# Can a building have broken bones? (X-raying)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-building-have-broken-bones-x-raying/528724>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 12, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-building-have-broken-bones-x-raying/528724 "2010-02-12T16:30:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![culture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@culture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/culture)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-building-have-broken-bones-x-raying/528724/21 "2010-02-14T20:39:20Z")

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> [@Snnipe\_70E](#):
>
> My experience.  
> 1st retail store saw cut through the floor to b ring plumming through. Did not X ray. Twang they found and went through a PT cable.
> 
> 2nd 4 story garage building. X rayed slab before drilling for anchor bolts on new doors.
> 
> 3rd 4 Brand new 5 story office building. X rayed before doing major TIs.
> 
> 4th 14 story office building. If we are going to drill in the slab in anypart of the building we are not to drill deeper than 2 inches, with out getting a x ray first.

Were these actual x-rays, with a radioactive source, or are you using the term generically to refer to something that looked into the slab using some sort of technology that may or may not have used a radioactive source?

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**Author:** ![culture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@culture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/culture)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-building-have-broken-bones-x-raying/528724/22 "2010-02-14T20:41:18Z")

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> [@Snnipe\_70E](#):
>
> If the occupants are in the way of doing GPR then it is done after hours. Tenants come before building changes.

That is also my experience.

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**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-building-have-broken-bones-x-raying/528724/23 "2010-02-14T21:01:19Z")

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> [@culture](#):
>
> Were these actual x-rays, with a radioactive source, or are you using the term generically to refer to something that looked into the slab using some sort of technology that may or may not have used a radioactive source?

They put film on top or the concrete. Put the gun with colbolt (I believe) on floor below and opened shutter. Developed film and then marked marked the concrete. So they were x-raying.

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**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-building-have-broken-bones-x-raying/528724/24 "2010-02-15T00:30:47Z")

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They are looking for Jimmy Hoffa.

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**Author:** ![culture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@culture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/culture)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-building-have-broken-bones-x-raying/528724/25 "2010-02-15T02:27:43Z")

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> [@Snnipe\_70E](#):
>
> They put film on top or the concrete. Put the gun with colbolt (I believe) on floor below and opened shutter. Developed film and then marked marked the concrete. So they were x-raying.

Yep. Can’t disagree with that.

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