What do you know about (Pachometer)? And what are the advantages of using it?

A pachometer (covermeter) is used to detect the presence of ferromagnetic materials (e.g. steel and iron) embedded in concrete.  Its primary use is to determine the thickness of the concrete cover over the steel reinforcement, hence the name, covermeter.  The pachometer operates by generating a magnetic field and measuring the reaction between the magnetic field and the metal.  The intensity of the response is then related to the location and size of the embedded material.

A pachometer is most commonly applied to detect and identify (i.e. size and location):

• Reinforcing steel bars,
• Prestressed or post-tensioned tendons,
• Wire mesh
• Steel pipes
• Steel conduit, and
• Steel embedments

The primary advantages of the pachometer are:

• Depth measurements are accurate to 0.1 inches
• Quick inexpensive technique (when compared to radiography and radar)
• Immediate on-site test results
• Only requires access to one side of concrete slab or wall