ATEC offers affordable ground penetrating radar rental rates for products from leading manufacturers such as Sensors & Software, GSSI, and MALA. ATEC has the a comprehensive inventory of ground penetrating radar rental equipment, with systems ideal for utility locating, concrete inspection, and a broad range of geophysical surveys.
What is GPR?
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) rental equipment scans surfaces for structural anomalies, providing visualizations of rebar, voids, conduits, post-tension cables, underground utilities, and similar objects along with their precise depth, position, and thickness. This equipment is commonly portable and wheel-operated; users run the unit over the surface under test and a built-in antenna detects objects by sending out pulses of radar energy. Ground penetrating radar systems are ideal for a wide array of geophysical survey applications, especially concrete scanning, locating graves, geologic profiling, archaeology, ice thickness measurements, and for use as underground pipe locators.
GPR Rental Guide: Products for Common Applications
Choosing the right GPR system can be a tricky process. Consider whether you need a handheld GPR or a lawnmower-style surveying system, what antenna frequency you're looking for, and most importantly: the max depth you need to scan. To answer these questions, we’ve created a guide that will point you to the best system for three of the most common ground penetrating radar applications: locating utilities, inspecting concrete, and ground surveying.
Utility Location
Test personnel often need to quickly cover broad areas in their search for pipes and power lines, so for locating utilities, choose a mobile GPR with a “lawnmower-style” build. Handheld scanners should be left on the shelf for this application. Features like GPS, 3D imaging, and utility mapping are desirable, as creating an accurate map of the utility systems being inspected is key to making sure pipes aren’t struck or damaged during construction.
- Frequency Range
- A lower frequency radar, generally from 100 – 250 MHz, is advantageous for finding utilities, giving the user less accurate but deeper and broader data.
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Concrete Inspection
Concrete inspection applications call for ground penetrating radar equipment designed to locate rebar, voids, and structural anomalies. The GPR should also be able to discover active conduits that could endanger demolition and construction crews. Look for products with built-in software that records your grid location. Consider 3D GPRs as well, systems that can recreate what they find beneath the earth with a dynamic auto-stacking.
- Frequency Range
- Having a higher frequency range radar, somewhere from 1000 – 3000 MHz, is needed to inspect concrete with precision.
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Geophysical Surveys
Geophysical surveys are performed in a broad range of applications from archaeology to forensics and geologic mapping. A geophysical survey can span miles and capture radar snapshots in soil, structures, or even fresh water along the way, meaning versatility is key. GPRs like the Sensors & Software Noggin are modular both in mobility and frequency range. Designed to streamline geophysical surveys, users can easily switch between a handheld scanner, a mobile cart, and several different frequency options with the Noggin.
- Frequency Range
- A geophysical or geological survey can generally be accomplished with radar at frequencies ranging from 100 – 1000 MHz.
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