Rail NDT Solutions

Overview

Built around the possession. The constraint in rail is never the testing, it is the access. We plan kit, crew and method around the possession or line blockage you can get, and choose techniques for productivity inside it: GPR that surveys at walking pace, scanning that needs one face of the structure, drones that need no possession at all for off-track structures. Where the answer can be had without going on or near the line, that is the answer we propose.

What we survey

Trackbed & subgrade

GPR profiles of ballast depth, fouling, wet beds and subgrade condition, continuous along the route.

Tunnels

Lining thickness, voids behind the lining and hidden construction, mapped without coring.

Bridges & viaducts

Reinforcement mapping, half-joints, bearing shelves, UT on metallic spans, drone surveys of arches.

Stations

Canopies, platforms, footbridges and buildings scanned for condition and construction type.

Earthworks & drainage

Buried services, culverts and drainage located and condition-checked before works find them the hard way.

Scour at river piers

ROV and sonar scour mapping after high water, without waiting for divers or low flow.

Structures: evidence before intervention. Assessment engineers need numbers: cover, bar spacing, lining thickness, section loss, void extent. Our reinforcement mapping equipment and ultrasonic tools provide them non-destructively, so investigations do not damage the structure they are meant to protect. For piers in water, ROV scour surveys close the gap that underwater examinations keep leaving open. And when a strike or derailment closes an asset, our emergency response gets measured answers to the reopening decision.

Named specialists, accredited delivery. Surveys are planned and reviewed by Neil Smuts (MCIOB, MInstNDT), President of the UK Concrete Scanning Standard.

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

Services Available Nationwide

GPR Concrete Scanning Pre-drill and pre-coring surveys, rebar and mesh mapping, post-tensioned tendon detection, void detection, slab thickness and cover estimation and RAAC identification.
Ultrasonic Testing of Concrete Ultrasonic pulse velocity, pulse echo and SONREB for uniformity, thickness, delamination and compressive strength estimation where GPR alone cannot answer the question.
Concrete Compressive Strength Assessment Rebound hammer, UPV combined method and managed core extraction to BS EN 13791, with independent reporting for engineering acceptance and building control.

Related Services

Related: Rail and transportation sector overview; Civil engineering NDT services; Concrete reinforcement mapping equipment; ROV inspection for scour and river piers; Emergency NDT response for strikes and closures.

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. Rail and the whole of the United Kingdom 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.

Rail NDT Services

Trackbed and subgrade GPR profiles of ballast depth, fouling, wet beds and subgrade condition, continuous along the route.
Tunnels Lining thickness, voids behind the lining and hidden construction, mapped without coring.
Bridges and viaducts Reinforcement mapping, half-joints, bearing shelves, UT on metallic spans, drone surveys of arches.
Stations Canopies, platforms, footbridges and buildings scanned for condition and construction type.
Earthworks and drainage Buried services, culverts and drainage located and condition-checked before works find them the hard way.
Scour at river piers ROV and sonar scour mapping after high water, without waiting for divers or low flow.

Our Services

Sectors We Support

Equipment & Technologies

Why Choose NDTScan

Rail NDT FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions.

Common questions about rail ndt solutions from NDTScan, answered by the team that does the work.

What does trackbed GPR show?

Ballast depth and condition, fouling, wet beds, subgrade layers and voiding, presented as continuous profiles along the route. It turns a maintenance argument about where to spend tamping and renewal budget into a measured one.

Can you survey tunnel linings?

Yes. GPR and ultrasonic methods measure lining thickness, find voids behind the lining and map hidden construction such as old shafts and refuges, without coring the lining to find out.

Do you work in possessions?

Yes. Equipment and crews are planned around the possession or line blockage you can get, and methods are chosen for productivity inside it. Structures away from the running line are often surveyed with no possession at all, using drones.

Can you inspect rail bridges and viaducts?

Yes: reinforcement mapping and cover surveys, half-joint and bearing shelf investigation, UT on metallic spans, drone surveys of arches and high masonry, and ROV scour checks at piers in water.

What about station buildings?

Canopies, platforms, footbridges and station structures are scanned for reinforcement condition, cover and hidden defects, including identification surveys for deck and roof construction types.