Berkshire's specialist NDT team. On site at short notice.

Concrete Scanning Berkshire

GPR concrete scanning, ultrasonic testing and compressive strength assessment across Berkshire, Berkshire and the surrounding counties. short-notice attendance, usually within one to two working days and same day where the diary allows, from our Oxford base.

Book a Scan01865 704407
  • Level 4 UKCSS Operator
  • Interpreted and reported for engineers
  • Oxford based, UK and Europe
Windsor Castle and the Thames, Berkshire

Overview

NDTScan provides concrete scanning in Berkshire as part of its core Berkshire coverage. The company is based in Oxford and led by Neil Smuts, who carries out and interprets the surveys himself rather than passing the data to a back office. For Berkshire clients that means one accountable specialist from the first call to the final report.

Berkshire lies in Berkshire, and what NDTScan is asked to look at here reflects Berkshire as a whole: Thames Valley commercial estates, dense Victorian and interwar housing and the heavy concrete of the 1960s and 1970s office and hospital building boom. That mix of ages and construction types is why Berkshire work has to start with a survey that is planned for the element in question, not a generic pass with one antenna.

Most scanning companies stop at marks on the surface. NDTScan does not. Every Berkshire survey goes through careful office post-processing, where reflections are analysed, ambiguities resolved and the interpretation checked against the drawings and the element's history. The result is a record the client can design from, defend in a dispute and hand to an auditor.

Where Berkshire clients are heading towards concrete repair, NDTScan's position is firm: the element must be scanned and the data interpreted by a reputable specialist before any repair is designed. Anything else risks treating the symptom and leaving the cause in place. The findings feed straight into the repair specification.

Scan before you repair. That is the standing advice for every Berkshire client, and the reason NDTScan reports what the concrete contains before anyone specifies what to do about it.

Services Available in Berkshire

  • 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 Berkshire 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 Berkshire 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 Berkshire structures.

Towns and villages NDTScan covers in Berkshire

Berkshire is one of the three counties NDTScan covers from its Oxford base, alongside Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. The wider picture is on the locations page, and the methods are set out on the concrete scanning and GPR concrete scanning service pages.

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. Berkshire and the whole of Berkshire 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.

Berkshire NDT Services

  • GPR Pre-Drill Scanning Pre-drill and pre-coring surveys, PT slab mapping, rebar location and void detection across Berkshire housing, commercial and public buildings.
  • Post-Tensioned Slab Investigation Tendon detection and full slab documentation for Berkshire 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 Berkshire, 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 Berkshire structures.
  • Compressive Strength Assessment Rebound hammer, SONREB and managed core extraction to BS EN 13791, reported for engineering acceptance and building control in Berkshire.
  • Short-Notice Berkshire Coverage Oxford-based team covering Berkshire and the rest of Berkshire. Immediate mobilisation available, with every survey interpreted and reported in full.

Our Services

Sectors We Support

Equipment & Technologies

Why Choose NDTScan

Berkshire Concrete Scanning FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions.

Common questions about GPR concrete scanning, ultrasonic testing and compressive strength assessment in Berkshire and across Berkshire. NDTScan works from its Oxford base with fully interpreted reporting.

Is Berkshire within NDTScan's normal working area?

It is. NDTScan works from Oxford across Berkshire and the two neighbouring counties, and Berkshire sits comfortably inside that patch. Every survey is carried out and interpreted by Neil Smuts, so the specialist on site in Berkshire is the one who writes the report.

Which problems does concrete scanning in Berkshire solve?

Three above all. What a Berkshire slab or wall contains before it is drilled, cored or cut. Where the data indicates the reinforcement and any post-tensioning sit before a structural alteration. And what an existing structure contains before anyone specifies a repair. GPR answers most of these; Ferroscan and ultrasonic methods are added where the element demands them.

Can you identify RAAC in Berkshire buildings?

Yes. NDTScan uses GPR to distinguish reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete planks from conventional reinforced concrete, and reports the findings in a form that supports the building owner's duties under IStructE guidance. RAAC identification is a regular instruction across Berkshire schools, halls, housing and healthcare stock, and Berkshire is no exception.

Is a scan really necessary before concrete repairs in Berkshire?

Yes. A repair specified without a proper scan and an expert interpretation is a repair to a guess, and it risks repeating the fault that caused the damage. The survey establishes what the Berkshire element actually contains and how it is behaving, so the engineer designs for the structure that exists. The scan is the cheapest part of getting the repair right.

What equipment does NDTScan use on Berkshire concrete scanning projects?

GSSI SIR 4000 and Mala ground penetrating radar systems for the scanning itself, the Hilti PS Ferroscan for high resolution rebar mapping in tight spaces, and the Proceq Pundit PL-200 for ultrasonic pulse velocity and pulse echo work. The choice for a Berkshire element is made by the method the element needs, and the interpretation of the data matters more than any single instrument.

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 guide

Scanning before drilling or coring

What happens on the day, what the marks mean, and what the contractor receives.

Read the guide

Post-tension detection

How tendons are investigated in a post-tensioned slab, and when the engineer decides.

Read the guide

Rebar scanning

Bar position, spacing and estimated cover, and what a scan cannot tell you.

Read the guide

Ferroscan surveys

What the Hilti system does well, and where radar takes over.

Read the guide

Concrete x-ray

Why radiography is rarely practical on site, and what replaces it.

Read the guide

What 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.

Andy HEngineering Project Manager, client. Recommendation on LinkedIn

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.

Steven CSenior Construction Consultant, client side. Recommendation on LinkedIn

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.

Tell us about the structure.

A postcode, the element in question and what you need to do to it is enough to start. Every survey is quoted on the structure, the access and the reporting required.

Book a survey01865 704407