Marine Structures

Concrete Scanning for Marine Structures: A Deep Dive with CR Scan

In the sprawling marine structures sector, the foundation’s strength and the structure’s longevity play pivotal roles. Overlooking the slightest defect can lead to colossal repercussions. As urban coastal areas expand and maritime activities surge, the demand for safe and durable marine infrastructure, including jetties, pontoons, and quays, has skyrocketed. CR Scan, with its unmatched expertise in concrete scanning, stands at the forefront of ensuring these edifices remain robust and resilient against the unpredictable marine environment.

Before delving into the nuances of concrete scanning, it’s essential to grasp the diverse array of marine structures and their importance:

Jetties: Serving as critical points for loading and offloading goods, jetties experience constant stress from both the sea’s relentless waves and the weight of docked ships and cargo.
Pontoons: Floating platforms anchored to the seabed, pontoons cater to smaller vessels and are vital in marinas and waterfront properties.
Sheet Piles and Steel Piles: These interlocking structures, often used in constructing quays and harbour walls, play a foundational role in stabilising the coastal environment. Their strength ensures that the edifice withstands the ocean’s force.
Accelerated Low Water Corrosion (ALWC): A menace in marine construction, ALWC affects steel and can compromise the integrity of structures, especially sheet piles and steel piles, rapidly.
Confined Space Scanning: Many marine structures, like underground access points or utility chambers, require scanning in tight, confined spaces. This is a specialised task demanding precision and expertise.
Quays and Harbour Walls: The bulwarks against the ocean’s might, these structures not only facilitate maritime operations but also protect the hinterland from potential sea-borne threats.

30-story office tower (2018-2019)

At CR Scan, we have championed the cause of concrete scanning in marine structures for a plethora of reasons:

Early Detection: Before accelerated low water corrosion or any other structural defect wreaks havoc, concrete scanning can identify potential weaknesses, facilitating timely interventions.
Safety Imperative: Given the intense stress marine structures are subjected to, ensuring their strength and resilience isn’t just a maintenance task; it’s a safety imperative. Through scanning, we can assure that jetties, pontoons, and quays remain sturdy and dependable.
Precision in Confined Spaces: CR Scan’s advanced technologies make confined space scanning not only feasible but incredibly accurate. This allows stakeholders to make informed decisions about these crucial, albeit often overlooked, spaces.
Cost-Effective Interventions: By catching defects or vulnerabilities early, we facilitate more cost-effective remedies. Whether it’s addressing issues in sheet piles or reinforcing steel piles against ALWC, early detection invariably means lower long-term maintenance costs.

Our commitment to the marine structures sector isn’t merely professional; it’s personal. Here’s why CR Scan stands unrivalled:

Technological Edge: We’ve invested in cutting-edge concrete scanning technologies, ensuring we offer the most precise readings, whether we’re examining jetties or scanning confined spaces.
Unparalleled Expertise: Our team understands the unique challenges of marine structures. From the nuances of accelerated low water corrosion to the intricacies of sheet piles, our expertise ensures actionable and accurate insights.
Holistic Reporting: Detection is just the first step. Our comprehensive reports detail not only the issues but also offer insights on potential remedies and future preventive measures.
Safety-Centric Approach: Every scan we undertake is rooted in our commitment to safety. Our non-invasive methodologies ensure that the regular functioning of the marine structures isn’t disrupted, even as we ensure their long-term safety.

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.

MARINE Sector

In summary, the marine structures sector, with its multifaceted challenges and undeniable significance, demands the very best in maintenance and safety protocols. Concrete scanning, with its non-invasive, precise, and cost-effective methodology, is indispensable in this endeavour. For those keen on detecting and reporting on voids and hidden defects within and below their marine structures, CR Scan emerges as the unequivocal choice. Armed with the latest technology, unparalleled expertise, and an unwavering commitment to safety, we are here to ensure that your marine structures remain strong, safe, and sustainable. Choose CR Scan, and anchor your trust in the best.

train station renovation (2016-2017)