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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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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.
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.
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.
Although Alkali-Silica Reactivity (ASR) has created problems in concrete mixtures for centuries, the mechanism was not understood and documented until the mid-1930s. ASR is now recognized as a significant cause of concrete deterioration anywhere in the world where siliceous aggregates are found. In this blog article, we discuss what ASR is, the effect it has on concrete, prevention, and the equipment to use for testing.
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.
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.
Balanced Mix Design is a practical and common-sense approach to constructing long-lasting asphalt pavements. The design of asphalt mixes traditionally follows a prescriptive, volumetric path. Materials are selected and combined to meet the requirements of the specification with little evidence of what their real performance will be in a localized application or a certain environment. Researchers and practitioners alike have concluded that just mixing the specified ingredients in the stated volumes is a poor predictor of long-term asphalt pavement performance. As one prominent paving engineer put it, “Let’s stop using the recipe to determine if the cake is good.”
The corrosion of reinforcing steel is a significant and preventable problem that shortens the useful lifespan of concrete structures. The mechanisms for its development and how it eventually damages the concrete structures it was designed to protect have been well-known for over 100 years. Similar to progressive disease, early detection and monitoring are the most effective strategies to minimize problems. Fortunately, innovative nondestructive instruments are making it easier and more efficient to find, follow, and repair corrosion before extensive damage occurs.
Testing the properties of hardened concrete is central to evaluating a structure, whether it is decades old or still under construction. In-place testing of concrete is a significant part of assessing an existing structure's safety and physical condition for routine maintenance before modifications. This blog post will discuss in-place and nondestructive methods and equipment to measure concrete strength.
Test sieves are simple devices, but they are still scientific instruments and the most cost-effective and widely used particle sizing and gradation testing method. This blog article will cover the accuracy verification of sieves, agitation and sieve shakers, accessories, and wet-wash sieves.
