Ground penetrating radar
Non-invasive radar sweeps that find plastic, concrete, clay and fibre services a CAT and genny simply cannot see, at depths down to four metres.
- Method
- Ground penetrating radar
- Finds
- Plastic, concrete, clay, fibre
- Depth
- Down to 4 m, ground permitting
- Impact
- Non-destructive
- Positioning
- Survey-grade GNSS
- Output
- Depth estimates + CAD
- PAS 128 compliant
- £10m public liability
- CHAS accredited
- Survey-grade GNSS
- UK-wide crews
- 48-hour reports
What radar adds.
Non-invasive radar sweeps that find plastic, concrete, clay and fibre services a CAT and genny simply cannot see, at depths down to four metres.
Plastic & fibre
Non-metallic services give no signal to a CAT and genny. Radar picks up the change between the pipe or duct and the ground around it, so they can still be found.
Concrete & clay
Clay pipes, concrete structures, slabs and buried obstructions show up in radar data alongside the live services.
Position & depth
Each reflection gives a position along the line and an estimate of depth, down to four metres where the ground allows.
How the survey runs.
A named surveyor, a programme before mobilisation, and a report that says plainly what was found and how sure we are.
- 01Surface
Set out the grid
The survey area is marked out on a controlled grid and tied to survey-grade GNSS or total station.
- 020 – 4 m
Radar sweeps
GPR is run across the grid alongside EML tracing, with findings marked out on site as they are confirmed.
- 03Processing
Interpretation & QA
A surveyor interprets the data and cross-checks it between methods before anything is drawn.
Watch radar find what is below.
A GPR cart sends short radar pulses into the ground. Each time a pulse meets something different, such as a pipe, duct or slab, part of the signal bounces back. As the cart moves, those reflections build into curved shapes on the radargram, and a surveyor reads their position and depth.
Where radar works best, and where it struggles.
Radar is powerful, but the ground decides how deep it can see. We tell you plainly what to expect before the survey and what we could and could not see afterwards.
Works best in
- Dry, sandy or gravelly ground
- Tarmac and concrete surfaces
- Open, level and accessible areas
- Targets at shallow to medium depth
Can be limited by
- Wet clay and saturated ground
- Salt-affected or highly conductive soils
- Dense reinforcement or steel mesh
- Rough, obstructed or overgrown surfaces
What you receive
- Findings marked out on site
- Depth estimates
- Layered CAD (.dwg / .dxf)
- Survey report
- Confidence level per service
Often used for
- Groundworks & civil engineering
- Before piling and foundations
- Highways & transport
- Telecoms & fibre
- Locating unknown or abandoned services
- Pre-excavation checks
Before you book.
If your question is not here, call and speak to a surveyor — not a call handler.
01What can radar find that a CAT and genny cannot?
Plastic, concrete, clay and fibre services, because these carry no signal for a CAT and genny to pick up.
02Are there ground conditions that limit radar?
Yes. Some ground, such as wet clay, absorbs the signal and reduces the depth we can see. That is why we use radar together with records and tracing, and say so in the report.
03Is radar safe and non-destructive?
Yes. It is non-invasive, so nothing is dug up, broken out or disturbed during the survey.
04Can radar tell me what a service is?
Radar shows that something is there, and roughly where and how deep. It does not say what it is on its own, so we combine it with records and tracing and give every service a confidence level.