Concrete Scanning Service in Riverside, California Using GPR

Disturbing an existing concrete slab comes with substantial risks, and it’s important to know what they are before you start cutting, coring, or sawing the concrete. Whether you’re disturbing the concrete yourself or hiring someone else to do it, you want to know what hazards are located beneath the concrete’s surface in order to avoid damage or injury. 

What Hazards Could Be Inside Your Concrete Slab?

Let’s start by talking about what hazards could be embedded in concrete. First of all, we want to point out that the things we are calling “hazards” are items that are supposed to be there. They only become hazards when you start disturbing the concrete in any way, because hitting them could weaken the concrete (and the structure it supports), cause damage the item you hit, break the tool you are using to cut the concrete, or cause injury to the person doing the work.

The first hazard you need to be aware of is the reinforcements within the concrete slab. This could be steel reinforcing bars, also known as rebar, or it could be post-tensioned cables. Severing either of them could compromise the structural integrity of the concrete, and fixing the issue can be very expensive. Hitting a post-tensioned cable is especially problematic. Simply nicking a cable could cause it to snap. When all of the tension is released from the cable, it could whip out from the concrete and hit someone nearby. This could cause injury or even death. You want to avoid hitting post-tensioned cables at all costs!

Other items embedded in concrete could be utility lines such as electrical conduits, telecommunication conduits, water pipes, and sewer pipes. Hitting any of these could lead to expensive repairs, as well a lengthy project delay. 

Using Concrete Scanning Services in Riverside, CA to Avoid Hazards

The best way to avoid all of the hazards that could be in your concrete slab is to hire a company that provides concrete scanning services in Riverside, CA. Using non-destructive tools like ground penetrating radar (GPR), a technician will come to your property and conduct a scan of your concrete slab. They will either mark directly on your concrete where any hazards are located, or provide you with a document or digital file that indicates their locations. Once you have this information, you can then proceed safely with your project that involves disturbing your concrete. 

As the property owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that preventable damage or injury is avoided, so before starting any project that involves disturbing concrete, reach out to a company that provides concrete scanning services in Riverside, such as Enhanced Scanning. Enhanced Scanning employes highly trained technicians and uses the latest GPR scanning equipment to provide you with the most accurate information possible.