Deciding to renovate an existing structure is not a decision you come to overnight. Before starting, you probably took the time to analyze the cost verses the benefits of the renovation and agonized over the details of the changes you would be making to your building. You took the time to have an architect draw up a design, get the necessary permits, and to find a skilled and trustworthy general contractor to complete the renovations.
Having done all of this, don’t forget to do one final thing before renovations get underway: have a concrete scan completed!
If you’ve been involved in renovation projects before, you know that unexpected scenarios come up—ones that you never could have anticipated or planned for. However, there are some steps you can take to reduce the number of surprises you come across, and one of those steps is to bring in a company like Enhanced Scanning to provide concrete scanning services.
Whether you are drilling, coring, or trenching into your concrete slab for anchors, or to run new plumbing or electrical lines, or altering your building’s load-bearing elements, you need to know what you are getting into! Concrete slabs and walls are embedded with reinforcing elements (either rebar or post-tensioned cables), as well as utilities (water, electrical, telecommunications, gas lines, and more).
A concrete scan, completed by a professional concrete scanning service in the Inland Empire like Enhanced Scanning can help you move forward with your project with confidence. You won’t have to worry about project delays because you damaged something unexpectedly. You can also help your construction crew avoid injury by accurately locating all post-tensioned cables in the area of concrete that is being disturbed. Post-tensioned cables, when severed, can snap violently, and if someone is hit by one, it can cause serious injury or even death.
In short, you need a concrete scan anytime you don’t fully know what’s inside the concrete and plan to disturb it. Even if you think you know where everything is located in a slab or CMU wall, it doesn’t hurt to confirm the information you have. Concrete scanning involves a relatively small upfront cost that can prevent major safety risks, delays, and expensive damage.
If you need additional information about your concrete prior to the start of your project, such as the thickness of a slab, crack mapping, or void detection, we recommend a holistic concrete structural analysis, which Enhanced Scanning is also able to complete. We have multiple tools at our disposal for analyzing concrete, in addition to the ground penetrating radar (GPR) tools that most concrete scanning companies in the Inland Empire use.
Are you getting ready to start a renovation project in the Inland Empire that will involve disturbing concrete? Get a concrete scan done before you start! The information you get from a concrete scan could end up saving you a ton of time and money by helping you avoid unexpected surprises. Contact us today to schedule service.