Precast Wall Scanning
Houston, TX (Medical Center)
Project Overview
OmniVueNDT conducted a subsurface assessment on the 13th floor of the tallest parking garage in Houston’s Medical Center. The objective was to generate an accurate rebar layout within the precast concrete walls to facilitate safe and precise coring operations.
To achieve this, a high-frequency Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system was utilized (See Picture 1), ensuring detailed detection of embedded reinforcement before any modifications were made.
Picture 1
Scanning Methodology
A scissor lift, provided by the client, served as a secure platform for the scanning process. The real-time GPR scanning procedure allowed for accurate identification of reinforcing steel within the precast wall panels.
Two primary scan orientations were performed to map the reinforcement:
Horizontal Scan: Captured vertical rebar locations and spacing (See Picture 2).
Vertical Scan: Mapped horizontal rebar positions from the bottom edge of the wall upward (See Picture 3).
Picture 2 - Radar cross section image showing vertical rebars and spacing information, scanned horizontally.
Picture 3 - Radar cross section image showing horizontal rebars and spacing information, scanned vertically from the bottom of the wall up.
Picture 4
Picture 5
Project Results & Engineering Benefits
The GPR scans produced a precise rebar layout, ensuring:
Safe and efficient coring by avoiding reinforcement conflicts.
Accurate reinforcement mapping to aid structural assessments.
Optimized construction workflow, reducing potential delays and material waste.
By incorporating non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques, OmniVueNDT provided critical structural data, ensuring safety, efficency and accuracy in the modification of precast concrete walls.
