Profoscope Proceq Operating Instructions Manual

profoscope

www.proceq.com

...more than 50 years of know-how you can measure!

Operating Instructions

Rebar Detector

and Covermeter

Getting Started

A start-up test kit is provided with the packaging to help
you familiarize yourself with the instrument.

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First time user: Complete the tutorial OR see a
demo by a qualified Proceq representative.

1. Verify that there are no metal items on hands, fingers,
or in the vicinity of test area, (metal trolleys etc.)

2. Power on: Press the ON/OFF button on the top
panel.

3. Reset the instrument.

4. Check the location of the Measurement Center (MC)
which indicates the center of the probe.

MC

5. Check the operation with the start-up test kit and confirm:

- The location and orientation of the rebars

- The position between two rebars

- Cover depths 15mm / 0.59” and 60 mm / 2.36”

- Diameter 16 mm / #5

Congratulations! Your new Profoscope is fully operational
and you can now continue with your measurements.

Performing a Reset

The pulse induction measuring principle is liable to drift
with temperature and other external influences. Performing
a reset corrects for any drift and ensures accurate meas­urements. We recommend a reset every 5 minutes or so.

On power on, the Profoscope re­minds the user to perform a reset.

Hold the Profoscope in free space (no metal within a
40cm / 16” sphere) and press the reset key. The dis­play rotates for approximately 2.5s while the reset is car­ried out.

2 © 2008 by Proceq SA

© 2008 by Proceq SA 5

Table of Contents

Getting Started 2
Overview of the Profoscope 3
The Profoscope Display 4

1 Safety and Liability 6

1.1 Safety and Usage Precautions 6

1.2 Liability 6

1.3 Safety Instructions 6

1.4 Labelling Used in the Manual 6

2 Tutorial 7

2.1 The Measurement Principle 7

2.2 The Measuring Range 8

2.3 Factors Affecting the Measurement 8

2.3.1 Errors due to Neighboring Bars 8

2.3.2 Resolution 9

2.3.3 Effect of Setting Incorrect Bar Diameter 10

2.3.4 Factors Affecting Diameter Determination 11

2.3.5 Orientation 11

3 Real Tests 12

3.1 Preparation 13

3.2 Locate a Rebar 13

3.2.1 Finding a Rebar 13

3.2.2 Check the Orientation 16

3.2.3 Verification 17

3.2.4 Locate a Mid Point 17

3.2.5 Map out the Rebar Grid 17

3.2.6 Advanced Settings (Measuring Range) 18

3.3 Measure Cover Depth 18

3.3.1 Set the Rebar Diameter 18

3.3.2 Read the Cover Depth 19

3.3.3 Advanced Settings (Neighboring Rebar Correction) 19

3.3.4 Advanced Settings (Minimum Cover Alert) 19

3.4 Measure Rebar Diameter 20

3.4.1 Determining Unknown Rebar Diameter 20

3.4.2 Create a Rebar Grid 20

3.4.3 Work with a Default Value 21

3.4.4 Drill Inspection Hole 21

4 General Settings 22

4.1 Navigating 22

4.2 Regional Setting 22

4.3 Bar Diameter 23

4.4 Measuring Range Selection 23

4.5 Audio Setting 24

4.6 Minimum Cover 24

4.7 Neighboring Bar Compensation 24

5 Technical Specifications 25
6 Part Numbers and Accessories 26
7 Maintenance and Support 27

7.1 Replacing the Protective Cover 27

7.2 Support Concept 27

Subject to change without notice.
820 39 101E ver 09 2008

6 © 2008 by Proceq SA

1 Safety and Liability

1.1 Safety and Usage Precautions

This manual contains important information on the safety,
use and maintenance of the Profoscope. Read through
the manual carefully before the first use of the instrument.
Keep the manual in a safe place for future reference.

1.2 Liability

Our “General Terms and Conditions of Sale and Delivery”
apply in all cases. Warranty and liability claims arising from
personal injury and damage to property cannot be upheld
if they are due to one or more of the following causes:

Failure to use the instrument in accordance with its •
designated use as described in this manual.

• Incorrectperformancecheckforoperationandmainte­nance of the instrument and its components.

• Failuretoadheretothesectionsofthemanualdealing

with the performance check, operation and mainte­nance of the instrument and its components.

• Unauthorized structural modications to the instru­ment and its components.

• Serious damage resulting from the effects of foreign

bodies, accidents, vandalism and force majeure.

All information contained in this documentation is pre­sented in good faith and believed to be correct. Proceq
SA makes no warranties and excludes all liability as to the
completeness and/or accuracy of the information.

1.3 Safety Instructions

The instrument is not allowed to be operated by children
or anyone under the influence of alcohol, drugs or phar­maceutical preparations. Anyone who is not familiar with
this manual must be supervised when using the instru­ment.

1.4 Labelling Used in the Manual

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Note: This symbol indicates important infor­mation.

Safety

© 2008 by Proceq SA 7

2 Tutorial

2.1 The Measurement Principle

The Profoscope uses electromagnetic pulse induction
technology to detect rebars.
Coils in the probe are periodically charged by current
pulses and thus generate a magnetic field.
On the surface of any electrically conductive material
which is in the magnetic field eddy currents are produced.
They induce a magnetic field in opposite direction. The
resulting change in voltage can be utilized for the meas­urement.

Coils

Concrete Magnetic Field

Rebar

The Profoscope uses different coil arrangements to gene­rate several magnetic fields. Advanced signal processing
allows

1. Localization of a rebar

2. Localization of the mid-point between rebars

3. Determination of the cover

4. Estimation of the bar diameter

This method is unaffected by all non conductive materials
such as concrete*, wood, plastics, bricks etc. However
any kind of conductive materials within the magnetic field
(approx. 400 mm / 16” sphere) will have an influence on
the measurement.

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Note: Remove all metallic objects such as rings
and watches before you start measuring.

* Some concrete types and other structural materials may
have metallic content.

Tutorial

8 © 2008 by Proceq SA

2.2 The Measuring Range

The pulse induction principle used by Profoscope has a
defined range of operation.
The measuring range is dependent on the bar size. The
expected accuracy of the cover measurement is indicated
in the graphic below. (Complies with BS1881 part 204, for
a single rebar with sufficient spacing).

long measuring

range

Cover depth

measuring accuracy

short measuring

range

Bar size

2.3 Factors Affecting the Measurement

2.3.1 Errors due to Neighboring Bars

All rebars within the sphere of influence affect the reading.

Sphere of influence
400 mm /16 inch

MC

Neighboring bars close to the target bar result in an under­estimated cover value and an overestimated bar dia­meter.

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Note: This effect can be reduced by the neigh­boring bar correction implemented in the Profo­scope.

Tutorial

© 2008 by Proceq SA 9

2.3.2 Resolution

There is a limit on the minimum spacing of bars depend­ing on the cover depth. It is impossible to distinguish be­tween individual bars below these limits.
(For the depth at which bars of different sizes can be de­tected at all – see 2.2)

short measuring

range

Cover depth

Bar spacing

long measuring

range

rebars can be

separated

Cover

Bar spacing

Tutorial

10 © 2008 by Proceq SA

2.3.3 Effect of Setting Incorrect Bar Diameter

The accuracy of the cover measurement is also depend­ent on setting the correct bar diameter.
The following two charts give an estimation of the error in
percentage of the cover reading for different rebar sizes if
a default size of 16mm (#5) is set.

For the short range:

Cover depth

Error

For the long range:

Cover depth

Error

Tutorial

© 2008 by Proceq SA 11

2.3.4 Factors Affecting Diameter Determination

Two factors affect the determination of the rebar diameter.
One is the cover depth. Diameter can be determined for
rebars with cover not exceeding 80% of the small range.
(64 mm, 2.5”)

The second is the separation between neighboring bars.
The separation between the bars must be greater than the
limits shown in the drawing below (with reference to the
MC) for accurate determination of diameter.

2.3.5 Orientation

The strongest signal results when the center line of the
probe is parallel to a bar. The center line in the Profoscope
is the long axis of the instrument. This property is used to
help determine the orientation of the rebars.

Tutorial