SDL Utility Locating – Private Utility Locating Company SDL Utility Locating, a division of Smart Digging LLC, is your trusted partner for safe and accurate utility locating.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

Accuracy starts below the surface.

“We See What Others Can’t. We Locate What Others Won’t.”

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) systems operate by sending high-frequency electromagnetic pulses into the ground and measuring the time it takes for those signals to reflect back from subsurface materials with differing properties. These reflections allow the system to map both the depth and position of buried objects and structures.

How It Works

  • Transmission: A transmitter antenna emits short, high-frequency radar pulses into the ground or surface material.

  • Propagation and Reflection: As these signals travel through the ground, they encounter boundaries between materials with different electrical characteristics—such as soil to rock, or concrete to metal. Part of the signal is reflected back toward the surface.

  • Reception: A receiving antenna detects these returning reflections with high precision.

  • Analysis and Display: The system records the travel time of each signal. Based on this timing, specialized software converts the data into depth information and creates a radargram—a visual cross-section of what lies below

What GPR Can Detect

GPR can locate both metallic and non-metallic utilities, as well as other underground features, including:

  • Plastic, PVC, and concrete utility lines
  • Communication and fiber conduits
  • Water and sewer lines
  • Voids, tanks, and buried structures
  • Reinforcing steel (rebar) in slabs and concrete floors

Because GPR is a non-destructive technology, it’s ideal for applications where digging, drilling, or disruption must be minimized. It’s commonly used for:

  • Utility locating where electromagnetic methods may not apply
  • Pre-design and pre-excavation scanning
  • Construction and renovation planning
  • Structural and concrete inspection

Ground Penetrating Radar provides accurate, real-time imaging for safe and confident excavation. Combined with electromagnetic (EM) locating, it forms a complete solution for identifying subsurface utilities and potential hazards before any ground disturbance begins.

service request

At SDL Utility Locating, accuracy isn’t just our goal — it’s our commitment.