WORKING UNDERCOVER: NEW CONCRETE COVER METER

Locating steel reinforcement bars and metal pipes is essential in the construction and maintenance of structures. When working on structural objects one thing customers are commonly trying to avoid is steel tension rod. If you misjudge and drill through steel tension rod you will hear an enormous bang and see the concrete structure fracture as the rod snaps.

This can be hazardous to personnel, break expensive equipment and lead to serious structural damage as floors can partially collapse in multi-story buildings resulting in extensive and costly repairs.

The new Elcometer Concrete Cover Meter, now available from Kennards Hire Test & Measure has simplified identifying the location, orientation and depth measurement of reinforcing bars and sub-surface metalwork. It accurately measures the depth of cover over reinforcement bars and is also used to establish the condition of the metalwork and assess the corrosion potential, so maintenance can be scheduled as required.

Highly accurate at +/- 2 per cent, the Elcometer Concrete Cover Meter is ideal for Construction, Drilling Contractors, Civil Engineering, Commercial and Residential Plumbing and Electrical Contractors, Air Conditioning Installation Contractors and Remedial Works Companies.

“It’s the only gauge on today’s market that measures the thickness of concrete cover of both stainless steel rebar and metal pipes,” explained Leo De Sousa, Branch Manager of Kennards Hire Test & Measure East Brisbane.

“When the search head is approaching a reinforcing bar, the Cover Meter emits a sound that increases in pitch as it moves closer to the bar,” he said, adding, “A signal strength indicator on the display simultaneously increases in length.”

“When the search head is aligned directly over reinforcing the sound pitch is at its highest, the indicator is at maximum and the depth of cover is at its minimum.”

Reporting the depth of the concrete, the location and orientation of the rebar or metal pipe, the Cover Meter can even determine the diameter of the rebar from 5 – 50mm up to 120mm deep in concrete.

The handheld Cover Meter has been ergonomically designed with a curve to fit snugly against the hip. Featuring an easy-touse menu-driven graphical interface, it guides the user during setup and measurement.

Most functions can be accessed and controlled via 4 simple keys, enabling single handed operation. The reading of cover is continuously updated on the backlit display in large digits, which also allows for easy viewing in dark environments. This enables the user to note the depth of cover reading and move on to the next bar.

In addition to the new Concrete Cover Meter, Kennards Hire Test & Measure has an expansive range of equipment. This includes hydrostatic test pumps, anchor testers, noninvasive smoke machines and GPS locators used for surveying to an extensive array of hand-held devices.