How Non-Intrusive Investigations Outperform Traditional Intrusive Methods

The way we investigate buildings and infrastructure is changing. For decades, engineers have relied on intrusive methods: drilling, coring, or breaking into structures, to uncover what lies beneath the surface. While these methods can work, they come with significant downsides: disruption, safety risks, added costs, and incomplete insights.

At TRACE, we believe there’s a better way. Our non-intrusive structural investigations combine advanced technology with expert interpretation to deliver faster, clearer, and more reliable answers, without the disruption of traditional techniques.

The Limitations of Intrusive Methods

Intrusive investigations are still common practice, often because they are enshrined in standards and familiar to insurers. However, engineers and project managers know their limitations: 

• Disruption to operations – intrusive testing often requires drilling or cutting, halting site activity and adding health and safety concerns. 

• Localised data only – a core or sample reveals what’s happening in one small spot but rarely gives a full picture of the structure. 

• Time and cost intensive – arranging access, reinstating works, and waiting for results all add delays and costs. 

• Risk of hidden issues – by focusing only where holes are drilled, defects or variations in other areas may be missed. 

  
  

The result? Limited information, delivered slowly, with significant disruption. 

Why Non-Intrusive Surveys Outperform

TRACE’s Non-Intrusive Analysis (NIA) is designed to solve these problems. By using specialist technologies like Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), ultrasonic tomography, and our exclusive UK access to iCAMM™ corrosion mapping, we collect large-scale, high-resolution data across entire structures, all without damage. 

Here’s how NIA outperforms intrusive methods: 

• Speed & Efficiency 

  Non-intrusive surveys can take up to 25% of the time compared to traditional methods such as tap testing. Faster surveys mean lower access costs (MEWPs, scaffolding, traffic management) and reduced project delays. 

• Comprehensive Coverage 

  Instead of single-point samples, non-intrusive surveys map entire slabs, beams, decks, or façades. This provides a holistic picture of reinforcement layouts, defects, voids, or corrosion risks. 

• Clarity & Interpretation 

  At TRACE, we don’t hand over raw radargrams or grids. Every dataset is distilled into clear, defensible reports, CAD drawings, and sketches that communicate exactly what’s happening inside the structure. Engineers can act immediately with confidence. 

• Reduced Risk 

  With fewer physical interventions, there’s less chance of damaging reinforcement, post-tensioning, or finishes. Clients avoid costly reinstatement works, while gaining better assurance on safety and compliance. 

• Better Value for Money 

  Although day rates for advanced technology can be higher, when you factor in speed, reduced disruption, and avoided rework, non-intrusive surveys often cost 50–60% less overall than traditional intrusive methods. 

Real-World Impact

From mapping complex hospital slabs to diagnosing voids in permanent formwork walls, TRACE’s NIA approach has proven its value across commercial buildings, infrastructure, and heritage assets. 

• Hospitals: hundreds of scans across slabs revealed voids, beams, and insulation layers in a single day, with results delivered in usable CAD drawings. 

• Car parks: large-scale NIA provided a detailed construction map that intrusive grids would have missed. 

• Bridges: during a post-tension special inspection (PTSI) project, over 200m of tendons across 34 ducts were scanned in just two nights using Elop Technology Insights. The data identified potential voiding, allowing targeted follow-up investigations and avoiding unnecessary disruption. 

• RAAC assessments: survey scans identified corrosion in planks non-intrusively, verified against exposed samples. 

  
  

In each case, the outcome was the same: faster, safer, clearer insights that allowed engineers to move projects forward with certainty. 

The Future is Non-Intrusive

Standards may still lean on legacy methods, but the industry is changing. Non-intrusive technologies like NIA are now robust, repeatable, and trusted, delivering insights that rival or surpass intrusive testing. 

For engineers, project managers, and asset owners, the question is no longer “Can we do this non-intrusively?” but “Why would we do it any other way?” 

At TRACE, we’re proud to lead that shift. By combining specialist tools with deep structural expertise, we are redefining structural intelligence, providing actionable evidence, not just data, without the disruption. 

Ready to reduce risk, save time, and gain clearer answers? Get in touch with TRACE to see how our non-intrusive structural surveys can support your next project.