Overview

• Bedrock Concrete Cutting was called in to PDX airport to find and mark the correct location to run piping through the wall without compromising structural integrity.
• The Proceq GP8000 ground penetrating radar (GPR) concrete scanning system was used.
• They achieved an accurate scan of the rebar location with precise core drilling guidelines.

Portland Oregon International Airport (PDX) is renovating and adding a new main terminal to the airport. This multiyear high-profile project is keeping many contractors in the Portland area very busy. With a focus on safety and quality segments of the project are requiring some of the most reliable available technology to ensure the project goals are met.

The Challenge

One PDX contractor, was tasked with running piping through an existing shear wall and required two 9” diameter holes cored through the 12” concrete wall. Concerned about structural integrity they wanted to accomplish this task without coring through the imbedded structural rebar.

Bedrock Concrete Cutting was called for help. Bedrock Concrete Cutting is a full service, concrete cutting and drilling contractor. Bedrock rose to the challenge by not only providing the skill and equipment to execute the coring part of the project they also used the Proceq GP8000 ground penetrating radar (GPR) concrete scanning system to locate and mark the structural steel prior to coring.

The Solution - Stepped Frequency Continuous Wave GPR

Bedrock recently added the GPR scanning technology to their services in response to requests from contractors and asset owners concerned about compromising structures requiring such work. Unique in the industry, the GP8000 uses stepped frequency continuous wave GPR designed to provide operators the highest quality data at deeper penetration.

Due to the high-profile nature of the project Bedrock used a combination of line scans and area scans to confirm rebar location and document results for their client. Area scan results have the benefit of simplifying the scan findings into easy to understand top-down and volumetric views. Saved too and shared from the cloud, review of scan results can be a collaborative effort direct from the field to the office in almost real-time.

The Result

The client was pleased with the outcome of the scan and core drilling performed. Site Project Managers really liked the data that they could share with Engineers and other trades.

It is for sure that Bedrock will be called back to PDX for their specialized services not only by Harder Mechanical but the other contractors as well. Thank you to Bedrock Concrete Cutting for sharing this great site story utilizing some of the latest technology to overcome site problems and ensure the highest level of safety and quality on the jobsites of today.

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