Rebars or reinforcement bars of steel are one of the core elements of construction as it ensures that concrete, under compression, holds together. These building blocks of construct, however, are prone to damage and considerable deterioration. Thus, it becomes important to frequently inspect them with the help of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods.
The use of rebar locators is the best way to locate rebars, be it for the purpose of damage inspection or otherwise.
Magnetic rebar locators are also called cover meters and are used for locating rebars and to gain information about the least possible distance between an embedded steel rebar’s surface and the outermost layer of concrete by using magnetic fields. The principle on which magnetic rebar locators work is based on the fact that the rebars present within the concrete is affected by the alternating magnetic field. You can use magnetic rebar locators when conducting hand held searches, whereby a locator will beep to let you know that you are situated above a rebar. You can also use magnetic locators to know how deep a bar is situated if the size of the bar is known, or alternately to estimate the size of the bar if you know how deep it is located.
Magnetic rebar locators are more sophisticated than standard rebar locators as the latter kind only locates objects that are metallic, located below a surface.
Magnetic rebar locators are preferred for their highly accurate results, resistance to environmental influences, moisture and heterogeneous nature of concrete and for their low cost. Limited range is also another downside of a magnetic rebar locator.
Ultrasonic rebar locators on the other hand, create sound waves of high frequencies to either determine the property of a material or its defects. The sound waves pass through the material and hit the given surface. It is by analysing the signals that information about the material can be gained.
Ultrasonic rebar locators are useful when checking for damages and flaws in structural elements in the form of voids or cracks, determining the integrity of existing structures, and for locating ferro magnets in a media that is non-ferromagnetic.
They should also be one’s choice of rebar locator when trying to determine rebars made of steel fibre, as steel fibre interrupts with the accurate function of magnetic rebar locators.
It is a quick and reliable method of detection, though the results can be difficult to interpret and may require user expertise.
The use of rebar locators is the best way to locate rebars, be it for the purpose of damage inspection or otherwise.
Magnetic rebar locators are also called cover meters and are used for locating rebars and to gain information about the least possible distance between an embedded steel rebar’s surface and the outermost layer of concrete by using magnetic fields. The principle on which magnetic rebar locators work is based on the fact that the rebars present within the concrete is affected by the alternating magnetic field. You can use magnetic rebar locators when conducting hand held searches, whereby a locator will beep to let you know that you are situated above a rebar. You can also use magnetic locators to know how deep a bar is situated if the size of the bar is known, or alternately to estimate the size of the bar if you know how deep it is located.
Magnetic rebar locators are more sophisticated than standard rebar locators as the latter kind only locates objects that are metallic, located below a surface.
Magnetic rebar locators are preferred for their highly accurate results, resistance to environmental influences, moisture and heterogeneous nature of concrete and for their low cost. Limited range is also another downside of a magnetic rebar locator.
Ultrasonic rebar locators on the other hand, create sound waves of high frequencies to either determine the property of a material or its defects. The sound waves pass through the material and hit the given surface. It is by analysing the signals that information about the material can be gained.
Ultrasonic rebar locators are useful when checking for damages and flaws in structural elements in the form of voids or cracks, determining the integrity of existing structures, and for locating ferro magnets in a media that is non-ferromagnetic.
They should also be one’s choice of rebar locator when trying to determine rebars made of steel fibre, as steel fibre interrupts with the accurate function of magnetic rebar locators.
It is a quick and reliable method of detection, though the results can be difficult to interpret and may require user expertise.