Concrete Coring & GPR Scanning:
Risk Reduction for Facility Managers

Facility upgrades often start small — a new drainage route, an added cable tray, an HVAC duct extension — but any time concrete needs to be cut, cored or drilled, the question of what's hidden inside that slab becomes critical. For facility managers overseeing occupied buildings, getting this wrong isn't just expensive, it can be genuinely dangerous.

What Concrete Scanning Reveals

• Reinforcement bar (rebar) layout — position and depth of steel reinforcement that drilling should avoid cutting through structurally
• Post-tension cables — critical to identify before any penetration in PT slab structures
• Embedded conduits — electrical, data and plumbing lines often run within slabs
• Slab thickness & voids — confirming actual slab depth and identifying any unexpected voids

Risk & Cost Strategy for Facility Managers

Building a standard practice of "scan before you core" into facility management procedures protects against several compounding costs: structural repair, building downtime, tenant disruption, and in the worst cases, safety incidents. The scanning cost is almost always negligible compared to these downside risks.

Questions to Ask Before Any Coring Work

1. Has this exact location been scanned, or only a general area nearby?
2. What detection method was used — GPR, electromagnetic, or both?
3. Is there a marked-up plan showing safe zones before cutting begins?
4. What's the protocol if something unexpected is found mid-cutting?

What's Coming for Fortress Surveying

Given the clear overlap with our existing GPR utility mapping expertise, concrete scanning and coring support for facility managers is a natural extension we're actively scoping. If you have an upcoming project requiring this, get in touch and we'll confirm current availability and timeline.