Locating Services in Concrete Slabs

Accurately locating conduits and Concrete Floor Slab Surveys are essential to avoid damaging them during construction or renovation work. Hitting embedded services such as pipes, electrical conduits or communication lines can lead to costly repairs, project delays and safety hazards, making it critical to know their exact position before any cutting, drilling or coring begins.

Sub-Surface Voiding can be a Complicating Factor

Voiding within concrete slabs, caused by factors such as poor initial construction, erosion or natural settlement, can obscure the precise location of embedded services and mislead traditional detection methods. Subvision Surveys uses Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to look past these complications, giving an accurate picture of both the services present and any voiding that could affect the reliability of a survey.

How We Locate Services Using GPR

Our surveyors use GPR to non-intrusively locate services and conduits within concrete slabs, emitting radar waves into the concrete and recording the reflected signals to build a detailed image of what’s beneath the surface. By scanning on a regular grid, we ensure precise detection and mapping of embedded services, without drilling or cutting into the slab, so the integrity of the concrete isn’t compromised in the process of surveying it.

Your Concrete Slab Services Report

Following a survey, Subvision Surveys provides detailed reports and CAD drawings showing the exact location of detected services within the concrete slab, along with recommendations to help avoid damaging them during renovation or construction work. This gives your project team a clear, reliable reference to plan cutting, drilling or coring work around, rather than working from assumptions about what’s embedded in the slab.

Why Choose Subvision for Locating Services in Concrete

Subvision Surveys is SSIP and ISO accredited, with a team of over 25 surveying professionals delivering GPR surveys for contractors, developers and building owners across London, the South East and nationwide. Where a project needs a broader assessment of a concrete floor beyond embedded services, such as thickness or reinforcement condition, our GPR Concrete Slab Surveys can be carried out alongside, giving a complete picture of the slab from a single site visit.

Contact Subvision Surveys today to discuss locating services in concrete slabs for your project, or speak to one of our experts on 0333 920 942.

Get Your Free Quote

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Popular surveys trusted by industry professionals.

Popular surveys trusted by industry professionals.

View All Surveys
Underground utility markings sprayed on a pavement after a PAS 128 survey

PAS128 Surveys

PAS128 surveys provide accurate underground utility mapping to reduce risk and delays.

View Service
View Service
Subvision surveyors carrying out a GPR survey with a ground penetrating radar cart

GPR Surveys

GPR surveys identify hidden underground features to support safer site development works.

View Service
View Service
Surveyor using a total station for a topographical survey of a heritage building

Topographical Surveys

Topographical surveys provide accurate land and site data to support planning and design.

View Service
Surveyor ferro scanning a concrete floor slab over a reference grid

Ferro Scanning

Ferro scanning and GPR rebar mapping surveys locate hidden steel and concrete details.

View Service
View Service
CCTV drain survey camera inspecting the inside of a drainage pipe

CCTV Surveys

CCTV drainage surveys and jetting identify blockages and assess pipe conditions fast.

View Service
Utility search pack drawing showing buried service routes on a site plan

Utility Search Packs / PAS128 Type D

Desktop utility search packs provide essential PAS128 Type D underground asset data.

View Service
View Service

Locating Services in Concrete Slabs FAQ’S

Concrete slabs often contain embedded services such as electrical conduits, pipes and communication lines, none of which are visible once the concrete has been poured. Cutting, drilling or coring into a slab without knowing what’s beneath the surface risks striking these services, which can cause costly repairs, project delays, service disruption and serious safety hazards for anyone working nearby. A survey carried out beforehand identifies the exact position of embedded services, allowing work to be planned safely around them rather than discovered the hard way once cutting or drilling is already underway.

Our surveyors use Ground Penetrating Radar to scan the slab, emitting radar waves into the concrete and recording the signals as they reflect back from embedded services and other subsurface features. By scanning on a regular grid across the survey area, we build a detailed picture of what’s within the slab, including the position and approximate depth of conduits, pipes and other services. This process is entirely non-intrusive, meaning no drilling or cutting is required to gather results, so the integrity of the slab isn’t compromised during the survey itself.

Yes. Voiding within a concrete slab, caused by factors such as poor initial construction, erosion or natural settlement, can complicate the picture GPR is trying to build, and can sometimes mislead less experienced interpretation of the data. Subvision Surveys’ surveyors are experienced in distinguishing between voids and embedded services, ensuring the results you receive accurately reflect what’s actually present rather than conflating the two. Where significant voiding is identified, we can flag this separately, giving you a fuller picture of both the services present and the condition of the slab itself.

GPR can detect a wide range of embedded services within concrete slabs, including both metallic and non-metallic conduits, pipes, cables and other buried infrastructure. Because GPR works by detecting changes in subsurface material rather than relying on a single detection method, it can identify services that other methods, such as electromagnetic locating alone, might miss. This makes it a versatile choice for concrete slabs, which can contain a mix of service types depending on the age and history of the building or structure being surveyed.

Following a survey, Subvision Surveys provides a detailed report and CAD drawings showing the exact location of detected services within the concrete slab, along with recommendations to help you avoid damaging them during renovation or construction work. This gives your project team a clear, reliable reference to plan cutting, drilling or coring around, rather than working from assumptions or incomplete existing records. Reports are provided in a format suitable for architects, engineers and contractors to use directly when planning the next stage of work.

Subvision Surveys is SSIP and ISO accredited, with a team of over 25 surveying professionals delivering GPR surveys for contractors, developers and building owners across London, the South East and nationwide. Our surveyors combine experienced interpretation with the latest GPR equipment, ensuring accurate results even where voiding or dense service concentration make a survey more complex. We also offer Ferro Scanning and wider GPR services, which can be combined with concrete slab surveys depending on the requirements of your specific project.

Have Any Questions?

If you have any questions regarding our services feel free to contact the Subvision team.

Subvision Surveys accreditations: QUVA ISO certification, Achilles UVDB, SafeContractor, Constructionline, Builder's Profile, European GPR Association, Avetta, SMAS, CHAS, Essex Chambers of Commerce and The Survey Association