Cover Meter Surveys
Using an electromagnetic cover meter the position, depth and size of reinforcement buried in concrete floors can be estimated.
Testing can be carried out in accordance with the recommendations found in BS 1881-204:1988.
Survey testing may be carried out for the following reasons:
- Quality control, to ensure correct location and cover to reinforcing bars after concrete placement.
- Investigation of concrete floors for which records are not available or need to be checked.
- Location of reinforcement as a preliminary to some other form of testing or work in which reinforcement should be avoided or its nature taken into account, e.g. extraction of cores or wire guidance installation.
- Location of buried ferromagnetic objects other than reinforcement, e.g. water pipes or manholes.
- Locating reinforcement bars prior to installation of wire guidance system for Very Narrow Aisles.
Cover meter survey example – Examination of Concrete and reinforcement bars
Searching for reinforcement using the cover meter
The search head is traversed systematically across the concrete and, where reinforcment is located, rotated until a position of maximum disturbance of the electromagnetic field is indicated by the meter. In such a position, under ideal conditions, the indicated cover to the nearest piece of reinforcement may be read if the bar size is known.
Experienced Operator
Furthermore the axis of the reinforcement will then lie in the plane containing the centreline through the poles of the search head. Please note potential loss of accuracy (which is minimized by an experienced operator) is due to many extraneous factors affecting the magnetic field within the range of the the covermeter and to other physical influences.
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