GPR, ultrasonic and RAAC surveys that find the reinforcement, tendons, voids and services before you drill, core, cut or repair. Level 4 UKCSS Operator, the first in the UK, with every survey interpreted and reported for engineering acceptance.
Post-tensioned tendons, live services and undocumented reinforcement turn up where nobody expected them, and striking one turns a fixing into a structural incident. A survey before the work starts shows what the data indicates is there, at what estimated depth, and how confident the reading is, so the decision about where to drill is made with evidence rather than hope.
The same specialists, the same standard of interpretation, whether the element is a basement slab in Westminster, a jetty soffit in Southampton or a school roof on the RAAC list.
01Pre-drill and pre-coring surveys, reinforcement and mesh location, post-tension and void detection, slab thickness and cover estimation. GSSI, Proceq, Mala and Hilti systems, antenna chosen for the element in question.
Concrete scanning
02Identification, condition assessment and reporting to IStructE guidance for schools, hospitals, council and housing stock. Nationwide, from the UK's specialist in RAAC identification and analysis.
RAAC surveys
03Pulse velocity, rebound hammer and combined methods to BS EN 12504 and BS EN 13791. Compressive strength and condition, reported for change of use, structural assessment and repair design.
Ultrasonic testing
04Ultrasonic thickness and corrosion mapping on jetties, piers, sheet piles, hulls, tanks and gantries. By boat or from land, tidal windows planned, reported for port engineers and insurers.
Marine surveys
05Roofs without scaffold, facades, high level steel and the inside of tanks and voids. DJI Matrice 400 with thermal and LiDAR, Flyability Elios 3 for the spaces nobody should enter, CAA GVC pilots.
Drone inspection
06Submerged piles, quay walls, culverts, reservoirs and pipelines by inspection-class ROV, with the above-water structure covered in the same visit and one report for the whole asset.
Underwater inspectionThe capture on site is the cheap part. The value is in what happens afterwards: reflections analysed, traces cross-checked, ambiguous returns resolved, and a report that says plainly what was found, what was not, and how confident the reading is.
The equipment on the van
GSSI SIR 4000, StructureScan and FlexNX with the NXT antenna range. Proceq GP8800 and GP8100. Mala GPR. Hilti PS Ferroscan. Proceq Pundit 8050 and PL-200. Olympus 38DL Plus. DJI Matrice 400 with Zenmuse P2, T2 and LiDAR. Flyability Elios 3. Faro Orbis with SLAM. Inspection-class ROVs.
The data is worked up in the office before a single conclusion is drawn. Findings presented with the confidence of each reading and the limits of the method stated, written for the engineer or contractor who has to act on it.
The specialist who scans the structure is the one who writes the report. No anonymous operative, no report assembled by someone who never saw the site.
NDTScan is a Level 4 UKCSS Operator under the UK Concrete Scanning Standard, the first company in the UK to reach that level. Our lead specialists are MCIOB, MInstNDT and Fellows of the Register of Concrete Scanning Professionals.
No structural repair should be specified until the element has been scanned and the data properly interpreted. A repair designed to a guess treats the symptom and leaves the cause in place. Our findings feed straight into the repair specification.
GPR, ultrasonics, Ferroscan, rebound hammer, thermal, LiDAR, drone or ROV, and often two of them together, because a single method rarely answers a structural question on its own.
Short-notice attendance across the Thames Valley from our Oxford base, usually within one to two working days and same day where the diary allows, nationwide and European mobilisation when the work demands it, and emergency response outside office hours for fire damage, impact and sudden structural concern.
GPR survey of the ground floor slabs at a residential property ahead of a basement lowering programme: tendon positions and service penetrations mapped to inform the demolition sequence.
The interpreted report followed within an agreed number of working daysReinforced concrete jetty soffits at a commercial berth surveyed from a boat-mounted platform at low water with the Olympus 38DL Plus.
Localised thinning found, repairs prioritised by the ownerCombined rebound hammer and pulse velocity assessment of ground floor columns and first floor flat slab at a managed commercial property, reported to BS EN 13791.
Reported within an agreed number of working daysGPR used to distinguish RAAC planks from conventional reinforced concrete at a number of sites, reported with photographic evidence and annotated scan data for the estate team.
Reported with photographic evidence and annotated scan dataSurveys at business parks in Slough, Langley and Cippenham with GSSI SIR 4000 and Mala systems, producing AutoCAD-compatible rebar maps for structural engineers and fit-out contractors.
Rebar maps supplied for the fit-out drawingsProceq Pundit PL-200 ultrasonic pulse velocity testing on a reinforced concrete water tower in Princes Risborough and a 1960s school building in Milton Keynes as part of structural condition surveys.
Strength estimated for the engineer's assessmentI have worked with Neil on a number of projects and have found him to be extremely knowledgeable in the fields of concrete scanning and structural repair. His approach to the task is very structured and professional, and communication throughout the project is always open and honest. I will be working with Neil again in the future, and I would happily recommend him.
I had the pleasure of working with Neil on a complex project involving structural remediation, where his expertise was key to our success. Neil was professional, knowledgeable, and solution-focused throughout. He worked seamlessly with the client team and brought the right attitude to every challenge.
Neil is an expert in his field, with a high level understanding of concrete scanning techniques, concrete repairs, and the technology that suits. He shows a keen interest in innovation and is open to learning new methodologies. I would highly recommend Neil to those seeking his services.
Neil has a very approachable, collaborative person with a can do attitude and a great depth of knowledge in his field. Great to work with.
Neil is one of the very rare breed who is able to give an effective briefing on exactly what he is looking for and takes the time to understand what his colleagues need to deliver his projects on time and on budget.
I found Neil to be extremely knowledgeable in his field and very eager to share this knowledge. I found Neil to be honest and open with feedback. I recommend Neil for his professionalism, industry knowledge, leadership and authenticity.
Concrete scanning is often treated as a product. In reality it is mostly an interpretation activity with defined technical limits. Limits that are not declared are limits that get ignored.
If a concrete scan report does not clearly state what it must not be relied upon for, that is not reassurance. That is risk being passed downstream.
Engineers should not have to guess the competence level behind a concrete scan report.
Being able to work an iPad is no substitute for experience on the job. Interpretation is everything.
Neil Smuts MCIOB MInstNDT FRCSP, who leads NDTScan, writing on LinkedIn.
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is in far more roofs and floors than the published lists suggest. NDTScan identifies it, assesses its condition to IStructE guidance and reports it for the estate team, the engineer and the insurer, from a single classroom to a whole authority's stock.
RAAC: A Comprehensive AnalysisAssessing the past, present and future of a controversial construction material. 268 pages, written by NDTScan's Neil Smuts and published on Amazon.
Reinforcement, tendon and strength data for assessments, openings and repair design.
Pre-drill, pre-coring and pre-anchor surveys, reported before the first hole is made.
RAAC identification and condition surveys across schools, housing and civic stock.
Campus-wide surveys planned around occupied buildings and clinical operations.
Steel thickness and concrete condition on jetties, piers, sheet piles and lock gates.
Evidence after fire, impact or flood, reported for the claim and the engineer.
Non-invasive investigation where nothing can be opened up, including Grade II stock.
Certified specialists on secure and high-risk sites across the UK and Europe.
Accreditations and memberships
The Thames Valley, Home Counties and London are covered at short notice, usually within one to two working days and same day where the diary allows. RAAC and marine surveys run nationwide. Governments and asset owners across Europe instruct us where a named specialist is required.
A postcode, the element in question and what you need to do to it is enough to start. Surveys are quoted on the structure, the access and the reporting required. Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00, with emergency response outside those hours.
