Marek Helm and Andi Hektor share how GScan’s innovative technology is uncovering the condition of construction
My background is really diverse,” begins Marek Helm, CEO of GScan. “I worked for the Estonian Government for 20 years as Director of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, managing a 1500-strong team, working on reform and implementing e-Tax, which is an electronic tax filing system. This experience led me to the private sector roughly eight years ago, and I moved to the Middle East, and worked in Gulf Cooperation Council countries for an Estonian IT company. A couple of years ago, I came back to Estonia and was approached by GScan to take over as CEO.”
GScan’s pioneering technology uses naturally occurring, cosmic ray induced muons, electrons and positrons as the source for performing 3D scanning and chemical composition analysis. This can pinpoint defects across the built environment and infrastructure to one-millimetre accuracy. Utilising a natural source makes every GScan system radiation safe, incurring no harm to the surrounding people nor the environment itself.
GScan’s muonFLUX technology modules enable a world-leading one-millimetre imaging accuracy, ensuring that no threat goes undetected. Due to the nature of muons, the system can see through every material up to 20 metres in thickness, whilst achieving unrivalled spatial and chemical resolution. Having focused on scalability, reliability and minimal carbon footprint throughout development, GScan’s systems have no moving parts, are energy efficient and produce no hazardous waste throughout their lifespan, nor after it, thereby ensuring steps towards a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future.
Experts agree that the greenest assets are the ones already built. GScan’s technology allows customers to make informed decisions about how to optimise reconstruction effort, capital expenditure, and environmental impact. Sustaining existing infrastructure potentially saves up to 60 per cent in construction carbon emissions, saving millions of tonnes of carbon, and providing significant reductions in reconstruction costs.
GScan’s muonFLUX Infra detectors have been used in Estonia and the UK for non-destructive testing, including 3D scanning, mapping, and performing atomic detection, of the now-defunct nuclear reactors on the training site for nuclear submariners. The reactors and radioactive waste have been buried in concrete within the submarine bodies, which are further surrounded by a concrete sarcophagus. To minimise the risks of dismantling the site, the client needed a high-resolution 3D image and atomic composition analysis for the site. GScan collected the crucial data to ensure a safe work environment for the disassembling process.
“There are huge benefits to this novel technology, when compared to what is currently being used, such as ultrasound and X-ray solutions. The technology is a non-invasive technique which uses cosmic ray particles to see inside solid objects, detecting changes in density and composition, and therefore enabling the creation of 3D models of interiors. The technology can penetrate any material and go far further than the current solutions that operate at a maximum of half a metre. For example, it’s possible to see what’s happening inside the structure of a bridge, to examine the metal composition and determine the state of the structure and whether any areas are corroded.”
Marek notes that Estonia provided limited opportunity for the expansion of GScan, but it has been fortunate to find a forward-thinking client in the UK. “The civil engineering world generally needs to be quite conservative to mitigate risk. As such, it’s very rare that the sector demonstrates a start-up mentality. We experienced the opposite however when we worked with National Highways,” he explains.
The National Highways project in collaboration with Atkins-Jacobs JV, involved the testing of innovative technologies for measurement and condition assessment of post-tensioned bridges. GScan’s muonFLUX Infra AI scanning solution was used to measure a sample module of demolished post-tensioned bridge, to map the internal geometry of the reinforced concrete structure and collect data regarding the changes in condition. Utilising natural radiation particles, the screening equipment can detect damages to internal structures and changes in chemical composition induced by carbonation, chloride ingress, and corrosion.
“National Highways was a real champion of our technology, and the project was the first time it was used in this market. As such, we’re eagerly using the experience and opportunity to extend our business to other countries. It’s important to realise that in Europe, infrastructure is aging. Fifty per cent of bridges, for example, are over 50 years old, many having been built after the Second World War, and it’s crucial to understand the condition of assets such as these to be able to plan and predict maintenance in a smarter way.
“Infrastructure is essential to keeping economies going. We believe that the built environment will become more and more innovative. Smaller case uses, such as the National Highways project, will help to roll the technology out to more projects and diversified applications. We want to offer asset owners and civil engineering companies, asset structural health monitoring to facilitate predictive maintenance models and more efficient operation.”
As the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder of GScan, Andi Hektor embodies academic research and entrepreneurial spirit. With over two decades in academic research including at CERN and three years in entrepreneurship, his background is in physics, computer science, and deeptech. At GScan, Andi applies his expertise to revolutionise industries like civil engineering by translating complex scientific concepts into practical, industry-changing solutions.
“We can apply this technology in real life to help society,” Andi explains. “Fundamental science is very important, but it’s also crucial to be able to apply it to technology that brings wider benefits. A lot of money has been spent on its development, so our thanks go to our existing and future customers who are eager to apply and test potential applications of our technology.”
GScan is committed to innovation and excellence in production, contributing to the Estonian economy as well as expanding into the UK and Germany. The company has successfully applied its technology to the built world and nuclear sectors, providing invaluable accurate data to increase safety and reduce maintenance costs of public built infrastructures, particularly the 100,000 bridges across Europe and beyond.