Conduit Location

Discovering the Conduit Location with GPR

Conduit location is very important in the fields of engineering, mining, archaeology, and utility mapping and detection. Transportation and structural engineers must know what is going on beneath the surface of the earth when they are either building new structures, highways, or bridges, or if existing such structures need repair. It is not feasible or realistic to think that these professionals could just start digging in a targeted area without knowing what subsurface utilities might be lurking beneath the ground.

For instance, if a construction worker just started drilling a hole into the ground without knowing what was underneath, he or she could hit electrical wiring, rebar, or cables carrying electricity, which could in turn cause an electrocution or a fire. This could be catastrophic, especially if it were to happen in a populated area, such as a hospital or a parking garage. That is why many people in the fields of engineering and construction employ the use Ground Penetrating Radar Systems, as they provide safety and reliability, in addition to money savings.

What Is Conduit?

Conduit is defined in the dictionary as "a channel or pipe conveying liquids" or "a tube protecting electric wires". Just by viewing the definition you can see how important it would be for workers to know where the conduit location is when a targeted area is under construction. If workers know where the conduit is located, they can accurately and safely drill, cut, and core the surface and the subsurface without worrying about hitting utilities.

Ground Penetrating Radar is a great alternative to the traditional use of X-rays. X-ray images often have to be taken of many different sections of a given area to get the most accurate pictures and location of utilities. This is certainly not the most cost effective route to go, and it is not always the most accurate either.