Subsurface Imaging (GPR)
Locating below-the surface items before digging or demolishing is imperative for the surveying, construction, landscaping, golfing, environmental, development, utilities and many other industries. Diamond Ground Penetrating Radar — GPR safely and accurately, finds and clearly plots targets in their exact location below the surface in concrete or soils. Both metallic and non-metallic objects are detected and mapped. GPR works by sending a pulse of energy at a below-surface target and recording the strength and the time required for the return of the signal. A series of sent and returned signals, over a specific area, will provide a digital window to view below the surface items.
Subsurface Imaging (GPR), Electric Conduit Location
Client:
Joe Louis Arena People Mover—City of Detroit
Project
While conducting structural integrity testing on the parking ramp deck near the People Mover station at Joe Louis Arena, the home of the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings, an electrical conduit was slightly damaged. The specific damaged conduit needed to be shut down so repairs could take place and many nearby conduits needed to keep functioning in order to keep the People Mover in operation. The challenge was to determine with pinpoint accuracy which conduit was the damaged one so it could be isolated and repaired without impacting the operation of Detroit’s People Mover.
Process
Diamond was asked to survey the area in order to determine which of the conduits was damaged. Using GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) with 3D capability and Radan software technology, a Diamond engineer scanned the parking ramp area. The next day, Diamond provided a mapped scan identifying the damaged conduit, showing its exact location and the control box it serviced.
Outcomes
According to Jason Duda, General Foreman of Detroit Electrical Services, LLC (DES), the project’s General Contractor, Diamond did a great job. “We completed the repairs and all went well at the Joe Louis Arena,” he said. “The GPR device Diamond used found the conduit under the concrete. This discovery saved the company a lot of time and money. Their prompt and professional service was highly appreciated. In the future we will highly recommend Diamond to our clients.”