Overview
Arncott is inside NDTScan's home territory. Working from Oxford, Neil Smuts covers Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire as a single patch, and Arncott projects are scanned and interpreted by the same named specialist. There is no subcontracted operator and no anonymous report.
Arncott has its own character for this work: the MOD Bicester Garrison depot. Across Cherwell the recurring need is the same: to know exactly what is inside a concrete element before anyone drills, cores, cuts or specifies a repair.
What separates a dependable concrete scan from a superficial one is the interpretation. NDTScan concentrates most of its effort after the site visit: reviewing every radargram, correlating GPR with Ferroscan and ultrasonic data where the element demands it, and writing a report that an engineer can act on. Arncott clients receive that standard of work as a matter of course.
One caveat applies to every Arncott project. No structural repair to a concrete element should be specified or carried out until the structure has been properly scanned and the data expertly interpreted. Repairing what has not been correctly understood risks repeating the fault, and the scan is the cheapest part of getting it right.
Scan before you repair. That is the standing advice for every Arncott client, and the reason NDTScan reports what the concrete contains before anyone specifies what to do about it.
Services Available in Arncott
- GPR Concrete Scanning Pre-drill and pre-coring surveys, rebar and mesh mapping, post-tensioned tendon detection, void and honeycombing detection, slab thickness and cover estimation and RAAC identification. Method and antenna selected for the Arncott element in question, with the full interpreted record supplied.
- Ultrasonic Testing of Concrete Ultrasonic pulse velocity testing for uniformity and quality assessment, pulse echo for thickness and delamination where only one face is accessible, and the combined SONREB method for compressive strength estimation. Used across Oxfordshire where GPR alone cannot answer the question.
- Concrete Compressive Strength Assessment Rebound hammer surveys, UPV combined method and managed core extraction with laboratory testing to BS EN 13791. Independent reporting suitable for engineering acceptance, building control and dispute work on Arncott structures.
Typical Arncott Projects
Around Arncott the instructions NDTScan receives are shaped by former industrial and institutional buildings being brought back into use. Alongside those sit the constants of every Oxfordshire town: pre-drill and pre-coring scans on occupied buildings, post-tensioned slab investigation before any fixing or penetration, RAAC identification in schools and public buildings, and structural investigation before repair.
NDTScan also covers Ambrosden, Bicester and Piddington and the rest of Cherwell. Every one of these areas is reached from the Oxford base without a subcontractor in the chain.
About NDTScan
NDTScan is a specialist non-destructive testing company based in Oxford and led by Neil Smuts. Its core disciplines are GPR concrete scanning, ultrasonic testing and in-situ compressive strength assessment, brought together in its concrete scanning and structural condition survey service. NDTScan is a Level 4 UKCSS Operator, the first in the UK to achieve that certification. Arncott and the whole of Oxfordshire are within the company's everyday working area, and all work is reported to a standard suitable for engineering acceptance. RAAC identification is covered on the RAAC surveys page, and steel on the ultrasonic thickness and corrosion mapping page.
Arncott NDT Services
- GPR Pre-Drill Scanning Pre-drill and pre-coring surveys, PT slab mapping, rebar location and void detection across Arncott housing, commercial and public buildings.
- Post-Tensioned Slab Investigation Tendon detection and full slab documentation for Oxfordshire commercial, education and healthcare structures before any fixing, cutting or coring.
- RAAC Identification GPR based RAAC plank identification for schools, halls, housing and public buildings across Cherwell, reported in line with IStructE guidance.
- Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Testing UPV surveys using the Proceq Pundit PL-200 to BS EN 12504. Uniformity, delamination and strength estimation for Arncott structures.
- Compressive Strength Assessment Rebound hammer, SONREB and managed core extraction to BS EN 13791, reported for engineering acceptance and building control in Arncott.
- Short-Notice Arncott Coverage Oxford-based team covering Arncott and the rest of Cherwell. Immediate mobilisation available, with every survey interpreted and reported in full.
Our Services
- Concrete & Structural Integrity
- Drone-Based Aerial Surveying
- Vehicle-Mounted Inspection
- Handheld & Portable Inspection
- Underwater Surveying & Inspection
- Digital Twin & 3D Modelling
- Advanced Data Analytics & Reporting
Sectors We Support
- Aerospace & Aviation
- Education & Public Sector
- Archaeology & Heritage
- Smart Cities & Urban Planning
- Waste & Recycling
- Defence & Security
- Emergency Response
- Construction & Real Estate
- Mining & Minerals
- Agriculture & Environment
- Maritime & Underwater
- Rail & Transportation
- Oil & Gas
- Civil Engineering
- Utilities & Energy
Equipment & Technologies
- IML
- GSSI
- Sylva
- Leica
- Voyis
- Testo
- Hilti
- Cygnus
- Proceq
- MALA GPR
- SlipAlert
- Flyability
- Protimeter
- Matterport
- Saab Seaeye
- Deep Trekker
- IDS GeoRadar
- FLIR Systems
- Sonatest Ltd
- Wagner Meters
- Mistras Group
- Munro Stanley
- Blue Robotics
- DJI Enterprise
- Teledyne Marine
- Quantum Systems
- Argus Electronic
- Fakopp Enterprise
- Eddyfi Technologies
- Olympus Corporation
- FARO
- NavVis
- Trimble
Why Choose NDTScan
Arncott Concrete Scanning FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions.
Common questions about GPR concrete scanning, ultrasonic testing and compressive strength assessment in Arncott and across Oxfordshire. NDTScan works from its Oxford base with fully interpreted reporting.
Can NDTScan carry out a GPR survey in Arncott?
Yes. GPR concrete scanning is NDTScan's core service and Arncott, Oxfordshire is inside its everyday working area. Neil Smuts plans the survey, captures the data on site and interprets it himself, so there is one accountable specialist from instruction to report.
What can a GPR concrete scan in Arncott actually find?
Ground penetrating radar indicates the position and estimated depth of reinforcing bars and mesh, post-tensioned tendons, conduits and services, voids and honeycombing, and estimates slab thickness and cover. In Arncott that most often means establishing what a slab or wall contains before drilling or coring, locating reinforcement before an alteration, or characterising a structure before repair. Where GPR cannot resolve a question, NDTScan adds Ferroscan or ultrasonic methods.
Do you carry out RAAC surveys in Arncott and the rest of Cherwell?
Yes, regularly. RAAC identification surveys are a standing part of NDTScan's Oxfordshire work, in schools, halls, housing and healthcare buildings. GPR is used to separate RAAC planks from conventional reinforced concrete, and the findings are reported in line with IStructE guidance so the building owner can act on them.
What happens if an Arncott contractor drills without scanning?
Usually nothing, until it does. Post-tensioned tendons, live services and undocumented reinforcement are routinely found where nobody expected them, and striking one turns a fixing into a structural incident. A pre-drill scan in Arncott replaces guesswork with evidence, and NDTScan's interpreted report sets out what the data indicates, at what estimated depth, and with what confidence.
What do I receive after a concrete scan in Arncott?
A fully interpreted report, not a photograph of marks on a slab. The data is post-processed in the office, cross-checked and written up with clear statements of what was found, what was not found and the confidence attached to each. It is written for the engineer or contractor who has to act on it in Arncott, and it stands up to design, dispute and audit scrutiny.
Concrete scanning guides
The questions behind most enquiries
How to identify RAAC
What RAAC looks like, where it was used, and what a visual check cannot tell you.
Read the guideScanning before drilling or coring
What happens on the day, what the marks mean, and what the contractor receives.
Read the guidePost-tension detection
How tendons are investigated in a post-tensioned slab, and when the engineer decides.
Read the guideRebar scanning
Bar position, spacing and estimated cover, and what a scan cannot tell you.
Read the guideFerroscan surveys
What the Hilti system does well, and where radar takes over.
Read the guideConcrete x-ray
Why radiography is rarely practical on site, and what replaces it.
Read the guideWhat clients and partners say
In their words
I 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.