Terms & Conditions

Radar Hawk LLC provides Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) services in concrete and underground applications, including assisting in the detection of finding reinforcing steel (including rebar, post tension cables, and wire mesh) in concrete, and general utility location services in accordance with ASCE Standard 38-02, Quality Level “B”. Geophysical investigation methods detect differences in the physical properties of the ground or structural materials. Equipment records variations and contrasts in the soil or building material as well as changes between the surrounding material matrix and objects that may be buried or embedded. The ability to detect targets depends on a multitude of factors such as electrical conductivity, magnetism, electromagnetic response, density, compaction, material strength and hardness, and other physical characteristics of both the host material and the target.  While geophysical prospection technology is highly accurate, and we use technical expertise to interpret the geophysical data collected with our equipment, Radar Hawk LLC does not guarantee that all targets will be located since sufficient contrast between targets of interest and host materials must exist for the geophysical equipment to record a response.

 

NOTES ON CONCRETE SCANNING: GPR is a great tool for detecting objects embedded in concrete and underground, however, as mentioned above- site restrictions and environmental conditions can and do limit the accuracy and effective depth of GPR. For concrete scanning, these conditions could include, but are not limited to, moisture present in the concrete, amount of reinforcing steel reflection, spacing and layers of reinforcement, depth of target being located, multiple concrete pours, air gaps, etc.  Obstacles such as metal lath, closely spaced multi-layered reinforcement, air gaps, insulation, etc. often reduce visibility entirely.  It is equally important to understand that GPR equipment for concrete scanning cannot scan the 4” up to any wall, ceiling, corner, or other obstacle that may effectively end a continuous scan of a focus area. With these factors in mind, Radar Hawk CANNOT guarantee it will be able to locate ALL reinforcing steel, conduits, and utilities on site.  See 2,000 MHz GPR Antenna under the Equipment Overview section for additional information.

 

NOTES ON UTILITY SCANNING: Similarly, for underground scanning, depth is completely dependent on the composition of soils in the area being surveyed as the factors listed above can and do affect geophysical prospection.  Customer understands that typically for every foot in depth penetration with the GPR equipment, the pipe/utility must be at least 1” in additional diameter to be located. For example, at 4 feet in depth, the pipe/utility often must be 4” or larger to be detected.  Even in favorable conditions, some types of pipes such as clay or concrete pipes, as well as empty PVC type pipes can be particularly difficult to see with GPR.  Obstacles such as uneven ground, curbs and trees, etc. often reduce visibility entirely.  Furthermore, the GPR equipment for underground utility scanning cannot scan the 2 feet up to any wall, fence, gate, curb, tree, vegetation, or other obstacle that may effectively break up or end a continuous scan of a focus area.  Given these factors, Radar Hawk CANNOT guarantee it will be able to locate ALL utilities on site.  See 400 MHz GPR Antenna under the Equipment Overview section for additional information.

 

NOTES ON FALSE NEGATIVES AND SIGNAL QUALITY: False negatives can be common when scanning a site and may occur for several reasons, including but not limited to: targets blending with the surrounding materials over time, targets being too small or too deep for the equipment to detect, or site conditions and material compositions that limit signal clarity.  Noise may originate from subsurface variability or external electromagnetic sources.  Sites with low signal or noise can cause the system to record responses from targets but make it difficult for technicians to determine which responses are signals from targets of interest and which responses are recorded from noise.  Additionally, natural geological features or other buried objects may create responses similar to those of the intended targets.  

 

Accordingly, Radar Hawk LLC shall not be held liable for misinterpretations or issues related to deliverables arising from but not limited to:

a) Errors introduced during field data collection;

b) Inaccuracies or inconsistencies in information supplied by the client;

c) Interpretive limitations resulting from data interpolation or insufficient scan density;

d) Insufficient contrast between target and surrounding materials;

e) Target orientation that prevents accurate signal recording;

f) Targets located beyond the effective depth range of the equipment used;

g) Target sizes that are too small or too large compared to the equipment resolution.

 

Radar Hawk LLC makes no claims about accuracy of our systems or interpretations as it relates to depths, location, or total targets identified compared to total number onsite. Scientific research has shown that many variables can impact the accuracy of depths, localization, or even adequate detection of targets.

 

NOTE ON MAPS: If Radar Hawk provides maps or drawings, please note that the map is not survey quality. These are representations of Radar Hawk’s utility findings performed on a previous date.  The scan performed was of limited scope and utilities outside this scope are not shown.