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Blog posts tagged with 'Equipment Selection Guide'

Have questions about your materials testing equipment?  We have the answers to these questions and much more right here! Check back monthly for long-form blog posts, how-to guides and infographics. We’ll address industry insights, the operation and maintenance of specific equipment, and our product line recommendations, all designed to better serve you.

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Chutes & Hoppers: Development of the Gilson Universal Splitter

Riffle splitters were a popular tool in sampling and dividing, but had limitations, such as a narrow particle size range, uneven particle distribution, and poorly divided samples. To solve these issues, Gilson designed the Universal Splitter models with adjustable chute widths, a closed hopper to evenly distribute samples, and other features to produce more accurate and efficient sampling and dividing results.

Concrete Slump Testing: Test Methods, Equipment, and Testing Techniques

Concrete slump testing is the most common test performed on fresh concrete for any application. It is a significant factor when evaluating a concrete batch's compliance with the approved mix design and an eleventh-hour check of its suitability for placement. For this post, we focus on the slump test, how to perform it properly, and the best testing equipment to use.

Sulfur Capping Concrete Test Cylinders: Equipment & Techniques

The two most popular types of end treatment for cylindrical concrete specimens are sulfur mortar capping and neoprene compression pads. Both have their advantages. Neoprene pads are convenient and reusable many times over. Sulfur mortar is economical when testing large numbers of cylinders, and is often the preferred end treatment for cylinders because of its long history of use. Reliable strength results and consistent display of fracture patterns are predictable and well understood. In this article, we go over the equipment and techniques used for sulfur mortar capping.

Factoring in Flowability of Granular Materials: Sieving and Sizing

Test methods for dry granular materials must be built around the flowability of the material. No sampling, sizing, or handling method can be performed accurately or efficiently if it does not work in harmony with the material's flow properties.

Asphalt Mix Design Methods Compared: Hveem, Marshall, Superpave, and BMD

The list of essential ingredients for hot mix asphalt is exceedingly short for a composite material with such complex characteristics: asphaltic cement and mineral aggregates. Modern, flexible pavements with different mix designs are simply variations in the properties and ratios of the essential ingredients and adjustments to temperatures, handling, and placement methods. This article is an overview of past and present asphalt mix design methods and equipment, including Hveem, Marshall, Superpave, and Balanced Mix Design (BMD).

Factoring in Flowability of Granular Materials: Choosing the Best Lab Equipment

Every stage of sampling, dividing, and testing granular material is affected by its flow properties. Understanding a particular material and the unique factors that impact its flowability increases the efficiency and accuracy of your laboratory testing and can even help control your budget. In this article, we discuss what equipment is best suited for your testing application.

Sieving and Screening Accessories for Better Testing

Particle sizing with test sieves is a hands-on process with many small, repetitive tasks that must be carried out properly. Selecting the right accessories for each job and using them correctly makes the work faster and easier, but it also significantly affects testing efficiency, accuracy, and repeatability. This article closely examines the tools that optimize test sieving procedures and ensure your sieves meet the requirements of standard test methods.

Aggregate Shape and Texture, Tests and Testing Equipment

Construction aggregates are traditionally mined or extracted from natural sand and gravel deposits or geological rock formations, then further crushed and sorted into size fractions for blending. In this blog article, we discuss the tests and equipment to determine the characterization of aggregate shape properties for roads and structures.

Soil Field Testing: Physical Properties of Soil

Soil is a natural material and is sometimes employed as a construction material without modification. It is crucial to understand how it performs in its original (in-situ) environment. For this article, we will examine various field tests of soil and the equipment required to perform them.

Portable Field Scales: A Guide to Features and Selection

Some test methods must be performed on the spot to ensure that the best products are being produced or placed following specified procedures. Portable weighing devices are especially important to operate accurately and conveniently in remote locations. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what to look for when choosing one.