Ground Penetrating Radar Survey (GPR Survey)

It is not only wise for you to find any buried or hidden utilities before commencing any project on your site; in many cases, it is also a legal requirement. This being so, you need to complete the safe and detailed locating of these services underground on the site you wish to develop.

As you plan construction and/or demolition activities, you are required to detect, trace and identify underground utilities. At times, the utility surveys that may have been done in the past may not give a clear picture of what is underground, whether due to inferior equipment used at the time or new utilities being added in recent years. Radiodetection techniques can fail to detect nonmetallic utilities such as plastic water and gas pipes, fibre optics and drainage pipes whose presence cannot be identified using sound.

At times like these, you need a GPR Survey; you need specialists with the right resources and skills to offer comprehensive ground-penetrating radar services. Indigo Surveys Ltd. has highly qualified surveyors with a wealth of experience in the field.

We have an office in Chester, from where we administer many services. Our professional surveyors are operational from Chester, Birmingham and London, leaving us ideally positioned to provide reliable services around the UK, quickly and efficiently.

Get in contact with us today via the “Start Quote” button to begin!

What is a Ground Penetrating Radar Survey?

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) utilises radio waves as a method to map what’s beneath the earth’s subsurface. Due to the use of electromagnetic energy, this is considered to be a non-intrusive method using non-destructive technology and a rapid means of detailing what is beneath the earth.

This survey is classed as a geophysical locating technique, which essentially means a method of mapping the geological features beneath the earth’s subsurface without having to physically dig anything up.

This technique looks for subsurface structures, which count for features such as natural materials, such as oil, layer thickness, groundwater tables and rock formations. Other geological features include buried structures that are manmade, such as underground pipelines or even buried objects, such as an old wheelbarrow.

What equipment is used in a GPR Survey?

You might think that GPR equipment would require a lorry to transport and unload, but really, it’s not quite unlike a metal detector in function – just far more complicated.

A GPR investigation is conducted with a unit called the GPR Transmitter. This transmitter sends out high-frequency radar signals into the ground, hence the name “Ground penetrating radar survey”, and what is found is presented as images on the display.

The radar pulses operate in different frequencies. Higher frequencies mean the radio waves pulse and vibrate quicker than in lower frequencies, ensuring a higher resolution picture is painted of what’s beneath the earth’s subsurface. This method uses more electrical conductivity and reduces the effective depth range.

This does not mean lower frequencies are not used in a GPR survey, as how deep you need to go is determined entirely by your project. That being said, the penetration depth of standard GPR systems is around 2 to 3 metres.

At times, ground penetrating radar (GRP) and GPR systems might seem a little complex. We understand this at Indigo Surveys, so as our specialists visit your site and conduct the survey, we make sure that we keep you informed in clear and helpful terms.

Once you enlist us, you can trust us to provide a proper survey and rest assured that we will provide you with a report covering all of the underground utilities on your site. By innovatively combining electromagnetic and Ground Penetrating Radar systems, our Indigo surveyors can greatly increase the accuracy level, as well as the volume of underground utilities that can be detected.

We can scan up to 3.5m of depth using our GPR machine. You will get a 3D plotting on either .dwg or .pdf formats. Remember the ground-penetrating radar services we offer detect both metallic and non-metallic utilities. You will even be able to get the location and depth of buried services.

What is the cost of ground-penetrating radar services?

It is helpful to have an idea of your exact ground-penetrating radar cost. With information about the cost of a GPR, you can plan overall budgets more clearly. In terms of the exact cost for your site, we will need to factor in the size of the site and the various elements you need to include in any survey, so it is best to contact us or fill out the form on our site, for a free cost quotation.

What we can say is that Indigo Surveys have some of the most competitive charges in the UK, despite having among the best services in the country. Over the years, we have worked with many professionals and property owners, giving us experience in accommodating many varying budgets. You can contact us for the cost of a GPR for your specific site.

Are Indigo Surveys the Right Specialists to Offer GPR Surveys?

Indigo Surveys utilises the latest equipment and innovative technologies to guarantee the delivery of high-quality and accurate reports of GPRS. This not only gets you tangible and workable results, but also saves you time. Our speed and efficiency will keep your projects moving without delay.

Since we have worked with many professionals and individuals interested in properties, we have become adaptive to each and every different project we engage in. Our reports are accurate every time and reveal a clear picture of what services are lying underground at a site. All these measures taken by our specialists can save you expenses in the long run. We are a specialist team that you can rely on for the provision of a reliable ground-penetrating survey.

We have, on top of our high-quality equipment, a team who are highly qualified, well versed and very committed to providing quality, fast and efficient GPR services. Our team are all licensed and insured to provide these complex services. Every practice we engage in is done in compliance with all required policies and regulations.

We use our extensive knowledge of GPR surveys, as well as our experience, to provide tailored services to meet each clients’ needs. Our team of surveyors will help you proceed with your project without the worry of risking damage to utilities.

Should you wish to learn more about our ground-penetrating radar survey, please contact us today for a detailed discussion. We have a team of knowledgeable and friendly specialists who can help you understand what you actually need to detect, trace and identify underground utilities.

Call us on 0333 123 7080 or email us at info@indigosurveys.co.uk to make enquiries or request a quote. Indigo Surveys’ specialists are committed to offering assistance and providing high-quality ground-penetrating radar services.

Ground Penetrating Radar Surveys – FAQs

What is Electromagnetic energy?

Electromagnetic energy is a powerful tool, though what it does depends on the device. An electromagnetic pulse in a unit that does not control the electromagnetic pulses essentially creates a wave that interferes with electrical devices, often damaging them.

However, in a GPR survey, the use of electromagnetic waves is a lot more controlled. It doesn’t have the capacity to damage electrical equipment. Each of the unit’s electromagnetic pulses serves only to paint a picture of the sub-surface to capture images of everything beneath, including non-electric and non-metallic objects.

The electrical waves bounce off everything beneath ground level, painting a picture with the reflected signals that reach the receiving antenna, making the GPR survey device more like a graphic recorder than any tool that can cause damage.