Construction Material Testing
Whether on site or in the laboratory, B&A’s certified technicians are there to measure and report on the materials installed in your strucutre.
Our Services
Geotechnical Consulting
Inspections & Testing
“When you need your consultant ON-TIME and ON-SITE – We’re There”
Natural and Engineered Soils and Fills (Field)
Compaction testing is an important part of building a structure – it often required. In-place density testing (IPDT) is used to ensure that fill materials have been properly placed.
Typical tests, standards and/or methods:
- D698 – Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Standard Effort
- D1557 – Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Modified Effort
- D6938 – Standard Test Methods for In-Place Density and Water Content of Soil and Soil-Aggregate by Nuclear Methods
Concrete, Grout, and Mortar (Field)
Field testing of concrete and masonry is also one of the most-often requested services. Certified sampling and field testing is critical to make sure mix designs have been adheared to.
Typical tests, standards and/or methods:
- C172 – Standard Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete
- C1064 – Standard Test Method for Temperature of Freshly Mixed Hydraulic-Cement Concrete
- C143 – Standard Test Method for Slump of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete
- C173 – Standard Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Volumetric Method
- C138 – Standard Test Method for Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete
- C31 – Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field
- C1019 – Standard Test Method for Sampling and Testing Grout
Natural and Engineered Soils and Fills (Lab)
Field testing is an important part of building a structure. Often filed testing needs to be complememted with laboratory testing. Lab tests help define the properties of the soils, and standard index tests are key to describing a material and its capabilities.
Typical test, standards and/or methods:
- D698/D1557– Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Standard/Modified Effort
- D4829 – Standard Test Method for Expansion Index of Soils
- D2216 – Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass
- D2974 – Standard Test Methods for Moisture, Ash, and Organic Matter of Peat and Other Organic Soils
- D2487 – Standard Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)
- D4318 – Standard Test Methods for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils
- D6913 – Standard Test Methods for Particle-Size Distribution (Gradation) of Soils Using Sieve Analysis
- D7928 – Standard Test Method for Particle-Size Distribution (Gradation) of Fine-Grained Soils Using the Sedimentation (Hydrometer)
Concrete, Grout, and Mortar (Lab)
During field testing, concrete and masonry specimens are typically cast, left to cure, and then brought to the lab for strength testing.
Typical tests and standards:
- C39 – Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
- C109 – Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars (Using 2-in. Cube Specimens)
- C1314 – Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Masonry Prisms
- C192 – Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Laboratory
- C1329 – Standard Specification for Mortar Cement