3 Tips for Using GPR Technology
GPR technology, otherwise known as ground-penetrating radar, is an incredibly useful way to gain information about what lies beneath the surface.
GPR technology, otherwise known as ground-penetrating radar, is an incredibly useful way to gain information about what lies beneath the surface. If your project requires any digging, which it likely does, GPR technology is a necessary tool that will allow you to locate any water, gas, or sewer lines that you wouldn’t want to sever during construction. Hitting any of these utilities will increase the costs of your project, delay your timeline, and cause problems you wouldn’t want to solve on your own. Here are three tips for using GPR technology.
Mark the Utilities
Before you start construction, call your county’s property office to have them mark the location of any existing underground utilities on your property. It’s essential that, before you start digging, you know precisely which areas to avoid and how deep your digging can go. They’ll mark the locations of all pipes and lines underground on your property. However, privately owned lines may be difficult to find due to interference and could be within six inches of a utility line.
Locating Methods
GPR technology works like a radio system. Utility lines emit a charge and often transmit a signal that GPR technology recognizes. It uses both active and passive methods to find most types of underground utilities. With the active method, you’re searching for a specific line with a direct connection or inductive method. With the passive style, you can find out how many underground utilities are present, but not what type they are.
Assess the Ground
The strength of the signal you get from the utilities and the accuracy of the GPR readings depend on the conditions of the ground. Wet soil is the best for generating a strong signal from the utilities while dry soil will deliver a result that is much more difficult to decipher. To combat the dryness, turn on your sprinkler system or water hose to add some moisture to the ground to generate a much clearer reading.
Trust Ground-Penetrating Radar Technology from G&M Services
G&M Services has a great amount of expertise, experience, and training when it comes to demolishing concrete, so trust us with the job. We understand how dangerous our important work with concrete can be, and we take safety precautions every minute of every day to prevent anything bad from happening. We offer many different services to our valued clients, including concrete drilling, concrete scanning, and FireStop. For more information on our services, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 787-8828. For more safety tips and interesting articles, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn.
