What to Do Before Drilling in Concrete

When planning to drill or cut into concrete, the preparation period is crucial and should always begin by utilizing a ground penetrating radar (GPR).

A GPR survey can accurately gather and record data in a safe, non-invasive way, which the GPR technician can then use to layout the mechanical and structural components of the slab. How does the GPR work? Why is it so crucial? Before drilling in concrete, make sure you review this simple explanation of the history of pre-drilling techniques, what a GPR is, why utilizing GPR services is crucial (and the adverse effects of not using it), and how an excellent scanning job should be performed at a new jobsite.

Before the early 19 ^th century, most concrete workers didn’t have any comprehensive pre-drilling or sawing practices, and they wouldn’t have known the necessary precautions to take before making penetrations into concrete.  GPR is an incredible geophysical technology, is a relatively recent creation that has grown in maturity over the past couple of decades. When Christian Hülsmeyer received the very first patent in radar technology in 1904, he probably never imagined what it would become. Initially, his system was used by others to find buried objects, the perfect tool to bring to a treasure hunt.

In 1929, the radar technology was implemented in scientific research, such as measuring the depth of glaciers. After WWII, it was drafted for military use. Using subsurface technology, scientific groups would intensely study the ground for tunnels. Finally, industrial services adopted the technology as well. At last, a comprehensive pre-drilling practice could be implemented.

Since 1970, GPR technology has been further used for archaeology, military purposes, and—of course—industrial scanning.

GSSI , a high-quality GPR equipment provider, explains in detail how a ground penetrating radar system records signals: “The strength, or amplitude, of the reflection is determined by the contrast in the dielectric constants and conductivities of the two materials. This means that a pulse which moves from dry sand (dielectric of 5) to wet sand (dielectric of 30) will produce a very strong reflection, while moving from dry sand (5) to limestone (7) will produce a relatively weak reflection.”

With proper interpretation, these recorded signals show scanning technicians the location and depth of targets within the concrete.  Subsequently, various GPR equipment is utilized, depending on the depth of the structure being surveyed.  Scanning technicians can identify various potential conflicts, including post tension cables, conduit, rebar, beams and radiant heat lines.

Concrete core drilling is a specialized service offered by companies that know their way around cutting concrete. They use a concrete drill to pull out a chunk of concrete, also known as a core.

For concrete core drilling, the go-to tool is the diamond core drill. This tool comes in handy when you need to:

• Install recessed lights and fixtures
• Cut through walls, floors, and ceilings for plumbing, HVAC, cables, electricity, and communication services
• Examine bits of concrete
• Dig holes in roadways for doweling, drainage, or tying in some rebar
• To make sure things are spot-on, the concrete cutting technician uses a small threaded anchor to secure the drill post to the wall or concrete slab. Then, they bolt the drill post to guide the core drilling.

This setup ensures the drill hits the target dead-on, giving you a smooth core. Once the drill post is secure, the technician attaches the right drill bit based on what the client needs. With the bit in place, they fire up the drill. Water keeps things cool during drilling, and pressure on the crank gets the job done.

The core drill has a hand crank that moves the drill to the surface, cutting through the concrete. Once the surface is pierced, out comes the core with the bit.