Ground penetrating radar services and/or cover meter services can be used to non-destructively map and survey a number of items in concrete structures. These versatile pieces of equipment can handle many field applications, including, but not limited to the following:
- Detecting and mapping reinforcement and other embedments in concrete structures
- Estimating concrete cover
- Estimating concrete slab/wall thickness
- Detecting voids and delaminations in concrete construction
- Detecting grouted cells, bond beams, and reinforcement in masonry construction
Ground penetrating radar equipment generally consists of a cart, antenna, and control unit. Ground penetrating radar uses electromagnetic waves to map reflections of subsurface, non-visible objects. Based on the properties of the material being scanned and the wave’s two-way travel time, ground penetrating radar services can identify the depth to an identified object/boundary. Carrasquillo Associates (CA) has two ground penetrating radar units and multiple antennas, as shown in Figure 1, for ground penetrating radar services and uses the one best suited for the workspace, items to be investigated, and project timeline.
Cover meter equipment consists of a cart, search head, and touchscreen unit, as shown in Figure 2. A cover meter uses pulse-induction to locate metallic, non-visible objects in concrete. CA’s cover meter has three modes that can be used for localized scanning, line scanning, and grid scanning. These various modes make this a versatile piece of equipment that can accommodate many field applications.
CA can verify the specifics of a structure and the clients benefit because little to no destructive work and disruption is required with the use of ground penetrating radar services and cover meter services. In cases of active construction or during on-going repairs, CA can minimize a client’s chance of damaging reinforcement or other embedments during activities such as drilling, coring, and cutting.
Figure 1: Ground Penetrating Radar Services Equipment
Figure 2: Cover Meter Services Equipment