- No need for evacuation, GPR is safe.
- Real time results!
- Access from one side will be just fine
- CHEAPER!
Since the introduction of x-ray for the examination of materials, technology has progressed a long way,
providing different alternatives for different materials including ultrasonic, infrared, and ground penetrating radar.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an excellent method for evaluating concrete and locating structures within concrete.
It has many benefits when compared with x-ray including the following features:
- With GPR there is no radiation involved, so there are no health hazards. Personnel is not required to be evacuated
prior to inspection. With GPR, there is no chance of accidental exposure to gamma radiation, minimizing
liability and health risks. Radiography on concrete is not actually “x-ray” technology, since a very
strong radioactive gamma source is required, not just an electronic x-ray tube. This source requires special
handling and containment to avoid serious exposure to workers and passers-by. GPR uses radio waves no more
powerful or harmful than those picked up by household radios.
- There is no need to worry about exposure of film, such as is found in dental or medical facilities, or other
radioactive-sensitive equipment or materials with GPR.
- There is no parallax error with GPR. You are not casting a “shadow” on to a large film from a single, small
radioactive source. GPR is real-time analysis directly above the structures in the concrete.
- There is no need to correlate the film back to the target area. Structures found with the GPR are marked
immediately, and confirmed with a variety of different scanning methods.
- If the original area is not suitable for coring or cutting, it is very quick and simple to increase the area
of the scan with GPR to find a nearby suitable location. With x-ray, this would involve another clearing
of the work area of personnel, performing a film exposure, film development and correlation back to the
concrete.
- GPR can provide information about the depths of features in the concrete. This is not possible with x-ray.
- Slab-on-grade evaluations cannot be performed with x-ray, since it is impossible to place the film on the
underside. GPR does not have this limitation.
- GPR is quick and portable. It can be performed in an office, retail, hospital, or residential setting with
virtually no disruption of regular activities.
- There are normally cost and scheduling benefits to using GPR rather than x-ray.
If there is a situation where GPR does not appear to be as effective as desired for any reason, and x-ray is deemed
more applicable for the application, Maverick Inspection will inform you. Maverick has a good working relationship
with x-ray providers, and understands the benefits and limitations of both technologies. There have even been jobsites
in the past where neither technology alone could provide adequate information, and they have been used together to tackle
complex inspection scenarios.
|
