Geophysics HM Ltd offers affordable geophysical investigations and non-destructive testing for construction projects, maintenance of buildings, roads, bridges, hydrotechnical works, utilities and infrastructures. In all cases, all construction infrastructures require some type of quality assessment, hazard inspection and modification from the original design. Geophysical techniques are basic required tools for guidance on concrete slab cutting, anchoring, foundation assessment, settlement investigations and demolition.
Structure Integrity
Voids Imaging
Geophysical Surveys for Construction Activities
The physical properties of the materials used for the construction are the most important aspects to account for during the process of the rise, maintenance and renovation of any infrastructure. Also, the construction projects require precise information of the conditions, extent and variability of the materials where the foundation of the buildings are placed including fill materials, natural soil, groundwater, unconsolidated sediments, weathered rock, and competency of the bedrock. In active construction sites where excavating, drilling, cutting, coring or trenching are necessary, non-intrusive testing and geophysical investigations such as inductive locates are mandatory by law. The use of the geophysical techniques can save lives, avoid damages and reduced processing disruptions saving significant costs and headaches during a construction projects in general.
Geophysical Methods Used in Construction Engineering
Structure NDT
Thermal Imagery
GPR
Seismics
DELTA Scanner
Locates
Applications and Solutions
Abseil Inspection
Brickwork Strength
Cladding Failures
Concrete Slab Inspection
Structure Integrity
Construction Detailing
Flaw Detection
Floor Delamination
Heating Duct Locate and Extent
Material Types
Metallic Beams Location
Metallic Fixings, Clamps And Dowels
Mortar Inspection
Plaster Inspection
Power Conduits and Cables Locates
Slab And Wall Thickness
Slab Voids
Stood Locates
Structural Arrangement
Structural Member Size And Orientation
Structural Steelwork
Structure Failure Assessment
Wall Scanning And Locates
Water Pipes Locates
Wood Panel Extent
Slab Thickness Estimation
High frequency GPR scanning is a common geophysical technique used for estimating the thickness variations in different structural elements such as concrete slab, walls, beams and supporting columns.
Rebar Location, Depth and Orientation
High resolution image of the location, depth and orientation of steel reinforcement and other imbedded structural elements is accurately obtained with the use of high frequency GPR. Geophysical techniques are useful for mapping and estimating the number of reinforcement bars in the structure.
Voids and Honeycombing Detection
GPR is effectively used for detecting structural voids and honeycombing developed during the concrete pouring process. Locating and mapping the extent of voids and honeycombing using GPR is an effective, time saving and inexpensive tool for concrete quality assessment, control and repair planning.
Heating Pipes and Electrical Conduits Locates
Thermal imagery and three dimensional GPR scanning are very efficient techniques commonly used for detecting heating pipes, electrical conduits, communication wires, sanitary and water pipes embedded internally and placed underneath the concrete slab structures. Hyperbolic responses and linear reflection patterns very peculiar and different from common steel reinforcement are interpreted to conform these utility lines.
Cracking and Delamination Imaging
Ground Penetrating Radar and Thermal Imagery are used for detecting and estimating the position, size, geometry and extent of structural cracking, spalling and delamination.
Concrete Structure Quality Control
GPR, Thermal Imagery and Ultrasonic Pulse Echo are common tools utilized for detecting concrete structure defects, spalling, delamination and cracking. Estimating and confirming the cover depth of the concrete structure is required to avoid premature corrosion of the steel elements.
Corrosion and Concrete Deterioration
Ground Penetrating Radar carried over concrete structures with embedded corroded steel bars will show very distinctive diffraction responses and high signal attenuation due to cracking, delamination and change of the concrete properties due to the presence of chemical sub-products of the corrosion process. The attenuation of the GPR signal generated from the steel bar is used for estimating the degree of deterioration of the concrete structure and bridge decks.
Excavation and Drilling
Geophysical investigations reduce cost of drilling, excavation and minimize environmental impacts. The construction of infrastructure and buildings require ground or terrain work for foundation placement, anchoring, soil compaction, bedrock trenching and excavation. The structures we build are eventually exposed to geological and environmental hazards such as earthquakes, landslides and flooding. For that reason, there is a requirement for geophysical investigations and assessment to avoid the destruction or damage of the facilities.
Geophysical Surveys and Structure Scanning | Geophysics HM Ltd
