When it comes to locating underground utilities, accuracy is everything. Striking a hidden pipe or cable can mean costly delays, safety risks, or worse. But with so many methods available—Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Electromagnetic Locating (EML), Hydro Excavation, and even traditional plans—which one should you trust?
Here’s what we’ve learned at South-East Scanning
from real-world experience across South East QLD 👇
🔍 Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
✅ Non-destructive
✅ Detects both metallic and non-metallic utilities
✅ Provides depth data and subsurface visuals
⚠ Performance can be impacted by moisture or certain soils
🏆 Best for: Complex environments, unknown services, and concrete scanning
📡 Electromagnetic Locating (EML)
✅ Fast and effective for conductive utilities
✅ Great for water, gas, and electrical services
⚠ Doesn’t work on non-conductive materials like PVC
⚠ Can give false positives in congested areas
🏆 Best for: Clear, well-documented services
💧 Hydro Excavation (Non-Destructive Digging)
✅ Physically exposes the utility (100% confirmation)
✅ Safe around live services
⚠ Slow, messy, and expensive
⚠ Not suitable for broad searching
🏆 Best for: Final confirmation before digging or working in high-risk areas
📄 Traditional Service Plans / DBYD Reports
✅ A valuable starting point
✅ Helps guide initial investigation
⚠ Often outdated or inaccurate
⚠ Doesn’t account for undocumented or abandoned services
🏆 Best for: Planning—not digging
✅ Our Approach at South-East Scanning?
We combine GPR + EML, backed by on-site expertise and clear reporting. It’s all about understanding which tools work best and when to give our clients the safest, most cost-effective outcome possible.
💬 Have you had success (or horror stories!) using different utility locating methods? Let us know in the comments – let’s talk underground visibility. Chat with us to learn more.
