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Ground Penetrating Radar
Ground Penetrating Radar is the safest non-destructive means in which to survey an area before construction modifications begin. Diamond’s GPR systems can scan walls, floors, and soil in many different conditions. GPR successfully locates and accurately plots buried utilities including water lines, electrical lines, post-tension cables, gas lines, in-floor tubing, and voids in the concrete or soil. It can also be used to find anomalies in or around buildings.
Diamond’s system for locating utilities can be used in almost any setting due to the low impact of the scan. The scanner signal is 1% of a cell phones’ output. GPR can be deployed quickly and effectively in the most confined areas.
Benefits of Ground Penetrating Radar
By employing GPR you can eliminate the guesswork and determine if an area can be safely modified. This reduces costly mistakes, minimizes downtime, avoids replacement costs for damaged equipment, and helps prevent accidents.
Related Resources
MSU Stadium Case Study
GPR was used to identify utilities at Michigan State University stadium ahead of a repair project. Over 7,000 linear feet was scanned within 5 days.
Envirologic Technologies Case Study
An entity wanted to buy land where a gas station had been and Diamond’s GPR was leveraged to see if fuel tanks were still underground.
The River House Condominiums Case Study
Design changes were required for River House Condominiums in Grand Rapids, MI before final construction, necessitating the use of GPR to locate and map all post tension cables to avoid damage during the change process.
Pfizer Case Study
In prep for mechanical changes, GPR was used to locate the reinforcing steel inside the walls of Pfizer’s Kalamazoo, MI manufacturing facility in order to preserve structural integrity and prevent damage to the site.
American Electric Power Case Study
All reinforcement and conduits had to be located and mapped to drawings within AEP’s Cook Nuclear power plant in Bridgman, MI before work to repair small ground water leaks could begin.
Ground Penetrating Radar FAQs
How far down can GPR scan?
With concrete, GPR can scan up to 18 inches deep, but usually we only need to go 12 inches. In soil, GPR can scan up to 72 inches (6 feet) deep.
Can GPR tell the exact size of a pipe or utility line underground?
Unfortunately not. But if there are other pipes or utilities nearby, GPR can determine which pipes or utility lines are bigger and which are smaller.
How long does it take you to do a GPR scan?
For most underground and utility scanning, we can generally cover 1 acre (43,560 sq. ft.) per day. That being said, there are a number of factors that determine how long a GPR scan can take, including the terrain, how many utilities there are, and the amount of underground structures.
When it comes to scanning concrete, it varies greatly depending on the size of the area, the number of utilities in the concrete, and how much rebar is in the concrete.
To get a more accurate turnaround time, request a quote.
What can’t GPR scan?
Very rough-terrain concrete, and any area with heavy amounts of steel fiber or rebar. Sometimes terrazzo floors or very wet types of soil can make scanning difficult.