Highway Structures

Concrete Scanning in the Highways Sector: Advancing Road Safety and Infrastructure Integrity

When it comes to building and maintaining our modern world, highways play a vital role. The highways sector has witnessed significant advancements in technology and materials. Yet, with every new road network, bridge, or tunnel, there’s an underlying challenge – ensuring the safety and longevity of these infrastructures. This is where concrete scanning, especially services offered by CR Scan, becomes indispensable.

Highways are the lifeblood of our transport systems. They connect cities, catalyse economic growth, and provide crucial routes for daily commutes and long-distance travel. Modern economies are largely dependent on the effectiveness and efficiency of their road network. If these highways are compromised, the ripple effects can be vast, affecting commerce, transport, and day-to-day living. Moreover, given the rise of concrete motorways and concrete roads, the integrity of these structures has never been more critical. Concrete, while being a robust and durable material, isn’t invincible. Over time, it can develop hidden defects or voids, which can compromise the safety and functionality of the entire highway structure.

30-story office tower (2018-2019)

Now, let’s delve into how concrete scanning positively impacts the highways sector.

Safety Assurance: At the core of every infrastructure project, especially in the highways sector, is the safety of its users. Concrete scanning provides a non-destructive method to evaluate the internal structure of concrete elements. By identifying voids, defects, or other hidden obstacles, highway structures can be maintained and repaired before a minor issue becomes a major catastrophe.
Cost-Efficiency: Early detection of problems within the road network means that remedial measures can be taken before they escalate. This can result in significant cost savings in the long run, as preventive maintenance or minor repairs are invariably more affordable than large-scale reconstructions.
Enhanced Road Longevity: With concrete scanning, highway professionals can ensure that the concrete motorways and concrete roads remain in optimal condition. By spotting potential issues and addressing them promptly, the lifespan of the road network is substantially extended.
Facilitating Upgrades and Renovations: As the demands on our road network grow, so does the need for expansion and upgrades. Concrete scanning aids in these projects, ensuring that existing structures are sound enough to accommodate changes and ensuring that new additions are built to the highest standards.

In the vast landscape of concrete scanning companies, CR Scan stands out as the premier choice for several reasons:

Advanced Technology: CR Scan utilises state-of-the-art technology in all our concrete scanning endeavours. This ensures accurate results, enabling effective decision-making in the highways sector.
Expertise: With a team of dedicated professionals, CR Scan brings unparalleled expertise to the table. The nuances of scanning highway structures, concrete motorways, and concrete roads are well-understood, and this expertise translates to superior service.
Detailed Reporting: CR Scan doesn’t just identify problems; we provide comprehensive reports, allowing decision-makers in the highways sector to understand the issues at hand fully and make informed choices.
Client-Centric Approach: CR Scan knows that every road network, every concrete motorway, and every concrete road is unique. Our client-centric approach ensures tailor-made solutions that cater to the specific needs and challenges of each project.
Safety First: With a strong emphasis on safety, CR Scan ensures that all scanning procedures are carried out with utmost caution, ensuring the safety of the team and the integrity of the structures they are evaluating.

Industrial Park construction (2019-2020)

Knowledge Pool

What is Concrete Scanning?

Concrete scanning is the act of reading what sits under a concrete surface via the use of non-intrusive technology.

This is done in order to identify whether there are elements sitting under a concrete’s surface or to obtain an understanding of a known element’s condition.

Concrete scanning is further able to identify whether anomalies such as voids or cracks exist under a concrete surface.

All of these scenarios are then interpret by our leading industry specialists who are readily available to help you with any endeavours you have in mind.

How is Concrete Scanning Conducted?

Concrete scanning is the conducted via the use of non-intrusive technology such as ground penetrating radar (GPR), a cover meter, ferroscan instrument, ultrasonic scanning equipment and the like.

This technological equipment is able to non-intrusively penetrate your concrete structure and understand what is going on beyond its surface.

Once this has been conducted, industry specialists are then able to interpret the findings and report back to you on the condition of your concrete.

Additionally, recommendations regarding how to repair any poor condition found within the concrete are likewise provided.

What can Concrete Scanning Detect?

Concrete scanning is able to detect a large range of different elements, depending on the technology which is being used. Overall, however, and in general, it is able to identify elements such as pipes, metals, asphalt, cables, masonry and such. Concrete scanning is further able to record and understand changes in material properties and any voids and cracks existing below the surface of a concrete structure. This scanning method holds the ability to be conducted on a large variety of mediums beyond concrete such as rock, clay, sand, coil, ice, water, pavements and more. In addition, this scanning method is likewise able to identify and communicate the condition in which a sub ground element or object is found to be in (e.g. corrosion, etc.)

Is Concrete Scanning Effective?

Concrete scanning is an extremely effective scanning method.

Concrete scanning experts consider ground penetration radar (GPR) technology to be the best technique for scanning concrete.

GPR penetrates deeper than other methods.

The technology Structural Repairs uses has a better resolution than Ferroscan and the Cover Meter. The detection is not limited to metallic objects like these two methods.

GPR is further able to detect changes in a concrete’s subsurface and can detect most materials including plastic, wood and voids.

Overall, however, GPR technology is known for its precise, effective and very successful outcomes as it is able to provide specialists and clients with full and comprehensive reports regarding the condition of a concrete structure.

Why is Concrete Scanning Required?

Concrete scanning is often required due to a large range of different reasons. For example, it is often necessary to understand the condition of any reinforcing bars lying at the core of the concrete structure as a means to understand its structural stability and strength. Concrete scanning is a common practice in renovation projects that involve cutting or coring of concrete slabs because it is crucial to understand if there is anything beneath the surface of these slabs. Failing to identify what is beneath the surface of a concrete slab could be potentially dangerous. It could result in injuring workers and causing accidents. Furthermore, cutting into elements such as electrical cables is not only extremely dangerous and potentially deadly, but is likewise very costly as this would disrupt the electrical supply, cause technical damage and delay the project. Concrete scanning can also be used as a preventative measure to maintenance the healthy of your structure through proactive, rather than reaction, action.

Benefits of Scanning Fire Damaged Concrete.

One of the main advantages of using concrete within the structure of a building is the resistance it has against fire. Fires typically visually affect most building materials, making it easy to identify them as unfit for use and later replace them. Concrete on the other hand changes very little in respect of the shape and size making it much more difficult to assess for damage. Concrete loses strength when heated above 300°C. Currently, people enter potentially dangerous and unstable parts of the building to assess damage and propose suitable repair methods or decide if demolition is necessary. Therefore, there is a greater need for new assessment technology. Our GPR and Ultrasound technology is the best non intrusive solution to survey and identify any voids and delamination. industry specialists are then able to interpret the findings and report back to you on the condition of your concrete.

What Scanning Services do you actually offer?

Ground Penetration Radar
Our Ground Penetrating Radar services operate on a variety of difference concrete surfaces and structures.

They likewise hold the ability to identify and analyse an abundance of different sub ground elements and objects as a means to give you a clear picture of what is going on underneath your concrete.

As well as helping you identify the current conditions of your sub ground concrete, we are further able to assist you as we put into practice the remedial recommendations we have expertly suggested.

Before leaving the job site, Structural Repairs also make sure we communicate the best ways for you to maintain a healthy upkeep of your concrete going forward.

Rebar Corrosion Survey
Our comprehensive Rebar Corrosion Survey services utilise a range of non-intrusive methods in order to scan, identify and understand the current condition of the reinforcing bars under you concrete.

Via industry leading technology, we are able to provide you with a concise and comprehensive report. This will advise of exactly what is going on with your rebar.

What Are The Benefits Of Concrete Scanning?

Concrete scanning holds a plethora of different benefits. For example, it holds the ability to preserve the structural integrity of your concrete given that slicing through embedded elements can weaken the concrete and impact its structural strength.

Understanding what is going on under the surface of your concrete thus is likewise a time-consuming endeavour as it holds the ability to prevent large errors from taking place.

Cutting through a structure without being aware of any embedded elements can bring a project to a quick halt.

Avoiding damage and errors leads to cost savings as the project runs smoothly, thereby eliminating the need to repair damages, pay fines or penalties, or replace equipment or materials.

In all, a smooth project will allow for better for business to be conducted and will leave clients significantly more satisfied.

Highways Sector

In conclusion, the role of concrete scanning in the highways sector cannot be understated. As our road networks expand and evolve, the demand for precise, efficient, and safety-focused evaluation techniques will continue to grow. Within this context, CR Scan emerges as the go-to choice for professionals in the sector. With our commitment to excellence, state-of-the-art technology, and a deep understanding of the intricacies of highway structures, CR Scan is not just a service provider – we are a partner in building a safer, more efficient world. If you want to ensure that voids and hidden defects within and below the road surface are accurately identified and reported, look no further than CR Scan.

train station renovation (2016-2017)

Knowledge Pool

Highways Sector