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The Ground Penetration Radar System, provides real-time scanning to locate rebar, tension bars, plastic and fiber optic conduits in concrete structures, as well as voids in, under or behind, a concrete slab or wall prior to drilling, cutting or coring. This leading-edge technology is quickly replacing the standard method of radiography, which is costly, hazardous and labor intensive. The following are examples of GPR applications:
- Inspection of walls, floors, decks, slabs, tunnels, balconies and garages
- Location of targets to a depth of 18 inches or more
- Detection and mapping the relative concrete condition for rehab planning
- Location of rebar, tension cables, conduits, voids, and slab thickness measurements
AN ALTERNATIVE FOR X-RAYS
Even in cases where the backside of concrete can be accessed, the considerable costs and hazards associated with using x-ray imaging to inspect concrete are eliminated. GPR imaging is the best technology in every situation. It saves time and money, and presents no safety hazards associated with its use.
A current growth area in NDT is the development of tools and technologies to determine - efficiently and effectively - the position of rebar, tension cables and utility conduits in concrete structures and "clear" areas for boring access holes.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
The GPR system has been developed to quickly, safely, easily and accurately locate buried obstructions within concrete structures. The ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a system that imparts a burst of high-frequency electromagnetic energy into the structure and measures the reflected energy from any discontinuous boundary (the target or targets) within that structure. The resultant continuous profile of the scanned line is easily interpreted. Our GPR 1500MHZ Radar Model 5100 allows the following:
- Scanning any structure, anytime, with minimal setup, and without disrupting others
- Scanning concrete to a depth of 18 inches or more
- Real-time target analysis speeds up the target location process
- Using post-processing software, the internal condition of the concrete can be established
- Processing digital data, so the results can be archived for future reference and cut and pasted into client reports .
COMPARISON BETWEEN X-RAY AND GPR TECHNIQUES
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Radiography (X-ray) |
GPR |
Access needed |
2 sides |
1 side |
Set-up time |
long |
short |
Data collection speed |
slow |
fast |
Real-time inspection results |
no |
yes |
Data storage medium |
film |
digital |
Hazards (radiation) |
some |
none |
Large area data collection method |
step and repeat |
continuous |
Must process to get results |
yes |
optional |
Can determine exact X-Y location |
with calculations |
direct readout |
Can determine exact Z (depth) location |
with calculation |
direct readout |
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