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CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Cost-effective and safe investigations

With 24/7 global construction and ageing infrastructure, the need for inspection,
maintenance, repair and rebuilding are constantly increasing.

Questions arising can be: Does this structure need maintenance work now or in a year? Can we remove
concrete without damaging the rebar? Is there sufficient reinforcement to add another story or increase
the load on this floor? Where do we have the main electrical wires or water pipes, where is it safe to core
through the concrete?

The standard way for inspecting the interior of a concrete structure and its reinforcement has been, and
still is in many places, cutting or drilling. The risk of furthering any potential structural weakness is
sometimes huge and could incur a massive cost; a cost which may be more than just financial if a severe
failure were to occur.

C O N TA C T U S T O F I N D T H E O P T I M A L S O L U T I O N
Contact us

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Using GPR to investigate conrete and rebars

GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) is a non-destructive investigation method that uses
electromagnetic pulses to produce an image of the subsurface.

This can be achieved without drilling or otherwise impactng upon the structure’s integrity. Whilst also
providing better data coverage compared to the more traditional point-by-point invasive tests, GPR is
considered a cost–efficient investigation technique, with practically no risk of damaging or
destroying the investigated material.

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Locate Targets in Concrete with accuracy
GPR can be compared to a fish-finder (or echolocation device) on a boat. A transmitter
antenna sends a pulse into the ground, and that pulse reflects whenever there is a
contrast in the dielectric properties of the medium it’s being sent into.

Choosing the best solution

There are several different MALÅ GPR systems for efficient concrete and rebar investigations, both single
and multichannel array options. Depending on the type of application, the measurement technique is
adjusted to be as smooth as possible.

Using the right technique

Investigation can be done on both horizontal and vertical surfaces, where the antenna is swept over the
areas to be investigated in a structured way. Single lines can be measured for layers or several lines for 3D
results of more complicated structures. For floor investigations there are ergonomic handles available or
the antenna can be placed in a cart.

GPR antenna frequency and estimated resolution and depth

What frequency to use depends on the application, and what resolution and depth is
required. For concrete constructions and rebars frequencies around 750 MHz to 2.3 GHz are quite
convenient.

Antenna Frequency (MHz) Suitable Target Size (m) Approx. Depth* (m)
800/750 0.03 2.5
1200 0.02 2
1600 0.015 1
2300 0.01 0.85
Frequency is not the only factor that determines the achievable depth and resolution; the concrete
through which the signal is sent also determines the quality of the collected data.

Most often a moist, newly laid concrete is hard to investigate with GPR as the conductivity is too high and
the electromagnetic pulses will be attenuated rapidly. If you have several layers of rebar, the top ones will
most likely disturb the results from the lower ones.

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Different GPR applications for concrete and associated structures

There are a number of different applications where GPR can be most useful within the application
area of concrete structures and rebar:

• Mapping of rebar, reinforcement, tendons etc.

• Detecting conduits such as heating pipes and other utilities within the concrete structure
• Recording concrete thickness
• Mapping of layers in the concrete such as isolation, sandwich elements etc.
• Detection of cracks and voids
• Mapping of water saturation/moisture and corrosion

Projects marked directly on site – “mark out”

With MALÅ concrete and rebar solutions, work can be done efficiently, and the results presented
directly on site. Rebar particularly are often clearly identifiable on screen in real-time and, with
the easy ‘back-track’ option on the GPR system, the location of the rebar can be directly marked.

Direct marking on site. In this project concrete grouting was needed in older concrete walls and, to avoid
drilling into the larger load-bearing reinforcement, GPR was used to mark these directly on the
wall. Note! In the example raw GPR data are shown, with no processing, as it was only important to see the
location of the larger reinforcement below the dense net of smaller bars.

Projects analysed after the survey – “post-processing”

MALÅ concrete and rebar solutions also provide efficient data collection and storage for further processing
at site or back at the office. If rebar, and perhaps utilities (such as heating pipes), are organized in nets
and possibly at several depths, for example, this is the most convenient way of working: data collection in
systematic parallel lines in one or two directions for later analysis and detailed mapping. This
can include 3D investigations with single channel or multi-channel array options.

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INVESTIGATING SMALLER STRUCTURES

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In the example a smaller area has been investigated with parallel lines in two directions. The processing is
made in the data collection unit or in a computer. The result is displayed as a 3D volume, showing
the investigated area at different depths, in so–called times slices. Note that one layer consists of larger
but sparsely situated bars and the other layer of smaller more densely placed bars.

Investigating larger structures

When larger concrete structures (for example bridge decks, concrete roads etc.) need to be investigated, a
multichannel array solution such as MALÅ MIRA is convenient. In the example the internal rebar of a
bridge deck is shown, running along the bridge at 8 cm depth and at 17 cm depth across the bridge.

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MALÅ Concrete Explorer

GPR system for structural investigations

MALÅ CX is an easy-to-use GPR system designed for the non-destructive investigation and imaging of
concrete and other man-made structures. With its simple user interface and functional software features,
the MALÅ CX offers a unique, powerful choice for your high frequency GPR investigations.

E X P LO R E ( H T T P S : // W W W. G U I D E L I N E G E O . C O M / P R O D U C T/ M A L A -
C O N C R E T E - E X P LO R E R / )

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MALÅ Professional Explorer

The most versatile GPR system
on the market

Depending on the configuration and the antennas used, the MALÅ ProEx can perform various types of
measurements, including standard reflection surveys, tomography, or velocity (CMP/WARR)
measurements, for virtually any kind of application.

E X P LO R E ( H T T P S : // W W W. G U I D E L I N E G E O . C O M / P R O D U C T/ M A L A -
PROEX/)

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MALÅ Ground Explorer (GX)

Outstanding data quality, exceptional performance and WiFi controller

MALÅ GX is an integrated GPR solution with a wide range of antenna options and measuring devices.
Through unique HDR technology, MALÅ GX offers significantly faster data acquisition rates, with
outstanding signal-to-noise ratio and depth penetration.

E X P LO R E ( H T T P S : // W W W. G U I D E L I N E G E O . C O M / P R O D U C T/ M A L A -
G R O U N D E X P LO R E R / )

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MALÅ MIRA
Efficient 3D GPR system for large scale mapping

MALÅ Imaging Radar Array (MIRA) is a true 3D system providing a cost-effective solution for large scale
mapping and subsurface object identification. With a production rate of up to 50,000 m² per day, it is an
efficient system that seamlessly integrates acquisition, processing, QA/QC, positioning data and export of
interpreted results.

E X P LO R E ( H T T P S : // W W W. G U I D E L I N E G E O . C O M / P R O D U C T/ M A L A - M I R A -
GPR/)

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