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Locating and surveying · Ground and structures

Foundation and embedded services surveys in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg

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 +49 (0) 173 6842932 or write to office@cft-de.de.

Call us +49 (0) 173 6842932 Enquire about this service

Two technicians on a riverbank, one guiding the ground penetrating radar along the gravel path, the other taking a GNSS position
Locating and surveying

What we do on site

We cover 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; whatever is not unambiguous is stated as suspicion in the report – we do not guess.

Describe this case

Key facts at a glance

MethodsGround penetrating radar (GPR) on areas and structures, Grid scan and focused investigation, Foundation and vault location, Surveying with GPS and total station
Application rangeConversions and demolition in existing buildings, historic building ground, industrial halls and estates, foundation questions before extensions and added storeys
DurationFour hours to several days, depending on the area
Result formatMarking on site, Documentation to your specification as PDF, Surveyed points as .shp, .gpkg, .dwg and .dxf
Service areaBavaria and Baden-Württemberg from our Erding base – 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

  1. You describe the question – the more specific it is, the tighter the grid.
  2. The radar covers the area or structure on a grid; anything conspicuous is re-measured more closely.
  3. Finds are marked on site, with position and depth.
  4. On request the finds are surveyed in with GPS or total station – down to your GIS or CAD.
  5. 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.

Employee holds a survey rod with a round antenna upright in an open field and operates the display, colleagues in the background

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.

Ground penetrating radar in use in an excavation pit

Costs and effort

Charged by area and question from Erding. 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.

How does this differ from the 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.

Describe your case

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

  1. We read your message and match the case to a method.
  2. We come back to you – usually with a question that shortens the appointment.
  3. We confirm the appointment and what it costs before anyone sets off.

Rather talk?
+49 (0) 173 6842932

Describe your case

Fields marked Required must be filled in.

For example: what caught your attention, where the section lies, what has already been measured or switched.

A few quick ticks – if you like

All optional. Tick whatever fits – several answers are fine. Whatever you don’t know, just leave blank.

What do you need?
How large is the area, roughly?
Are there as-built plans?
Section, street or manhole number – whatever is designated.
Up to eight files, each up to 12 MB, 40 MB in total. JPG, PNG, HEIC, WebP or PDF. Most helpful: the as-built plan of the section and the latest series of readings.

Telephone or email – we need one of the two to answer you.

How we handle your details is set out in the privacy notice (in German).

We will come back to you. Your details go exclusively to dienstleistung@cft.at and are not passed on.

Describe your case.

Fastest by telephone – then we settle straight away which method fits and what you should prepare.

Call us +49 (0) 173 6842932

Or write to office@cft-de.de.

We do not come to search. We are here to find.

The evolution of pipe and cable locating, from right to left: dowsing rod, probing rod, electromagnetic receiver, ground penetrating radar.