Ground Penetrating Radar Systems, Inc. (GPRS) was contracted to locate all of the elements in a concrete slab at The University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. The contractor had zero knowledge of what was within the concrete slabs in question due to the fact that the building that was undergoing renovation was over 50 years old. GPRS was hired to mark out all of the subsurface findings so that the contractor could start core drilling. Recently, The University of Utah Hospital made the smart decision to require subsurface surface scans prior to all construction projects. Of course, not only does this requirement ensure that projects are completed safely but, due to the fact that many buildings on campus are very old, many of the buildings have limited documentation on what is below the surface.

Ground Penetrating Radar Systems, Inc. has several different tools that can be used to locate almost any object within a concrete slab. For this project, GPRS used a 1600MHz antenna; the 1600MHz antenna is our standard piece of equipment. We also used a smaller antenna called “The Palm” which allows helps us get into smaller areas. This small sized antenna allows us to get into areas that are just too tight for our larger 1600MHz antenna. Finally, GPRS always has a radio detection wand handy for all jobs. The Radio Detection is great tool for us to double check for potential power lines running through concrete slabs.

At The University of Utah hospital, Project Manager Cooper Cox was able to locate all of the reinforcements within the concrete slabs so that the contractor could core drill safely. The hospital was glad that they did not have to clear out the area like they would have had to do if x-ray scanning technologies were used. In fact, for this project, the hospital was unable to have the area cleared out for an x-ray scan, but, at the same time, they wanted to make sure that the concrete slabs in question where scanned. GPRS of Utah was able to ensure that both of these goals were accomplished. GPR is a safe and non-destructive technology and therefore, GPR does not require the types of site preparation that are required for x-ray scans. After GPRS was completed with scanning the concrete slabs, the construction contractor was then able to safely complete their project. Thanks to GPRS, the contractor was able to complete this project without striking any subsurface elements during the core drilling process.

GPRS does much more than concrete scanning. We also locate utility lines, underground storage tanks (UST) locating, and we can even locate voids. To keep your project safe and on time, GPRS can make sure that prior to drilling, cutting, or digging, you will know what is below the surface. Call The Experts in GPR today. If you have a project (of any size) in Utah, Idaho, Montana or Wyoming, please contact Project Manager Cooper Cox by phone at (801) 419-7031 or by email at Cooper.cox@gp-radar.com GPRS also has offices throughout the United States and Canada. Please visit our “contact us” page for a full list of our offices.