Our Thoughts on the Importance of the Ground Penetrating Radar

Before any serious work is done on a work site, locating, identifying and labeling the utilities which are underground is an absolute must. This includes natural gas lines, telephone lines, fiber optics, traffic lights, waste water pipes and electric grids. For each and every one of these utility lines a different location and detection method is used. One of the safest ways to locate underground utilities nowadays is by using a GPR, or more commonly known as a ground penetrating radar.

Ground penetrating radars use radar pulses to generate images of the subsurface. GPR technology in general is already widely accepted all around the world in no-dig applications and experts suggest it’s a very accurate and time efficient method to detect and map buried structures and objects. With that being said, using a ground penetrating radar GPR has many benefits over other detection methods.

For starters, when using a ground penetrating radar GPR, you can perform non-destructive examination. This is due to the fact that GRP is based on magnetic or electromagnetic principles. It can easily identify the location of under-surface utilities, voids and reinforcing steel within concrete without damaging the surface or surrounding structures.

Due to the aforementioned characteristics, GPR is one of the most efficient and accurate solutions for detecting underground utilities, such as cables and pipes. Other locators can detect and map cables and pipes as well, but they usually won’t detect non-metallic materials such as concrete, plastic, fiber optic cables or ceramics, and this is where the advantage of using GPR can really make a difference.

Furthermore, performing scans with a ground penetrating radar is less expensive, simply due to the fact that the surroundings are kept intact. There’s no drilling, which means the existing utilities won’t be damaged, which results in cost-effective installations. This also eliminates the downtime or setbacks on whatever job is being performed, which will also save you a lot of money.

Last but not least, using a ground penetrating radar is relatively easy, especially the newer models which are made to be very user-friendly. Most new GPRs have a very simple electronic design with a user-friendly interface. That being said, if there’s ever the need to perform utility locating and detecting on a construction site, most professionals turn to the GPR. It provides non-destructive testing at a reduced cost, while also reducing the risks of damage and injury, all the while ensuring quality and accurate results.