Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) in British Columbia
Ground-penetrating radar sees what EM can't: non-metallic pipe, voids, and the internal structure of concrete. By sending radar pulses into a slab or the ground and recording the reflections, GPR images the subsurface non-destructively and in real time, on one side of the element.
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GPR transmits high-frequency radar pulses into concrete or soil and records reflections from buried or embedded objects and layer boundaries. Because it doesn't rely on a conductor, it locates non-metallic pipe and images rebar, post-tension cables, conduit, voids and ground layers — making it the complement to EM locating and the core of concrete scanning.
- A GPR antenna sends radar pulses into the material
- Reflections from objects and boundaries return to the antenna
- The unit renders a real-time profile of the subsurface
- A trained operator interprets and marks the targets
- Non-metallic and metallic pipe
- Rebar, post-tension cables and conduit in concrete
- Voids, anomalies and ground layers
- Slab thickness and embedded objects
Locating non-metallic lines, imaging concrete, and finding voids — where EM alone can't see.
Coring/cutting crews and excavators use GPR to find what EM misses — plastic pipe and embedded concrete hazards — before they cut or dig.
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Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) — FAQ
GPR doesn't need a conductor, so it locates non-metallic pipe and images the inside of concrete — rebar, post-tension cables, conduit and voids — and finds subsurface anomalies. EM and GPR are used together: EM traces energized metal lines efficiently, GPR covers the non-metallic and embedded targets.
Yes. GPR uses low-power radar, not ionizing radiation, so work can continue around it and no area needs to be cleared — unlike concrete X-ray.
Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) Across BC
More Ground-Penetrating Radar Methods
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Educational hub & service-support division of Leak.ca · Serving all of British Columbia · Since 1999