Xradar cements itself in the Ottawa market

Local developers, contractors and engineers can now gain a better “view” of their building projects thanks to the recent expansion by one of Canada’s leading concrete scanning providers into the nation’s capital.

Xradar opened its Ottawa office in June 2021 following a heightened demand for ground penetrating radar services from companies in the national capital region.

While Xradar always had a robust presence in Ontario (Toronto) – as well as in British Columbia and Xradar Quebec – the move to the Ottawa market was a natural next step, explains Jesse Hodgins, Xradar’s director of operations for eastern Ontario.

“Ottawa is booming in terms of construction and there isn’t a service provider like us that can do what we do here,” says Hodgins. “It was an opportunity to come into the market and provide scanning customers in Ottawa with a premium service.”

Xradar offers concrete scanning services, non-destructive testing, void & crack detection and corrosion mapping to anyone working with concrete or cement structures – servicing the construction, engineering and archaeological sectors, to name a few.

Xradar performs similarly to traditional ground penetrating radar (GPR), but has the scanning precision of an x-ray machine whilst being safer, faster and more agile, says Hodgins.

This makes it easier and more efficient to mark and identify embedded targets such as heating lines, rebar and plastic conduits.

The company’s trademarked technology provides more detailed accuracy than other ground penetrating radar methods, reducing scanning errors to less than one per cent.

“Accuracy is guaranteed,” says Morgan Carman, vice-president of Xradar. “If someone is cutting, drilling or coring through concrete after Xradar has scanned for embedded elements, we guarantee that they won’t cut anything unforeseen.”

Service – and innovation – makes all the difference

Xradar also offers other technology and non-destructive testing methods that makes them the desired choice for concrete inspection within construction projects.

The company uses industry-leading ultrasound technologies (ultrasonic tomography and ultrasound pulse velocity) for crack and void detection within concrete. Xradar has also created its own software to allow for the most accurate mapping of corrosion, delamination and voiding within concrete structures. All results can be provided within scaled maps and survey reports.

For contractors and engineers, Xradar is a non-destructive inspection service that can save time, money and core drilling to the structure, says Carman.

Xradar’s non-destructive scanning techniques are also instrumental when it comes to aging infrastructure and historic buildings – something Ottawa has an abundance of.

The team provides intensive structural investigation for existing and older buildings that may have poor build drawings and records – or in some cases none at all. Technicians will cover all the necessary details needed for the structural investigation and can then create enhanced drawings or structural survey reports that meet permit requirements.

“Every job Xradar does comes with a survey report that summarizes the work undertaken, making it easy for all customers to understand and move to next stage of the project,” says Carman. “The whole process is very smooth.”

Xradar’s extensive staff training program is consistent Canada-wide, which helps ensure the accuracy of the team’s approach from coast to coast.

New hires are put through an on-site “Xradar university” for six to eight months before they are allowed to perform any GPR scanning or surveying on their own, guaranteeing that everyone on the team has adequate training.

“Our service is really what sets us apart,” adds Hodgins. “If you want absolute accuracy, we’re the people to call.”