Why You Should X-Ray Your Concrete Slabs

Cutting, drilling, or coring concrete is not only difficult, but it can also be a dangerous endeavor. With post tension cables, re-bar, and conduits, there are many obstacles you need to avoid or you will have a very expensive mistake on your hands. You will be glad to know that South Florida boasts a number of companies that offer concrete imaging concrete scanning. 

Many homeowners and businesses in South Florida think that it is a hassle to x-ray concrete and it is not worth the time or money. The people who believe this are very wrong. In fact, there are a number of reasons that justify spending the money to x-ray concrete slabs before beginning any demolition work. Through this process, you are able to find out the thickness of the slab, check for spots that have been compromised, as well as find the exact location of both structural and non-structural items embedded in the concrete. Some concrete imaging concrete scanning businesses also offer condition assessments on constructions such as bridge decks that may corrode overtime.

While some businesses have their own way of doing things, most x-ray concrete by following the same procedures. The first thing the workers will do is complete a thorough walkthrough of the location to gather the necessary data, such as how many shots they will need to take. Once they know where the film should be placed, they evacuate the area and put up radiation barriers for protection. After the x-rays are taken, many companies have a mobile darkroom to develop the film on-site. The time this entire production will take varies with each job, but you can expect to pay for at least half a day’s work.

Before setting up an appointment with a company that specializes in concrete imaging concrete scanning, there are a few things that every home or business owner should do. You need to make sure you have the area you want to cut, drill, or core marked off. This will keep you from paying for x-raying areas that will not be affected by the demolition. You also need to clear the area so the workers can set up and have room to move around. If they will be working on a suspended concrete slab, they will need to access to both the top and bottom. You also need to check to see that gamma radiography is allowed at your location. Because of the risk of radiation poisoning, some areas in South Florida do not allow x-raying.

Most concrete imaging concrete scanning companies offer their services on slabs up to 16” thick, although it really depends on the density of the concrete. You can use the x-ray process on a variety of structures from concrete walls to CMUs. If you are in the market for a business to x-ray concrete slabs, many South Florida companies would be interested in working with you. Some may even offer free estimates, so call to set up an appointment today.

Safer Constuction In Florida With Concrete Imaging

In the past, Florida building constructors and ground crews had to dig new ground blindly. There was no technology to warn them that they could be digging up live wires, pipes, post tension cables and other embedded building materials. This caused high risk to the men and equipment on construction sites. Today's technology offers the Florida construction industry a safer alternative by using concrete imaging to locate post tension cables and other embedded structures.

What Is Concrete Imaging?
Imaging concrete uses a detection device to allow builders, contractors and drilling companies to know what kind of embedded structures lay beneath the construction site. Imaging technology allows construction teams to evaluate a potential building site before they put men and equipment at risk. The use of this device is becoming a requisite evaluation technique before any construction can be allowed to take place.

Imaging Can Locate Post Tension Cables
Concrete imaging can also locate post tension cables. Post tension cables are used in construction to provide support and increased strength to slabs of concrete. The great majority of post tension cables are typically made from high-strength strands of steel that are put in place before the pouring of concrete. These steel cables are normally laid out in a grid pattern that can be detected by the use of concrete imaging equipment.

Using Concrete Imaging To Find Rebar On Florida Building Sites
The Florida construction industry can also use imaging technology to locate old embedded underground rebar. Rebar is the abbreviated form of reinforcement bar. These reinforcing bars have a much longer history in the construction industry and have been used for hundreds of years in the building trade all over the world. The rebar grid pattern establishes the base for any concrete support in much the same fashion as the more modern design of post tension cables. Before the invention of imaging devices, work crews generally had no idea what they could encounter during a dig.

Imaging Allows For Safer Construction In Florida
Being able to locate post tension cables and rebar on a construction site has improved the safety of the construction industry. With today's modern underground infrastructure consisting of miles of interrelated cables, phone lines, natural gas pipes, sewer systems, electrical power lines and many other types of embedded underground structures, a construction team can begin the necessary ground work fully aware of any dangers and areas to avoid.

X-ray concrete? That's what GPR is all about

Ground penetrating radar brings futuristic technology into the lives of Florida builders, contractors, remodelers, geologists, and archeologists. 

This scientific method is in demand for forensics and missing persons cases as well. In fact, it is truly the future of everything from environmental assessment to geology to archeology. For instance, the same technology that can x-ray concrete is used by the military when they are looking for unexploded bombs and other ordinances. Also, GPR can be used for bridge delimination testing. Furthermore, it can locate graves. Just as importantly, it can prove that there are no graves located on a building site. 

Using sound waves and computer imaging, ground penetrating radar can essentially x-ray concrete. These imaging inspections reveal imperfections in existing concrete structures. This is an important tool in a Florida contractor's tool box. After all, he doesn’t want to build on top of a poor foundation. Each time GPR is used to x-ray concrete, the look below the surface can provide a Florida contractor with a geologically sound picture of the building site. It puts the tools of a geologist in the hands of a Florida builder and ensures that a remodeled or new structure has a firm foundation.

The same GPR can eliminate any concerns about grave sites or archeological discoveries by confirming their absence from a building site. This can be essential when trying to move forward with a construction project. 

Qualified contractors have a unique tool in GPR because not only can it x-ray concrete but also can determine much about the topography of the land. With this technology, experts can provide a geophysical survey of land and buried structures. It can detect and map where buried utilities are. This mapping can help builders prevent costly accidents. It can save valuable time because builders know from the beginning what areas to avoid. GPR provides void detection as well. 

In all, any money spent on GPR is quickly paid back in terms of money saved. There are fewer unexpected expenses and it becomes more likely that a contractor or builder will finsh their project on time. This is important whether the building is built on speculation or under contract.

In Florida, where swampy land, sandy soil and high water tables cause building headaches, it is great to know that there is ground penetrating radar avaialble. It's almost as good as having Superman sight that can x-ray concrete.