can™ Mini XT and LT, rugged all-in-one concrete scanning systems designed for contractors who need to locate rebar, conduits, post- tension cables, and voids. Another option is the GSSI UtilityScan® GPR system, with a simple user interface that makes it easy to locate and mark the depth of under- ground utilities in real-time in the field. The on-screen 3D data collection mode allows users to easily define the time slice depth and thickness in the field with the 3D data on the screen. The optional LineTrac® power detection module enables contractors to identify and trace the precise location of underground electric and RF-induced utilities. Future of GPR tools focuses on improving data flow Construction personnel can save time and money now by maintaining simple GPR tools on-site. All eyes are looking towards how quickly one can eliminate or reduce the dead time between collection of data and sharing it – so we can get the trades back to their work.
fortunately, an unmarked water line was cut while laying the fiber optic cable. The contractor had two out of town crews standing by (on per diem), waiting for the water line to be located for the entire apartment complex. This is a case where on-site GPR could have verified the utility markings simply and quickly before the issue arose.
BRETT CALDWELL is Application Specialist at GSSI, Inc.
I have personally experienced multiple instances of change orders occurring that moved locations of various piping or conduits, resulting in delays for multiple trades. Any time something unexpected was found during a saw cut – say a conduit was struck – you have not only the saw crew on hold, billing your company stand-by time, but also the trades waiting on the work. Could there be anything worse than hourly employees standing around due to these issues? The best scenario would be if the GC could use on- site GPR equipment to do basic clearing immedi- ately and get back to work. Instead, the contractor often has to call in a service provider and schedule the work. Then the provider has to scan all the pos- sibly affected areas before getting back to work. This method of locating is very frequently an is- sue in remodeling jobs. GPR may be built into the planning process, but usually a crew will start saw cutting – and when they hit a conduit that crew goes on standby, charging standby rates until GPR can be brought in to verify where it is safe to cut. I saw this happen once at an old strip mall where they were moving the bathroom and needed to sawcut trenches to run plumbing. Clearly, keeping GPR equipment on site would be a benefit to ensure the tight construction schedules are kept. Examples include GSSI’s StructureS-
TEC - SLIP TM Dry Fi lm Lubricants • Water & Cold Resistant • Hi Pressure System • Low Variation
56732 Mound Rd Shelby Twp., MI 48316 USA Phone: +1 - 586 - 232 - 3999 Email: info@tectorius.com
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
45
May 2022 csengineermag.com
Made with FlippingBook Annual report