Product category:
Building Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
News Release from: Ashtead Technology Rentals | Subject: GPR hire
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 19 September 2007
Rented GPR locates all utilities
Tower Surveys hires utility location equipment from Ashtead Technology Rentals and says that this advanced technology enables them to provide a comprehensive survey of subsurface objects.
Tower Surveys operates a team of Chartered Surveyors throughout the UK and overseas, performing non-intrusive utilities and underground services surveys, including both site mark-up and digital reporting Underground utility surveys are provided for a wide range of public and private sector clients, employing drainage equipment (including CCTV), electrolocation techniques ('CAT and Genny', RD4000) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) to locate services
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 3 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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GPR complements electrolocation technology through the identification of non-conductive services such as plastic gas pipes and fibre-optic cables, which conventional electrolocation equipment is not designed to detect.
Tower Surveys hire the Mala Easylocator GPR equipment from Ashtead Technology Rentals and Jes Galtress at Tower Surveys says "Ashtead's service is reliable, prompt and courteous and the equipment always arrives on time, in superb condition and ready for use".
"We have always been able to provide a good service to our clients when using equipment supplied by Ashtead".
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"The after-sales service is superb and we hire their equipment in the knowledge that the job will get done." Ashtead General Manager James Carlyle says "GPR instruments are well suited to renting for a number of reasons".
"Firstly, they are expensive to purchase so a short-term hire makes strong financial sense".
"Secondly, as with all our instruments, we have invested in the latest technology and finally, whilst GPR is mainly used for non-intrusive ground investigations it is also a useful tool for testing concrete materials, highways and even for snow/ice thickness measurements".
A GPR transmits radio signals into the material being tested and measures the reflected signals.
Any material with different electrical properties to the 'host material' will reflect differently and the instrument records this difference and translates the data into a visual representation on the Mala's shockproof TFT monitor.
Ashtead's engineers have received many complimentary comments from customers that have rented the Mala; they have been extremely impressed with the quality and clarity of the images that the instrument is able to produce.
Pipes, conduits, metallic objects, plastics, concrete, ceramics, asphalt composites and voids can be clearly located using this technique and as such GPR finds common application in work that necessitates the precise identification of utility location.
A selection of antennas is available with the unit so that users can select an appropriate depth range up to 5 meters.
Ashtead also offer RF pipe and cable locators, which are lower in cost but partly depend on an electrical current in the target pipe or cable.
Used in passive mode they can locate some conductive services without the need to apply a current.
As such, they are ideal for the location of known 'live' utilities.
RF locaters can be used in conjunction with the Mala GPR.
GPR is therefore employed in the following applications:.
* Plastic gas pipes.
* Ductile iron or plastic water pipes.
* Plastic or ACP sewer pipes.
* Telecom fibre w/o tracer.
* Lost duct banks or vaults.
* Distribution heating / cooling.
Jes Galtress speaks highly of the Mala and says "The only problem with this device is that it passes quickly and easily over the test ground and onlookers often believe the operator is mowing grass!".
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