Concrete Cutting Service
Concrete Scanning (GPR) in Houston
Ground-penetrating radar scanning to locate rebar, post-tension tendons and embedded conduit before cutting or coring — so crews never cut blind.
Concrete scanning uses ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to see inside a slab or wall before anyone cuts into it. A handheld antenna is passed over the surface, and reflections off embedded objects are read in real time to map rebar mats, post-tension tendons, electrical and plumbing conduit, and voids. It is a non-destructive process — nothing is drilled or removed to find out what is inside — and the located features are marked directly on the surface so the crew can cut and core with confidence.
Scanning is used before nearly every cutting and coring task where hitting something embedded would be dangerous or costly: core drilling penetrations, wall sawing openings, deep slab sawing cuts, anchor-bolt coring and dowel drilling. It is most critical on post-tension slabs, which are widespread across Houston commercial and multifamily construction — a post-tension tendon is under enormous tension, and cutting one can injure workers and require an expensive structural repair. Scanning also verifies rebar cover, locates conduit before a penetration, and helps confirm slab thickness where drawings are missing or unreliable.
What GPR locates
Common targets a scan identifies before cutting.
| Target | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Post-tension tendons | Cutting one is dangerous and costly — never cut through |
| Rebar mats | Plan the cut and avoid unintended structural impact |
| Electrical / plumbing conduit | Avoid severing live lines behind the surface |
| Voids & slab thickness | Confirm conditions where drawings are unreliable |
Process & safety
Scanning itself is clean and non-destructive — there is no dust, slurry or silica generated because nothing is cut during the scan. Its role in the safety chain is preventive: by mapping tendons, rebar and conduit first, it keeps the subsequent wet-cutting and coring work (governed by OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1153 for respirable crystalline silica) from striking something that could injure the operator or damage the structure. On Houston post-tension slabs, treating a GPR scan as a standard first step — not an optional extra — is the single most effective way to avoid a serious cutting incident. Findings are marked in the field and, where needed, documented for the record before cutting begins.
Never cut a post-tension slab blind
Post-tension construction is common across Houston. A scan before coring or deep cutting is the standard safeguard against striking a tensioned tendon.
Frequently asked questions
- What can GPR scanning detect inside concrete?
- GPR locates rebar, post-tension tendons, electrical and plumbing conduit, and voids, and can help confirm slab thickness. Located features are marked on the surface before cutting.
- Is scanning really necessary on every job?
- It is essential wherever hitting something embedded would be dangerous or costly — especially on post-tension slabs, which are common in Houston. For shallow cuts in known-plain concrete it may not be, but crews scan whenever there is uncertainty.
- Does scanning damage the concrete?
- No. GPR is non-destructive — the antenna passes over the surface and reads reflections, so nothing is drilled or removed and no dust or slurry is created.
- Why is scanning critical for post-tension slabs?
- Post-tension tendons carry enormous tension. Cutting one can injure workers and require an expensive structural repair, so locating and avoiding tendons with GPR is the standard safeguard before coring or deep cutting.
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