions in Australia.
Considering how widely utilised concrete is, it is vital that whenever new projects are conducted, existing concrete is adequately assessed to ensure that there are no voids, cracks, utilities, communication lines or problems within the concrete structures.
Enter: Concrete Scanning Services. Put simply; concrete scanning is the process of recording the features within a concrete structure or slab, without penetrating the surface. Concrete scanning is a non-destructive method of ensuring that there are no issues with the concrete and that construction can go ahead without causing any damage to the property or underground utilities.
What is concrete scanning used for?
Concrete scanning services are often required prior to construction, demolition or excavation work begins, to ensure that there will be no obstructions to the project. Properly assessing concrete will ensure that all utilities are accounted for, and there are no risks of property damage or injury. Concrete scanning is a quick, easy and relatively cost-effective way of ensuring that your concrete does not contain any underground utilities or other voids or materials that may impact the project.
Concrete scanning works by using specialised equipment that scans deep within concrete materials to locate and identify any potential hazards in the concrete. This includes looking for cracks, voids, and assets like cables or pipes.
Once these assets have been identified, the concrete scanning technician will mark and report the locations of said assets to ensure that any drilling or cutting can go ahead without any damage to the property.
Concrete scanning services are needed on any worksite in preparation for the construction or renovation of existing concrete. Whether you’re installing new drains, ducting, fire protection systems, or extending electrical conduits, concrete scanning will be required before any work can go ahead.
What does a concrete scanner look for?
If you’re planning on doing any construction or demolition work, it’s important to know what’s beneath the surface before you start. Concrete scanning will be able to accurately identify:
- Cracks and voids
- Fibre optic and other communication cables
- Steel reinforcement
- Gas and water utilities
- Sewage pipes
- Live and dead power conduits, both metal and plastic
- Structural cabling
While long-lasting and dense, there can also be a lot of issues with concrete that has been poorly installed, has settled incorrectly, or has experienced wear and tear. Before conducting any construction where there is concrete, it is important to identify any cracks, voids or wear and tear, before beginning work.
Furthermore, concrete is often used to hold utility lines, steel reinforcements, and communication cables. If not successfully identified, drilling into concrete slabs can result in accidentally hitting underground services or utilities bound within the concrete.
What are the benefits of concrete scanning?
Concrete scanning is not a ‘nice-to-have’ but an important pre-requisite for a construction worksite. Apart from a safe working environment, there are many benefits of working with a technician to assess concrete accurately. These include:
- Locating utility lines and electrical conduits that might run within the concrete
- Scanning provides vital analysis of the structural qualities of the concrete, including thickness and spacing of the slab
- Identification of potentially dangerous voids that may have formed between the soil and concrete
- Accurately locates and evaluates discontinuations in welding
- Ensures total compliance with national standards regarding digging, drilling, and cutting
- Determines the extent of corrosion of rebars both internally and externally
- Encourages further safe practices on the work-site
What kind of equipment is used for concrete scanning?
The most commonly used technology for concrete scanning is ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment. GPR uses electromagnetic waves to assess concrete and provide an image of what’s inside the structure.
Concrete X-Ray Scanning is a specialised form of GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) specific to provide more accurate readings of embedded items within a concrete slab. Specialised concrete scanning imaging offers more detail about the condition of embedded objects within a concrete slab than other technologies.
Here at LiveLocates, we offer specialised concrete scanning utilising the latest IDS Georadar C-Thrue scanning technology. This equipment which utilises dual scanning antennas allows us to confidently and accurately scan a range of areas, including floors, walls and ceilings up to a depth of 800mm.
LiveLocates Concrete Scanning Services
LiveLocates are the leading provider of concrete scanning services across Southern NSW and ACT. We offer utility locating, concrete scanning, and non-destructive excavation services across residential, commercial, and industrial worksites. For more information on concrete Xray services, get in touch with the experts at LiveLocates today.
