It’s never been easier than it is right now to find out what is buried underground on your property. You don’t even have to disturb the ground at all! Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a technology that, in recent decades, has become widely available to the public and is currently the best technology out there for finding subsurface items. There are companies providing GPR scanning services in just about every area of the country, and in San Diego, there are multiple companies that provide this service.
Unlike a metal detector, GPR equipment can locate both metallic and non-metallic items that are below the ground’s surface. GPR can tell you how deeply an object is buried and its approximate size. With the right equipment and in ideal conditions, GPR can locate items up to 100 feet below the surface of the ground!
The only downside of GPR scanning is that you can’t just go out and rent GPR equipment yourself and expect to be able to find what you’re looking for. A good amount of training and field experience is needed to be able to accurately interpret the data that GPR equipment produces. This is because the output from GPR equipment doesn’t look like X-ray film, for example, where even an untrained eye can identify what is beneath the surface. Instead, the data from a GPR scan shows up in the form of waves in various sizes. Interpreting what these waves mean is a skill that is specific to trained GPR technicians.
Fortunately, hiring a private company for GPR scanning services in San Diego is not usually that expensive—especially for small, straightforward projects like scanning a portion of your property prior to excavation. In a matter of hours, a GPR technician can tell you where items are buried and even give you a good idea of what those items are (sewer lines, electrical lines, etc.). Armed with this knowledge, you can safely move forward with the excavation portion of your project. You can then choose to either avoid these known hazards or do what you need to do to relocate them.
Whether you are the property owner or the general contractor on the project in question, having a GPR scan done is a smart move. The information you get from a GPR scan can help you avoid costly damages or delays on the project, and could even prevent injuries. (Hitting a gas line, for example, could cause an explosion that could seriously injure, or even kill, anyone nearby.)
Be sure to work with a GPR scanning company in San Diego that is known for accuracy—one that prioritizes technician training and having the best equipment available, such as Enhanced Scanning.
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