For any company seeking to renovate a facility, the presence of electrical conduits in the floors can pose a significant problem. Aside from knocking out power and potentially disrupting work elsewhere in the building, cutting through a live conduit can be a significant safety hazard. Because as-built drawings are often inaccurate or outdated, other methods must be used to detect conduits to prevent them from being cut.

On a recent project at a manufacturing facility in Glendale Heights, IL, Clarion Construction contacted Ground Penetrating Radar Systems about scanning a one hundred square foot area which was to be cut and removed during the installation of a new fire pump. In the immediate surrounding area, several conduits could be seen running down a wall from an electrical panel and bending into or under the slab. GPRS was responsible for scanning the area to be cut and locating any conduits which would be in danger of being cut. In a very short time, GPRS was able to confirm that no conduits ran through the area which was to be cut, and was also able to provide data on the slab thickness and the type and amount of reinforcing steel. GPRS was also able to trace the paths of the known conduits and confirm that they headed away from the target area. With this information, Clarion was able to make the necessary cuts safely and without causing any unnecessary inconvenience.

When scanning for electrical conduits, our technicians use radio detection equipment (RD-4000) in conjunction with GPR. This alternate method is ideal for picking up live power or communications fields. We can also clamp onto metal piping to trace it out or on to a tracer wire (if available) for non-metallic piping.

We are seeing this type of testing required on a more regular basis prior to saw cutting. The cost of scanning concrete prior to saw cutting is a fraction of the cost of cutting even one electrical conduit when you consider the cost of the repair, and the potential costs associated with the shutting down electrical service in a manufacturing facility, hospitals, and schools. Nathan Machel runs GPRS operations in Chicago. He can be reached at 847-514-2277 or by email at nathan.machel@gp-radar.com.