Most people don’t think much about what’s embedded in their concrete slab—that is, until the time comes when they need to disturb said concrete. Then, knowing what is located beneath the surface becomes of utmost importance!
There are several reasons why you might need to disturb a concrete slab or a concrete wall, but the most common is for a renovation project on a home or commercial building. If the structure is built on a concrete slab and new electrical, plumbing, or drain lines need to be run, a trench will need to be dug into the concrete. Changes made to the structure’s floorplan could also require disturbing the concrete.
If the structure has concrete containing post tension cables, extreme caution must be exercised before cutting the concrete. If a post tension cable is accidentally cut, or even nicked, it can have serious consequences. Not only could the building be damaged when a post tension cable snaps, but it could cause severe injury or death to anyone nearby. This makes it imperative that you find the exact location of all post tension cables prior to beginning work. A concrete scanning service can locate all cables using ground penetrating radar (GPR). This non-destructive technology is quick, efficient, and relatively affordable.
Even if you know your concrete slab doesn’t contain post tension cables, it’s still a good idea to call in one of your local GPR concrete scanning services. While the outcome would be less catastrophic than hitting post tension cable, you still want to avoid disturbing things in your concrete like rebar, electrical conduit, telecommunications cables, or pipes. Drilling into rebar can weaken the structural integrity of the concrete, and hitting electrical, plumbing, telecommunications, or sewer lines can cause expensive damage, and will also negatively affect your project’s timeline, since you’ll have to make repairs before your project can commence.
Those providing GPR concrete scanning services are experts at identifying any hidden obstacles below the surface of your concrete. And while spending money to bring in such a service may not excite you, it can save you both time and money in the long run, as well as greatly reduce the chance of injury to any construction workers.
If you’re in Southern California, Enhanced Scanning is one of the companies offering GPR concrete scanning services for private homes, as well as for commercial enterprises. They have the equipment and technicians necessary to complete any scanning project you might throw at them. They have quick response times—often responding the same day or next day for local GPR scanning projects. Quick response times are ideal if you didn’t plan ahead to have your concrete scanned and need it done right away so your construction project can proceed.
To learn more about Enhanced Scanning and their concrete scanning capabilities, visit their website: https://enhancedscanning.com/
