We typically think of location technology (like concrete x-ray or ground-penetrating radar) as being used for construction jobs. Much of our work is on exactly this type of work, whether it be utility location, post tension cable location, or using x-ray on vertical concrete columns. But there are other uses for this technology. In one recent case, we were able to use this technology to bring closure to the loved ones of a victim of violence.
In 1963, four small girls were killed in a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, orchestrated by the Ku Klux Klan. One of those victims, Addie Made Collins, was buried at a local cemetery, but the plot where her headstone rests was found empty in 1998. Following work by an investigative team, it was determined that her body might be buried behind her headstone. That’s where ART Locating came in.
Using ground-penetrating radar, we were able to search the area behind the tombstone and find a child-size casket. The location of missing bodies using ground penetrating radar is a frequent practice, and yet another example of the great asset this technology is.