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

Concrete Scanning Shrivenham

GPR concrete scanning, ultrasonic testing and compressive strength assessment across Shrivenham, Oxfordshire 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
Oxford terraced housing from the air, Oxfordshire

Overview

For concrete scanning in Shrivenham, NDTScan offers something most scanning contractors do not: a named specialist who does the site work and the interpretation. Neil Smuts leads every Oxfordshire survey from NDTScan's Oxford base, and the report you receive is his reading of the data, not a set of marks left on a slab.

In Shrivenham the local context is clear enough: the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. Wherever the work sits in the Vale of White Horse, the question NDTScan is answering is what the concrete actually contains, and how much of it can be trusted.

The on-site capture is only the first step. NDTScan's value is in the post-processing: analysing reflections, cross-checking traces against each other, resolving ambiguous returns and producing a fully interpreted result. In Shrivenham, as everywhere else, the data is worked up in the office before a single conclusion is drawn, and the report says plainly what was found, what was not found and how confident the reading is.

NDTScan will always say this to a Shrivenham client considering repairs: scan first. A repair specified without a proper survey and an expert interpretation is a repair to a guess. The survey establishes what is really there, so the engineer can design for the structure that exists rather than the one on the drawings.

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

Services Available in Shrivenham

  • 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 Shrivenham 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 Shrivenham structures.

Typical Shrivenham Projects

Around Shrivenham the instructions NDTScan receives are shaped by education buildings, including RAAC identification and pre-drill scans in occupied blocks. 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 Faringdon, Swindon and Watchfield and the rest of the Vale of White Horse. 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. Shrivenham 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.

Shrivenham NDT Services

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

Our Services

Sectors We Support

Equipment & Technologies

Why Choose NDTScan

Shrivenham Concrete Scanning FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions.

The questions Shrivenham clients ask most often about concrete scanning, RAAC identification and structural investigation, answered by the specialist who does the work.

Is Shrivenham within NDTScan's normal working area?

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

Which problems does concrete scanning in Shrivenham solve?

Three above all. What a Shrivenham 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 Shrivenham 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 Oxfordshire schools, halls, housing and healthcare stock, and Shrivenham is no exception.

Is a scan really necessary before concrete repairs in Shrivenham?

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 Shrivenham 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 Shrivenham 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 Shrivenham 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