Overview
For concrete scanning in Thatcham, NDTScan offers something most scanning contractors do not: a named specialist who does the site work and the interpretation. Neil Smuts leads every Berkshire 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 Thatcham the local context is clear enough: a town on the Kennet with large industrial estates at Colthrop and a big post-war housing stock. Across West Berkshire the recurring need is the same: to know exactly what is inside a concrete element before anyone drills, cores, cuts or specifies a repair.
Most scanning companies stop at marks on the surface. NDTScan does not. Every Thatcham 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 Thatcham 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 Thatcham client, and the reason NDTScan reports what the concrete contains before anyone specifies what to do about it.
Services Available in Thatcham
- 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 Thatcham 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 Thatcham structures.
Typical Thatcham Projects
Around Thatcham the instructions NDTScan receives are shaped by commercial and laboratory floors where post-tensioned slabs are common and post-war housing where non-standard construction has to be identified before any works. Alongside those sit the constants of every Berkshire 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 Newbury, Cold Ash and Woolhampton and the rest of West Berkshire. 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. Thatcham 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.
Thatcham NDT Services
- GPR Pre-Drill Scanning Pre-drill and pre-coring surveys, PT slab mapping, rebar location and void detection across Thatcham 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 West 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 Thatcham structures.
- Compressive Strength Assessment Rebound hammer, SONREB and managed core extraction to BS EN 13791, reported for engineering acceptance and building control in Thatcham.
- Short-Notice Thatcham Coverage Oxford-based team covering Thatcham and the rest of West Berkshire. 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
Thatcham Concrete Scanning FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions.
Common questions about GPR concrete scanning, ultrasonic testing and compressive strength assessment in Thatcham and across Berkshire. NDTScan works from its Oxford base with fully interpreted reporting.
Is Thatcham within NDTScan's normal working area?
It is. NDTScan works from Oxford across Berkshire and the two neighbouring counties, and Thatcham sits comfortably inside that patch. Every survey is carried out and interpreted by Neil Smuts, so the specialist on site in Thatcham is the one who writes the report.
What can a GPR concrete scan in Thatcham 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 Thatcham 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.
How is RAAC identified in Thatcham schools and public buildings?
With ground penetrating radar. RAAC planks return a distinctly different signature from conventional reinforced concrete, and NDTScan reads that signature element by element rather than sampling a corner and assuming the rest. The findings for a Thatcham building are reported in line with IStructE guidance, so the owner has a record that supports the decisions that follow.
Why should I scan before drilling or repairing concrete in Thatcham?
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 Thatcham and everywhere else is scan first, interpret properly, then design.
What equipment does NDTScan use on Thatcham 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 Thatcham 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 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.