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

Concrete Scanning Sonning

GPR concrete scanning, ultrasonic testing and compressive strength assessment across Sonning, 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
Maidenhead bridge over the Thames, Berkshire

Overview

Sonning is inside NDTScan's home territory. Working from Oxford, Neil Smuts covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire as a single patch, and Sonning projects are scanned and interpreted by the same named specialist. There is no subcontracted operator and no anonymous report.

Sonning sits within Wokingham Borough, and the work here follows the pattern of the wider county: 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 Sonning work has to start with a survey that is planned for the element in question, not a generic pass with one antenna.

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 Sonning, 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.

Where Sonning 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 Sonning client, and the reason NDTScan reports what the concrete contains before anyone specifies what to do about it.

Services Available in Sonning

  • 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 Sonning 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 Sonning structures.

Typical Sonning Projects

Typical Sonning instructions include pre-drill scanning before mechanical and electrical installations, rebar and cover mapping for structural alterations and extensions, RAAC and non-standard construction identification in public and housing stock, slab thickness and void checks on ground floors and hardstandings, and full structural investigation where a repair is being considered.

NDTScan also covers Woodley, Reading and Charvil and the rest of Wokingham Borough. 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. Sonning 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.

Sonning NDT Services

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

Our Services

Sectors We Support

Equipment & Technologies

Why Choose NDTScan

Sonning Concrete Scanning FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions.

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

Do you provide concrete scanning in Sonning?

Yes. Sonning is in Berkshire, which NDTScan covers from its Oxford base along with Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Neil Smuts carries out and interprets the survey personally, so the person on site in Sonning is the person who writes the report.

Which problems does concrete scanning in Sonning solve?

Three above all. What a Sonning 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.

Do you carry out RAAC surveys in Sonning and the rest of Wokingham Borough?

Yes, regularly. RAAC identification surveys are a standing part of NDTScan's Berkshire 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.

Why should I scan before drilling or repairing concrete in Sonning?

Because the drawings are not the structure. Post-tensioned tendons, live services and undocumented reinforcement are all commonly found where nobody expected them, and striking any of them is expensive at best. On repairs the argument is stronger still: a repair specified without a proper survey and interpretation is a repair to a guess. NDTScan's rule for Sonning and everywhere else is scan first, interpret properly, then design.

What equipment does NDTScan use on Sonning 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 Sonning 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