Aggregate Testing Equipment

A majority of materials used in construction contain Aggregate. In general it is normal to test Aggregates for properties which include particle size, distribution, shape and texture; relative densities, Bulk and compacted; mechanical properties; soundness and resistance to attack by chemicals. It is important to remember that the properties of a material which are important to one construction may not be important in another. This can be seen in the example of pavement courses; resistance to polishing in the base-course is irrelevant, but in the wearing course this property is paramount.

To view a selection of our most popular ranges within the Aggregates testing sector, click on the Aggregate link to the left

Asphalt Testing Equipment

Bituminous materials as used in the construction of roads consist of two major ingredients; Aggregates and binder. The binder is usually bitumen (known as asphalt in the USA) and the Aggregates used are wide ranging and often dependant upon the materials available locally.

To ensure a uniform quality of pavement or road, it is essential that the properties of the materials incorporated into an asphalt are inspected for a variety of characteristics. If for example in a road surface the Aggregate used is of a rounded shape, it could seriously reduce the ability of a vehicle's tyres to grip the surface and result in skidding. On the other hand if the Aggregate is too sharp and angular the result could be excessive tyre wear and even breaking up of the road surface.

There are a series of national and international standards which clearly describe the acceptable characteristics and properties of materials used in the construction of roads and pavements. These standards also describe the methods and equipment which should be used to inspect these properties.

To view some of the equipment in our asphalt testing equipment sector, click on the Asphalt Link to the left

Concrete Testing Equipment

Concrete is an extremely versatile materials which can be moulded, pumped or poured into almost any shape or form. Once hardened concrete is a solid material with excellent load bearing capabilities as well structural and decorative properties.

Manufactured from 3 basic ingredients we again see Aggregates which are incorporated alongside cement and water.

Aggregates make up the largest portion of concrete and they may be naturally occurring Aggregates such as gravels from rivers, or quarried and crushed rock. A variety of other materials may substitute some or all of the Aggregate and these include materials like colliery wastes, recycled crushed concrete and other similar materials.

Cement (normally Portland Cement) is the man made material with several different forms and wide ranging properties. These include:
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) - A high quality cement for general use, and is the most commonly used cement. OPC is suitable for a wide range of applications where no special or unusual considerations arise. Typical applications include use in general ready-mixed and site-mixed concrete, pre-cast and prestressed concrete, masonry, mortars, renders and grouts. OPC is also suitable for use with a wide range of approved additives and admixtures.
Rapid Hardening Portland Cements (RHPC) - Used when a higher than normal early age strength is required and in the manufacture of concrete masonry, urgent repair work and cold weather concreting,
Low Heat Portland Cements (LHPC) - Used primarily for extremely large structures. The rate of hydration in LHPC is reduced and therefore so is the heat produced. This is beneficial when forming large structures such as dams, when the shear size of the construction means heat can not easily escape.
Sulphate Resistant Portland Cement (SRPC) - A special purpose cement used when sulphates may be present in the ground. Sulphates in concentration would damage OPC and could result in structural failures and other problems. Typical applications include concrete structures in sewage treatment works and sub-structures on reclaimed ground.

Water is the final ingredient and is used to form the chemical reaction with the cement allowing the required hydration and hardening process to begin. The quality of the water is not a major concern providing it is clean and free from impurities and has a low silt content.

To view some of the equipment in our concrete testing equipment sector, click on the Concrete Link to the left

Soils Testing Equipment

Soil is made up of different sized particles of minerals (sand, silt and clay) organic matter and various living organisms. Therefore soil has physical, chemical and biological properties. These properties can be assessed individualy to gain a true measure of the soils properties.

The soils can be assessed using methods such as the California Bearing Ratio to determine the bearing capacity. Particle size distribution can be measured using sieving or sedimentation procedues, and permiability is measured in clays and silt using the falling head permiabilty cell. There are many other properties which can be assessed with a wide variety of tests and equipment.

An engineer needs to perform a range of initial tests to determine certain characteristics of the soils before a project can proceed. These preliminary test may influence the programme of inspection for the remainder of the project.

Tests can be performed for the determination of mechanical properties such as point load strength, Bulk density (dry and moist), measurements of compaction (standard and modified Proctor), consolidation, Atterberg limits, grain-size distribution (sieve and hydrometer), particle specific gravity, unsaturated moisture diffusivity, unconfined compressive strength, moisture content, and hydraulic conductivity.

To view some of the equipment in our soils testing equipment sector, click on the Soils Link to the left