Industrial GPR Applications

Providing Results for Facilities Across Western Canada

SUBSURFACE MAPPING, MODELING AND MORE

Industrial sites are full of activity with above ground and subsurface hazards. There is no choice but to accomplish critical tasks such as crane lifts and excavations safely and efficiently. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is one of Maverick’s primary technologies for clients in all industries. We are Alberta’s choice for industrial GPR.

This is often combined with other options such as traditional utility locating, remotely operated video systems, infrared thermography, resistivity, and other technologies. Accurate position coordinates can be embedded into the radar data in real time and then the combined information is processed to provide models and avenues of interpretation for engineers, geoscientists, and other qualified personnel.

HOW IS GPR USED ON OIL & GAS, CHEMICAL, AND MANUFACTURING FACILITIES?

• Collection of data on subsurface conditions prior to critical crane lifts
• Location of buried or missing pilings, pile caps, tanks and other structures
• Delineation of saturation and contamination plumes below reinforced concrete
• Specialized and facility-wide utility locates

UTILITY LOCATING

Occupational Health and Safety Regulations require that all underground facilities are located prior to a ground disturbance. Industrial sites often have multiple subsurface systems and structures, and they present unique locating and mapping challenges. Facility-wide utility locates often include:

• Power cables
• Data/communication and control cables
• Utilities including natural gas and propane lines
• Process lines
• Cathodic protection systems, and associated lines
• Metallic and non metallic lines including HDPE, AC/Ductile, Fibreglass, PVC and ABS
• Drainage and fire water systems
• Underground storage tanks

Maverick provides field markings of located items and can provide CAD and GIS reporting for updating site plans.

CONCRETE ENGINEERING

 
Maverick Inspection Ltd. uses Ground-penetrating Radar in place of X-ray to locate objects and identify construction techniques used in concrete slabs. GPR produces no radiation, and is safe to work around without evacuations. Industrial GPR can be used to update older drawings, and provide a great deal of information related to:

• Concrete thickness analysis
• Rebar spacing and placement
• Void Detections
• Conduit locating
• Provides information on suspended or on-grade slabs
• Works on walls too!

A more detailed list of engineering applications can be found by clicking here.

CRITICAL CRANE LIFTS

Gathering subsurface data for engineering analysis has become the industry standard prior to all critical crane lifts. Maverick Inspection Ltd. can inexpensively gather data, and generate plan view maps showing signs of potential subsurface failure before an incident can occur. Moisture saturation, contamination, shear plains, sloughing and other subsurface movements can all be detected through the use of GPR.

PRE-CONSTRUCTION PLANNING & TURNAROUNDS

New construction, maintenance, and other tasks are often complicated on industrial sites due to subsurface hazards. These can include utilities, storage tanks, groundwater levels, and other hidden obstacles. This is especially the case when an industrial facility has been on a site for several decades, and there have been successive changes often with poor or non-existent records. Let Maverick tailor the subsurface data gathering methodology for you, including the selection of technology, approach, and analysis software.

INDUSTRIAL GPR FOR VOID DETECTION

In addition to critical crane lifts, other installations may require void detections beneath concrete slabs, or surrounding utilities such as fire water lines. Maverick Inspection Ltd. has employed Ground-penetrating Radar (GPR) in many situations to locate subsurface voiding. One example might be to locate which section of a charged water line may be leaking. Since industrial GPR can locate the void caused by the water washout long before the void extends to the surface, we enable safe, effective, early repairs.

CONTAMINATION PLUME DETECTION

Similar to void detection, Ground-penetrating Radar used by Maverick Inspection Ltd. is capable of imaging the altered soil conditions surrounding spills and contaminations. Although there are other technologies typically better suited to plume detection, they are not always feasible due to the interference from above and below grade structures on industrial sites. We can delineate the boundaries and help to select locations for monitoring wells, as well as guide clean-up efforts. We are capable of working on active plant sites without the need to evacuate large areas. We can work in farmer’s fields without affecting their crops, typically complementing radar with additional remote sensing technology. We can work in many weather conditions, at all times of the year. (See our plume detection case study.)

Would you like more information?

Contact us and discuss your project scope. We have worked on facilities throughout Alberta and across Western Canada. Chances are, we are already familiar with your site and the particular subsurface and other challenges.