Concrete Scanning Project Planning From Start To Finish

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Concrete Scanning Project Planning From Start To Finish

Corrected for practical accuracy on 20 July 2026.

Concrete scanning can reduce uncertainty before cutting, drilling, anchoring or altering a slab or wall, but it does not make the concrete transparent. A useful scanning plan starts with the proposed work, the targets that matter and the decisions the project team must make from the findings.

This guide explains how to scope a concrete-scanning engagement in Brisbane and South East Queensland. It does not promise that every embedded item, void or defect can be found, and it does not replace drawings, service information, engineering review, isolations or the project's risk-management process.

Start with the proposed cut, drill or fixing

Mark the intended work area and provide the dimensions, depth, orientation and reason for the opening or fixing. Identify whether the work affects a structural element, post-tensioned concrete, an occupied area or a space above people or sensitive equipment. The responsible project team should resolve structural approval, set-out and service-isolation responsibilities before intrusive work begins.

A request to “scan this slab” is too broad to define a reliable scope. Explain whether the priority is reinforcement, post-tensioning, selected conduits or pipes, cover depth, a proposed clear zone or another project question. Different targets and materials respond differently to available methods.

Gather records without treating them as proof

  • structural drawings, post-tension layouts and approved shop drawings;
  • as-built information, previous scan records and renovation history;
  • service drawings, isolation information and visible entry or exit points;
  • photographs, access dimensions and the proposed work face; and
  • the equipment, opening or fixing that will follow the scan.

Before You Dig Australia explains that affected asset owners provide plans for registered underground infrastructure through its service. Those plans are an important project input where relevant, but they are not a map of every item embedded in a building slab or wall.

Choose methods from the target and site

Ground-penetrating radar and electromagnetic locating are different tools with different constraints. The useful method or combination depends on the target material, depth, concrete thickness, reinforcement congestion, moisture, surface condition, access, nearby electrical interference and the direction from which the concrete can be scanned.

Results may be affected by multiple reinforcement layers, close targets, limited calibration information, inaccessible surfaces and the operator's interpretation. A mark on the surface should therefore be understood as an interpreted finding with a method, coverage and limitation—not a guarantee that an unmarked area is clear.

Define coverage and deliverables before attendance

A written scope should identify the work face, scan area, grid or mark-out convention, target priorities and any required report. Depending on the job, useful deliverables may include:

  • on-surface markings referenced to the approved set-out;
  • photographs showing the scan area and mark-out;
  • a sketch or annotated drawing of interpreted findings;
  • recorded limitations, inaccessible areas and uncertain zones; and
  • a handover discussion with the person responsible for the follow-on work.

Do not request a generic “safe-to-cut certificate” unless the project team has precisely defined what that term means, who has authority to approve the work and what other evidence and controls remain required. Scanning is one input to the decision, not a transfer of every project duty to the scanning operator.

Prepare the work area

  • Provide safe access to the full scan face and remove movable obstructions where practical.
  • Confirm inductions, permits, working hours, traffic or occupant controls and any work-at-height requirements.
  • Identify hazardous materials, wet areas, live equipment and other conditions that affect access.
  • Make the approved cut, core or fixing set-out visible and confirm who can change it.
  • Arrange access to drawings and a project contact who can answer scope questions.

A fixed promise that every scan takes a few hours or one day is not reliable. Area, access, target complexity, reinforcement congestion, reporting and site coordination all affect the work.

Use the findings in a controlled work plan

Review the mark-out and limitations before cutting or drilling. Resolve uncertain zones, changes in set-out and conflicts with drawings. Where the work is structural, ensure the responsible engineer or other authorised person has approved the location and any support or sequencing requirements.

Concrete scanning does not isolate services. Electrical, hydraulic, fire, communications and other systems require the applicable identification, isolation and verification process. If the follow-on work mechanically processes concrete, current Queensland crystalline-silica requirements and task controls also apply. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland publishes the current crystalline-silica framework and specific core saw and drill guidance.

Information to provide for a scanning proposal

  1. Site address, contact, access and working-hour restrictions.
  2. Photographs and dimensions of every proposed scan face.
  3. Approved cut, core, anchor or penetration locations and depths.
  4. The targets of concern and available structural or service records.
  5. Concrete thickness, reinforcement or post-tension information if known.
  6. Required mark-out, photographs, sketches, report or handover format.
  7. The follow-on work, programme and person responsible for approving it.

Concrete scanning planning questions

Can scanning find every service or tendon?

No. Detection and interpretation depend on the target, depth, material, congestion, access, method and site conditions. Findings should be used with drawings, asset information, isolations and the responsible project's approval process.

Does a clear-looking scan area authorise cutting?

Not by itself. The responsible team must consider the scan limitations, structure, services, set-out, approvals and site controls before intrusive work starts.

Should every project receive the same report?

No. Deliverables should be agreed from the decision the project needs to make. A small marked penetration and a multi-area investigation may require different records.

Plan the scan around the decision

For proposed alterations to slabs, walls, beams or other structural concrete, use the reviewed structural concrete-scanning guide to separate scan findings from engineering condition and approval decisions.

Review Cutcore's concrete scanning service, the broader cutting and drilling service directory or request a project discussion with the work areas, drawings, target priorities and follow-on work.

This is general project information, not engineering, utility-locating, legal or work-health-and-safety advice. Final methods, interpretations, approvals and controls must reflect the site, current requirements and advice from the responsible competent persons.

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Open the plain-language technical article planning checklist

This checklist helps you prepare a clear first discussion. It does not set the cutting method. It does not replace engineering, service locating, permits, site rules or a task risk review. Start with the facts you know. Mark the facts that still need a competent person.

State the result in plain words

Write one sentence about the finished result. Say what must be cut, drilled, scanned, ground or removed. Add the reason for the work. State what must stay in place. Mark the start and end points. If a drawing controls the work, name its number and revision.

Use dimensions that can be checked. Add the opening width and height. Add the cut length or hole diameter. Note the likely depth. State whether the work is in a slab, wall, beam, pavement or another element. Do not guess if the structure is not known. Record that gap.

Prepare a simple site map

Draw the work area. Mark the street, gate and entry path. Show stairs, lifts and narrow turns. Add the work face. Mark occupied rooms and public areas. Show where people and vehicles move. Add the closest practical load point. Keep the map with the photos.

Walk the access path before the call. Measure tight doors and gates. Note soft ground, steep grades and low clearances. State if the work is above or below ground. Say whether normal site activity must continue. Access can affect the method, setup and safe work area.

Collect clear photos

Take one wide photo of the whole work zone. Then take close photos of each marked cut or hole. Put a tape, rule or known object in the frame for scale. Photograph both sides of a wall or slab when access allows. Name each file by area and date.

Photos are a starting point. They do not prove what is inside concrete. They do not confirm structural approval. Add current drawings and service information where they exist. Tell the reviewer when a photo is old or when the site has changed since it was taken.

Record the concrete and structure

Say whether the concrete is new or existing. Note visible cracks, patches, joints and coatings. Record known reinforcement or post-tensioning information. Add the responsible engineer or designer when structural work is involved. Do not treat an old drawing as verified without the right review.

Mark any part that must be supported before a cut is complete. Think about the weight and shape of each released section. State who owns the support, lifting, removal and disposal plan. These items need agreement before work starts. They should not be left as an on-site surprise.

Identify services and hidden items

Gather current service drawings and site records. Mark known power, water, gas, data, fire and drainage routes. Use the relevant locating process for the site. Scanning can add useful information, but it cannot promise that every hidden item will be found. Keep that limit in the plan.

State who will review scan results and approve the marked work. Add any exclusion zone around a found item. Record the next step if information conflicts. A clear hold point lets the team pause before a cut or hole crosses an uncertain area.

Describe the work environment

Say whether the area is inside or outside. Note nearby homes, shops, offices, patients, students or site workers. Add any site limit for noise, water, dust, vibration or work hours. State who sets each limit. Share building rules and induction needs before the work date.

Concrete processing can create respirable crystalline silica. The work plan should follow current Queensland requirements and the site risk controls. Do not rely on a broad web statement for a task-specific control. The responsible parties should set the method, equipment, isolation and protective measures.

Plan water, slurry and waste

Confirm whether water is available and where it may be used. Mark drains and sensitive finishes. State how slurry, dust and loose material will be contained. Add the waste route and disposal responsibility. Protect nearby areas before work starts. Do not assume runoff can enter a drain.

List finishes that must stay clean. Add walls, glazing, ceilings, equipment and occupied rooms. State who moves loose items. Note any wet work that must happen first. Give fresh paint, flooring and joinery enough separation from cutting or removal work.

Set the work window

Write the earliest access time and the required handover time. Add site opening hours. Note deliveries, traffic peaks and other trades. State whether the area can close. If it must stay partly open, mark the route that remains available and the person who approves the arrangement.

Ask about setup, work, clean-up and handover as separate stages. Avoid a timing promise before the scope and constraints are reviewed. A small change in access, depth, reinforcement or section handling can alter the sequence. Keep room in the program for new site facts.

Make quote comparisons fair

Give each contractor the same brief. Use the same drawing revision and dimensions. Ask what is included for setup, scanning, cutting, supports, lifting, removal, protection and clean-up. Note the assumptions in each price. Compare the written scope, not only the total.

Ask what information is still missing. Ask which party must provide it. Record items that may change cost or timing. State how a change will be raised and approved. Keep the final quote, scope and attachments together so the site team can use one current record.

Prepare the day before work

Check that the approved marks are still visible. Confirm access, keys and inductions. Move loose goods as agreed. Tell affected people about the work zone. Check that the responsible site contact can be reached. Share any change in the structure, services, program or nearby activity.

Use a short pre-start walk. Match the site to the brief. Check each marked location. Review access and exclusion areas. Confirm the change process. If a key fact is not clear, pause that part. A short pause is better than carrying an unchecked assumption into the work.

Keep a clear work record

Name each area in the same way on the drawing, photos and notes. Record agreed changes. Add the date and the person who approved them. Keep scan markings and hold-point records with the job file. Take progress photos where the site rules allow.

At handover, walk the work area in good light. Check the agreed openings, edges and removal area. Note any item that still needs attention. Confirm clean-up and waste responsibilities. Record when barriers or supports may change. Ask the responsible party before removing a control.

Build a one-page brief

Put the job name and suburb at the top. Add one current site contact. State the finished result in one line. List the dimensions below it. Add the drawing revision, photo file names and known service information. Mark the work face and access path. Note the required work window. Keep open questions in a separate list so they cannot be mistaken for confirmed facts.

Give each open question an owner. The engineer may need to confirm a structural point. The site team may need to confirm access or isolation. A locator may need to review a marked area. The client may need to choose a finish or disposal option. Add a due date where it helps. Update the brief when an answer arrives, and keep the old version out of the active site file.

Use plain labels. Write “wall opening” instead of an internal nickname. Write the actual floor or room. Add north, south, east or west when two areas look alike. Keep dimensions in one unit. Show whether a depth is confirmed or estimated. A short, consistent brief reduces avoidable questions and gives every party the same starting point.

Send a useful first enquiry

Start with the suburb and site type. Add the required result, dimensions and material. Attach the plan and clear photos. Note access, services, occupied areas and preferred timing. List the approvals already held. Mark each open question. This gives the first review a practical base.

You can review the Cutcore quote-planning page, then send the project details to Cutcore. For a broader overview, compare the concrete cutting enquiry guide and the service directory.

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