Disturbing an existing concrete slab is something that has to be done on occasion. Maybe you have a slab leak that needs to be fixed, or you want to remodel your structure in some way that requires you to have to core or cut into the concrete slab. Before you disturb your slab, it’s important to know where it is safe to do so. You don’t want to damage rebar or any conduit in the process, because that will just make your project drag on longer and be even more expensive than needs to be.
Being proactive is key to successful concrete disturbance. Take the time to locate all embedded items in the areas you want to disturb. You might be thinking, “How do I do that? Should I just rent a metal detector, or are there better options?”
Using a metal detector is certainly better than doing nothing. However, metal detectors can struggle to determine the exact location or boundary of the embedded rebar or conduit. This might not matter much if you only have a small area you wish to disturb and have some flexibility as to its location. You could get a general idea of where the embedded items are located, give yourself a few inches of cushion, and cut away. But if you need to disturb a large portion of your concrete slab, or if you need to drill in a very specific location, you will want more accurate and detailed information about the location of the slab’s reinforcing bars and conduit.
To achieve this, you will want to bring in a company that provides professional concrete scanning services. A company like this will almost certainly offer concrete scanning using ground penetrating radar (GPR). GPR is the go-to tool for any legitimate scanning company.
Hiring a concrete scanning service will be more expensive than renting a metal detector from your local equipment rental company, but the results will be much more useful and accurate. It could also save you some time and headaches. Instead of driving to the equipment rental company, filling out the paperwork to rent a metal detector, figuring out how to use it, and then returning it when you’re done with it, a concrete scanning service will come to you. They will scan the area in question and provide you with the results right then and there. They will either mark the concrete itself, or provide you with a digital file that shows you where embedded hazards are location. GPR technology is completely safe, so the space doesn’t need to be evacuated during its use.
Overall, GPR is safe, accurate, and convenient. There is likely a company near you providing GPR scanning services. If you’re in Southern California, Enhanced Scanning is a reputable company with years of experience.
