Ground Penetrating Radar Tips
Metro Concrete Scanning offers tips on improving your Ground Penetrating Radar
experience. These GPR tips can reduce the cost and chance of return trips. How to Prepare for Your Ground Penetrating Radar Experience:
- Examine ceilings for obstructions or obstacles before scanning technician arrives.
- Have all scan areas laid out prior to technician's arrival.
- Have all scan areas clean and clear of materials, trash, or heavy dirt.
- Think of alternative locations for penetrations if scanning locations do not allow a clear area to drill.
- Ceiling scans may necessitate customer supplied scaffolding or a man lift and require twice as much time as floor scans.
- To ensure the proper data is collected, please inform your technician if a formal report is required and what its specific requirements are before we begin scanning.
- Verify that penetrations will occur in sections of the slab less than 12" deep. Deeper concrete may require X-ray or scanning on both sides of the slab.
- Because water reflects a radar signal, all scan areas must be dry in order to gather data and mark on floors. If it is raining, outdoor scans cannot move forward. Newly poured "green" concrete cannot be scanned.
- High voltage conduits drawing current are much easier to detect than low voltage conduits, as are circuits that are off or not drawing current. Turn on and activate all circuits if conduit locating is necessary.
- Roof penetrations require an area of at least 3 x 3 feet, cleared of gravel and foam. Typically, roof penetrations necessitate additional time and coordination with the general contractor, building engineers, roofers, drillers and other trades people.
- Understand the capabilities and limitations of this technology.
- Please provide a job name, job number, PO number, and billing contact name and address when scheduling or before work begins.
Questions to Answer Before Ground Penetrating Radar Service
After scheduling GPR service with Metro Concrete Scanning, it is important that our customers are prepared to answer the following questions. Doing so will improve process efficiency and often results in cost savings to the customer.
- What kind of slab is it?
- Post tension (pt), pan deck, precast, conventional, etc.
- What kind of surface are we scanning over?
- Raw concrete, carpet, marble, tile, plywood, etc.
- How thick this slab is in inches?
- Are there any known utilities in the concrete?
- Fire alarm, electric, walker duct
- Is the work taking place on the roof?
- Are we scanning the ceiling?
- Are we scanning next to a drop pad/column, duct shaft or stairway?
- How old is the concrete?
- Is a subcontract agreement needed before work begins?
- Is our insurance certificate acceptable to perform work for you and your client(s)?
- Will a lien release be needed for payment?
- Will any retention be held?
Concrete Scanning – Washington DC, Maryland, & Virginia
Coverage area includes Washington DC, Reston, Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, Herndon, Springfield, McLean, Tysons, Sterling VA, Crystal City, McLean, Silver Spring, Herndon, Annapolis, Baltimore, Rockville, Bethesda, Gaithersburg MD, and other surrounding areas.