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locating grade beams 1

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albor2974

Structural
Jan 4, 2007
11
US
does anyone have a solution for finding the grade beams under a slab house quickly and with a tool that doesnt cost more than a couple of thousand dollars. Also that is nondestructive. Ground penetrating radar systems start around twenty thousand which is too expensive. Usually one can guess where they should have been placed, but this is not always the case. A company called olsen makes a cement thickness tester that uses sound vibrations but will not work through the carpet or tile and various floorings. Does anyone have an idea how I might find them quickly while inside the house whith out using the plans? Thank You
 
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I guess that 20k is the cost of the GPR itself. Did you try renting the services of somebody that owns the GPR. It should cost much less than 1k.
 
yes gimbli your right, i was just trying to find an instrument that i could purchase. Similar to like a stud finder locates the wooden stud behind sheetrock, i would like to find something that quickly locates the center grade beams from inside the house above flooring.
 
Have you tried a simple test that depends on the support for a concrete slab. Depending on the slab thickness, etc. pounding on the floor with the same weight hammer is remarkable as to the sound difference heard over solid support, vs lesser support capability. It is worth a try, at least to get you into the area for more exact checking.

Hey, remember you can find wall studs that way too. Some even find rapping with a knuckle works there. So vary the hammer size as a start for the floor.

On a carpet, set a metal "stool" with legs solid to the concrete and pound on that.
 
your right oldestguy, i have used a ballpine hammer before to find the beams such as in garages, but i just cant do that in most parts of peoples houses because tile, carpet, wooden floors, etc.thanks
 
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