Construction Material Tests

In Situ Testing

Fresh Concrete-  Earth Fill-  Existing Reinforced Concrete

• Properties of fresh concrete: consistency and workability (slump test), density, temperature, and air content
• Properties of earth fill and pavement subsoil layers: field density (sand cone test), moisture content (speedy test), plate loading test, and Field California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
• Evaluating properties of an existing reinforced concrete structural element in the field: compressive strength by rebound test (Schmidt hummer), uniformity (using ultrasonic velocity test), cover thickness and/or the reinforcement ratio (using the Cover Meter), and loading tests

Laboratory Testing

Cement-  Aggregate-  Concrete-  Brick-  Water-  Mortar-  Bitumen

• Cement: fineness of cement (Blain Air Permeability Test), soundness (Le chateier), compressive strength of standard mortar, setting time (using Vicate apparatus), and full chemical analysis
• Aggregate: sieve analysis, soundness, resistance to abrasion (using Los Angeles machine), organic impurities in fine aggregates, crushing value of coarse aggregates, alkali reactivity by chemical and rock cylinder methods, and determination of total dissolved salts, chlorides, and sulphate
• Concrete: compressive strength of hardened concrete samples, compressive strength and chemical analysis of concrete core samples drilled from an existing concrete element, flexural strength, indirect tensile strength, modulus of elasticity
• Brick & Block Work: check of dimensions, density, absorption, compressive strength, efflorescence
• Chemical analysis of water to determine its acceptance criteria for use in mixing and curing concrete (e.g., PH-sulfate-chloride-carbonate contents-total dissolved salts)
• Chemical mortar: compressive strength, bond strength, length change, and exposure (such as to acids, oil, high temperature)
• Bituminous material: extraction of bitumen from bituminous paving mixtures, coating and stripping of bitumen-aggregate mixture, resistance to plastic flow of bituminous mixtures (using Marshall apparatus), stability of bituminous mixtures (using Marshall apparatus)
• Earth fill and pavement subsoil layers: dry density/moisture content relationship (Proctor test) and California Bearing Ratio (CBR)

Equipment

• Five crushing machines + Five sets of sieves + Seven clump test apparatus + Three Vicar test apparatus + Three air permeability tests (Blain)
• Two air pressure meters for measuring the air content of fresh concrete + Six concrete thermometers
• 24 steel cube forms for mortar 5x5x5 cm, according to ASTM + 18 steel cube forms for mortar + 7x7x7 cm according to BS and ES + 66 steel cylinder forms 15 cm in diameter and 30 cm in height, according to ASTM + 96 steel cube forms 15x15x15 cm, according to BS and ES + Eight steel forms for concrete 10x10x40 cm, according to BS and ES
• Two aggregate shakers + Two vibrators for cube mortar + Four electronic scales + One 10-ton triaxial compression machine with 10 proving rings, load cells, strain transducers, pore water pressure transducers, and accessories for all triaxial tests + Two 5-ton triaxial compression machines
• One data logger with digital display (10 channels to record/print triaxial test data) + 10 odometers with accessories and cell diameters of 5, 7, and 10 cm + One automatic compactor with molds + Three manual compactors with molds, rammers, etc.
• Two shear box apparatus + One ring shear apparatus + Five liquid limit apparatus + One falling head permeability test apparatus + One constant head permeability test apparatus
• Two balances with accuracy of 0.01 gm and 3 kg capacity + Two balances with accuracy of 0.01 gm and 1.6 kg capacity + Four balances with accuracy of 0.01 gm and 20 kg capacity
• Four conventional ovens + Three mechanical shakers with five sets of sieves
• One muffle 1600oc + One digital pH meter + Chemicals for the determination of TDS, SO3, CL for soil and water
• One complete plate bearing test apparatus + Point load test apparatus

Official Materials Laboratory Testing

[Steel = Tension, Cold bend, Chemical] [Concrete = Petrographic, Abrasion] [Aggregate = Petrographic] [Welds = Ultrasonic]

The testing of certain materials is conducted in official laboratories. Our QC engineers monitor and assure that each test performed off-site meets project specifications and quality standards.