Locating and surveying · Existing structures
Foundation and embedded services survey in Austria and southern Germany
Every existing property has a memory that no drawing records: the old foundation under the yard, the backfilled vault, the tank nobody remembers. CFT locates what sits in the ground and in the structure with ground penetrating radar, marks the finds and surveys them in on request – before the structural engineer, the excavator or the drill is surprised by them. Call +43 (0) 2252 53169 or write to office@cft.at.
What we do on site
We survey the area or the structure with ground penetrating radar and interpret the reflections: foundations, vaults, embedded objects, reinforcement, voids. Finds are marked and, on request, surveyed in with GPS or total station; anything ambiguous is named as suspected in the report – we do not guess.
Key facts at a glance
| Methods | Ground penetrating radar (GPR) on areas and structures, grid scan and focused investigation, foundation and vault location, survey with GPS and total station |
|---|---|
| Application range | Conversions and demolition in existing buildings, industrial halls and estates, foundation questions before extensions, historic ground |
| Duration | Four hours to several days, depending on the area |
| Result format | Marking on site, documentation as PDF, surveyed points as .shp, .gpkg, .dwg and .dxf |
| Service area | The whole of Austria from the head office in Traiskirchen; Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg via CFT Group Deutschland GmbH, Lange Zeile 27, D-85435 Erding |
For you as a business
In existing buildings every surprise costs twice: once as delay, once as redesign. A targeted survey before conversion, extension or demolition turns assumptions into findings – the engineer calculates with what is there, the excavator knows where to slow down, and the client holds a document instead of an anecdote. When buying or selling a property, the report says more than any old drawing.
How the job runs
- You describe the question – the more specific it is, the tighter the grid.
- The radar covers the area or structure on a grid; anything conspicuous is re-measured more closely.
- Finds are marked on site, with position and depth.
- On request the finds are surveyed in with GPS or total station – down to your GIS or CAD.
- You receive the documentation as a PDF, with findings and named zones of suspicion.
Equipment and methods
The radar reads density contrasts: masonry against soil, void against backfill, steel against concrete. Antenna choice sets depth and resolution – deep and coarse for foundations, shallow and fine for embedded objects. What cannot be assigned clearly is called suspected rather than sold as a finding; that honesty separates a usable report from a colourful graphic.
What you receive
Marked finds on site, the documentation as a PDF and, on request, the points as .shp, .gpkg, .dwg or .dxf – usable from structural design to GIS.
Costs and effort
Charged by area and question. A focused investigation of the critical spot is often answered within half a day; we quote by phone once you name the area.
Frequently asked questions
How deep does the radar see?
As deep as the ground allows: several metres in dry, sandy conditions, considerably less in heavy, wet clay. We tell you honestly what is realistic at your site – before the job, not after.
Does the survey detect voids and old cellars?
Yes, voids show up clearly – from backfilled vaults to forgotten cellar rooms. Whether air, water or backfill lies behind them is narrowed down in the evaluation; final certainty comes from one targeted core drilling at the marked spot.
Can the results be taken directly into design and GIS?
Yes – surveyed in with GPS or total station, the findings come as .shp, .gpkg, .dwg or .dxf. The location work thus becomes as-built documentation.
How does this differ from the construction site clearance survey?
In the direction of view: the clearance survey clears an area before construction; this service answers targeted questions in the existing stock – what lies under the yard, what sits in the slab, what the extension will stand on.
Related services
Locating concrete core activation
When the slab is heated and drilling still has to happen.
Construction site and route clearance survey
For open ground before construction rather than targeted questions in the existing stock.
Network locating and cable identification
When utilities across the site are the question, not foundations.
Describe the findings.
The more precisely you describe the findings, the more directly we can go to work. Plans, readings and photos help us settle the method in advance.
What happens next
- We read your message and match the case to a method.
- We come back to you – usually with a question that shortens the appointment.
- We confirm the appointment and what it costs before anyone sets off.
Rather talk?
+43 (0) 2252 53169
Mon–Thu 8:00–16:30 · Fri 8:00–12:00
Describe your case.
Fastest by telephone – then we settle straight away which method fits and what you should prepare.
Outside office hours, write to office@cft.at.