Structures

In the last 10 years, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has changed the way the construction industry approaches scanning concrete. Today, GPR is the technology of choice for many leading construction companies to scan concrete because using GPR non-harmful radio waves can deliver near X-ray accuracy at a fraction of the cost.
‍
There are many companies that offer radar scanning services. Anyone can purchase a GPR system, but competent radar operators are rare. Numerous detection companies advertise "the magic of GPR scanning" on their websites but what they do not tell customers is that off-the-shelf GPR systems can neither distinguish conduits from reinforcement nor see conduits hidden under reinforcement bars.
‍
As a result, most operators simply assume that anything that runs diagonally to reinforcement bars or between reinforcement bar mats (mesh) is a conduit. On average, one in ten conduits goes undetected as a result of this guesswork. An error rate that is unsatisfactory.