RAAC Scanning in Windsor

Why scan rather than look

Scanning reads the inside of a panel from its surface. Non-destructive methods distinguish the light, cellular structure of RAAC from dense concrete, and locate the steel reinforcement within a plank: where the bars run, how deep they are, and whether they extend to the bearings. That last point matters more than any other with RAAC, because a plank whose reinforcement stops short of its support is the classic failure case, and no amount of looking from below will show it.

The scan is recorded panel by panel against a location plan, alongside a visual and condition record, so that the results can be assessed rather than just filed.

GPR and ultrasonic RAAC scanning for schools, hospitals and councils in Windsor

We scan with ground penetrating radar (GSSI Flex NX, GSSI StructureScan Mini, Proceq GP8800 and GP8100) and ultrasonic tomography (Proceq Pundit PD8050), read by Neil Smuts (MCIOB, MInstNDT, FRCSP), President of the UK Concrete Scanning Standard and a Fellow of the Register of Concrete Scanning Professionals. For a school or academy in Windsor that means a quiet visit around the timetable; for an NHS estate or council building it means the building stays open. The scan confirms the material, maps the reinforcement and records bearing length for the engineering inspection. Scanning is part of the visual survey, from £395, and of every engineering inspection, which is priced per building.

A practical starting point in Windsor

If you are responsible for buildings in Windsor, start with a list. Which of them have flat or low-pitched roofs, and which were built or extended between the 1950s and the mid 1990s? In the the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead area that will usually take in post-war schools, leisure and public buildings sitting behind the historic frontages. Anything on that list that has never had RAAC ruled in or out is a candidate for a RAAC scanning. Send us the list and we will tell you which buildings justify a visit, and which can be cleared from the desk with drawings alone.

The practical questions, answered

How soon: we can usually be on site in Berkshire within one to two days. How long: the report follows within five working days of the site visit, depending on the size of the survey and the level of detail required. When: evening, weekend and holiday visits are no problem. With what: GSSI Flex NX and GSSI StructureScan Mini ground penetrating radar, Proceq GP8800 and GP8100 radar, the Proceq Pundit PD8050 ultrasonic tomograph, and other electromagnetic and ultrasonic NDT instruments. How much experience: we have surveyed thousands of square metres of RAAC. Insured: professional indemnity insurance is held to a maximum of £10 million, with public and employers' liability arranged on a per-site basis. Where: Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire are local to us, and we work across the UK, and Windsor is on our doorstep.