PT cable and tendon detection

In post-tensioned members, scanning before an opening is not a precaution. A severed tendon releases stored energy and converts a routine opening into a structural incident. In conventionally reinforced members, a severed main bar is a repair; in a stressed tendon it is an incident. That distinction is why PT detection is treated as its own service rather than folded into general rebar detection.

PT ducts are strong reflectors and are located reliably in plan and depth. Whether the duct is fully grouted is a separate and harder question, answered from the polarity of the reflection rather than its brightness: water, grout and steel invert the reflected wavelet, while air does not. Reading that sign, rather than amplitude alone, is what separates a filled duct from an empty one, and it requires expert mode acquisition with the phase preserved.

Marked on the element, same visit. Grid acquisition in two orthogonal directions, so every duct and bar is confirmed twice rather than assumed from a single pass. Where no clear window exists at the diameter you need, we mark the nearest position that works instead of leaving the question open.

The HILTI PS 1000 X-Scan is a three antenna ground penetrating radar system that produces plan view images of concrete, not the single line trace of a covermeter or a rebar scanner. It records a 600 by 600 mm image scan grid in a single set up, extendable to 1200 mm by 1200 mm for larger elements, and detects to a stated maximum of 300 mm in concrete. Default settings assume dry, ordinary concrete, so we acquire in expert mode with the phase of the signal preserved and calibrate the dielectric constant on the element in front of us, processed in PROFIS Detection together with our own MATLAB routines.

Enquiry. Send the element type, thickness, exposure condition and what you need to locate on WhatsApp. Photographs, drawings and any previous scan output help us assess it fast.

Plan. We check access, moisture, exposure and reinforcement congestion against your target, confirm radar is the right test, and schedule the visit.

Scan and mark. Calibrated on the element, scanned in an orthogonal grid, and marked directly on the surface for your coring or cutting crew, same visit.

Report, if needed. Depth slices, plan extents and permissible core diameters, issued as a written report when your project requires formal documentation.