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Construction Material Testing Services / Civil Laboratory & Field Inspection Services

Civil Testing

The Material technology and testing department cover a wide range of specialized services, which extends from routine testing of construction material to consultation on complex problems related to material technology and its applications. TCR Arabia provides Civil Laboratory & Field Inspection Services for Construction materials, like Concrete, Cement, Precast concrete units, Masonry units, Natural Building stones, rocks, Soil, Aggregates, & Sand. TCR Arabia also provides Services for Structural Assessment (Delamination Surveys) / Concrete deterioration Analysis.

 

The Material testing in TCR Arabia is conducted in accordance with American Standards (ASTM), British Standards (BS), German Standards (DIN), European standards (EN), or International Standards Organization (ISO).

 

Field Sampling & Testing

Properties of fresh concrete usually determined are slump, temperature, air content, density, sampling and specimen preparation of fresh concrete. It also includes Taking samples of aggregate from stockpiles, Soil sampling from stockpile or from laydown area, Insitu density by sand replacement method and sampling of building blocks. Specialist site teams for non-destructive and destructive testing to determine the depth of cover to concrete, the condition of the reinforcement bars, crack monitoring, visual surveys, delamination surveys, UPV surveys, core and dust sampling.

 

 

Advisory Services:

We offer consultancy services on many aspects of construction and materials technology. These include an appraisal of specifications, the establishment of QA and QC schemes for material/product assessment, failure investigations and statistical analysis of performance tests. We are also able to devise test methods where no suitable standard exists.

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Purpose of Structural Audit

  • To save human life and buildings and warn against any potential threats or failures

  • To understand the condition and health of a building and to project the expected future life

  • To find critical areas that need to be attended or repaired with immediate effect

  • To comply with statutory requirements of municipal authorities

  • To proactively assist the residents and the society to understand the seriousness of the problems and the urgency required to attend to the same

  • To enhance the life cycle of a building by suggesting preventive and corrective measures like repairs and retrofitting

Users

  1. For insurance 

  2. For bank mortgage 

  3. For valuation 

  4. For structures that show distress 

  5. For damage assessment due to earthquake, fire, blast, vibration, corrosion etc. 

  6. For proposing additions, alterations and/or extensions in building/structure 

Advantage TCR: 

Our in-house structural audit team has recently carried out several evaluation engagements. The TCR advantage includes:

  1. Decades of Experience: TCR Arabia has expertise built over two decades and has partnered with several developers to undertake testing, inspection and auditing services

  2. Registered Service Provider: Registered and certified by various municipal corporations, TCR has been providing services across Government and private sectors

  3. In-house Capability: TCR is a knowledgeable and customer oriented service provider with a full-fledged set up to undertake all types of structural audit activities

  4. Cost Effectiveness: With TCR's expertise, structural irregularities are identified with ease and this mitigates the cost impact resulting from the deterioration of the building

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Structural Audit Services

A structural audit entails evaluating the overall health and performance while ensuring that the building and its premises are safe and are at no risk. A structural audit is done by an experienced and licensed structural consultant who analyses and suggests appropriate repairs and retrofitting measures required for the buildings to perform better in its service life. TCR Arabia conducts the following Delamination surveys:

 

  • Visual inspection of concrete structure (Structural assessment) – ASTM C823

  • Petrographic Examination – ASTM C856

  • Crack Mapping (Crack measurement)

  • Cutting of Concrete Core (Extraction of concrete core) – ASTM C42

  • Rebound Hammer Test for Hardened Concrete (Hardness) – ASTM C805 / BSEN 12504-2

  • Determination of ultrasonic pulse velocity – ASTM C597 / BSEN 12504-4

  • Determination of concrete cover to reinforcement (Pachometer test) – BS 1881-204

  • Pull off test (Bond Test) – ASTM D4541

TESTS CONDUCTED:

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Part A – Visual Inspection 

  1. Visual inspections of individual building / structures from inside and outside and to study present status of different structural members

  2. Study of Architectural / RCC / Structural drawings ( If available ) 

  3. Photographic Survey 

  4. Capturing multiple details including:

    • Load transfer system, 

    • Structural framing system, 

    • Structural deficiencies, 

    • Settlement if any, 

    • Cracks in RCC members, 

    • Cracks in masonry / plaster 

    • Leakages, 

    • Loads on structure, 

    • Defects in non-structural elements etc. 

  5. Identification of broad areas / locations in the structure requiring further detail investigation and for conducting various Non-Destructive Tests 

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Part B – Non Destructive Evaluation

  1. In addition to visual inspection, the real strength and  quality of a concrete structure need to be checked with non-destructive tests.

  2. A number of non-destructive tests (NDT) for concrete members are available to determine present strength and quality of concrete

  3. To Conduct Non-Destructive tests as required in detail visual inspection

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Part C – Repair & Rehabilitation Consultancy 

  1. For preparation of detailed report for  range of visual inspection & ND tests 

  2. For Interpretation of ND test results

  3. For Diagnosis & Root cause analysis of the problems / observations 

  4. For preparation of Repair & Rehabilitation scheme to make structure durable, healthy and to stand for a long life

  5. For preparation of technical specifications & draft tender document for repair and rehabilitation

  6. For preparation of cost estimates for the same

  7. For scrutinizing the tender documents

  8. For periodic inspection of work

  9. For issuing Structural Stability Certification after completion of entire job

Structural Audit
Soil Testing

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Soil Testing Services

TESTS CONDUCTED:

TCR Arabia provides world-class services for soil testing in the laboratory as well as on site. Some of the tests conducted routinely are:

CBR In Situ
CBR Laboratory, Soaked Single Point
Chloride Content
Electrical Resistivity
Linear Shrinkage 
Modified Procter Compaction Test 
Organic Matter Content
Particle Size Distribution by Hygrometer, Sieve Analysis and Hygrometer

Soil is formed by the combination of rock, organic matter and pieces of minerals, air, and water. It is considered to be the skin of the earth’s crust.  The quality of soil varies depending on its composition, strength, and type. Poor quality of the soil is one of the critical issues faced by builders. Before starting any construction on land, it should be ascertained that the land is suitable for the planned infrastructure and the soil can bear the load of the proposed building, roads, etc.  Problems and errors can be greatly avoided by conducting a study on soil and site characteristics.

 

The quality of the soil is judged by analyzing those properties which limit a planned use. Various soil and site factors need to be determined in order to check the limitations before constructing a building or a structure. Some of these include Surface texture, Permeability, Water table, Erosion hazard and Depth of soil and bedrock.

 

 

  • Soil Sampling – ASTM D75

  • Particle-Size Distribution (Gradation) of Soils – ASTM D6913/C136 / BS 1377 – Clause 9.2 & 9.3

  • Modified/Standard Proctor Test (Determination of dry density/moisture content relationship) – ASTM D1557/D698 / BS 1377-4

  • Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit & Plasticity Index (Casagrande) – ASTM D4318 / BS 1377-2 Clause 4.3/5

  • Material Finer Than # 200 Sieve (75µm) – ASTM D1140 / BSEN 933-1

  • California Bearing Ratio (CBR) – ASTM D1883 / BS 1377-4 Clause7

  • Sand equivalent value of soils and fine aggregates – ASTM D2419

  • Oversize Correction for MDD & Moisture Content – ASTM D4718 / BS 1377-4 Clause 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 & 3.6

  • Classification of Soil – ASTM D2487, D2488

  • In-situ density tests- Sand replacement method for fine, medium & coarse grained soils – ASTM D1556/1556M / BS 1377-9 Clause 2.1&2.2

 

Concrete Testing

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Concrete Testing Services

Concrete is a construction material that is composed of cement (commonly Portland cement) as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement aggregate (generally a coarse aggregate that has gravel, limestone, or granite, plus a fine aggregate such as sand), water, and chemical admixtures.  There are various methodologies for concrete testing to ensure that it maintains adequate strength and durability. If major repairs are to be executed in the concrete structure, it is often useful to check the bond strength of the material used in the concrete structure.

 

Mechanical and physical testing is performed on hardened concrete to determine values such as electrical conductance, the compressive strength of a concrete core, cube or cylinder and classify its durability. Mixing design trials are also carried out to ensure the concrete will exhibit values that are within the normal ranges.

 

  • Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars – ASTM C109/109M / BSEN 445

  • Air Content of Freshly prepared Concrete – ASTM C231 / BSEN 12350-7

  • Bleeding test of fresh concrete – ASTM C232 / BSEN 480-4

  • Water absorption for Hardened concrete – ASTM C642 / BS1881-122

  • Sampling, Dimensions, Absorption & Compressive Strength Testing of Concrete Masonry Units/Hollow Blocks – ASTM C140 / BS 6073-1&2

  • Water absorption and Bulk Specific Gravity of dimension stones (Kerbstones, Concrete flags, Beam, etc.) – ASTM C97/C97M

  • Determination of Flexural strength & Modulus of rupture of dimension stones (Kerbstones, Concrete flags, Beam, etc.) – ASTM C880 & ASTM C99

  • Unconfined compressive strength of intact rock core specimens - ASTM D2938

  • Dimension measurement, Compressive strength and Water absorption of precast Paving Blocks – ASTM C936/C936M

  • Cutting of Concrete Core (Concrete coring on site) – ASTM C42

  • Curing, Capping, Compressive Strength & Fracture Type Analysis of Concrete Cores in Laboratory - ASTM C39, C42 & C617

  • Compressive strength of dimension stone – ASTM C170

TESTS CONDUCTED:

TCR Arabia provides a wide range of concrete testing services that are conducted both, in the lab and on site. Some of the tests include:

 

Chloride Content, Permeability and Ponding 
Core Compressive Strength 
Coring: 10cm and 15cm diameter
Cube Compressive Strength 
Depth of Carbonation 
Drying Shrinkage/ wetting Expansion 
Flexural Strength 
Hammer Sounding 
Porosity 
Rebound Hammer Survey 
Sulphate Content 
Ultrasonic Survey 
Water Absorption and penetration

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Bitumen Testing Services

Bitumen is a mixture of organic liquids that are highly viscous, black, sticky, entirely soluble in carbon disulfide, and composed primarily of highly condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It is principally obtained as a residual product in petroleum refineries after higher tractions like gas, petrol, kerosene and diesel, etc., are removed generally by distillation from suitable crude oil.

 

Indian standard institutions define Bitumen as a black or dark brown non­-crystalline soil or viscous material having adhesive properties derived from petroleum crude either by natural or by refinery processes

TESTS CONDUCTED:

A range of bitumen testing services is available both on-site and in the laboratory at TCR Arabia. Some of the tests TCR routinely conducts are:

Bitumen Content
Bitumen Penetration
Flash Point
Specific Gravity
Softening Point
Paraffin Wax
Loss on Heating
Water Content
Ductility Test
Bitumen Emulsion

Bitumen Testing

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Concrete Mix Design

Concrete Mix Design is a method of selecting suitable ingredients for concrete and analyzing their relative quantities for the production of concrete. The produced concrete should be made as economically as possible with minimum properties, significant workability, durability, and strength. An accurate determination of mix proportions by using computer data is usually not possible as the materials used are essentially variable and their properties are not assessable quantitatively. 

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Concrete Mix is an extremely flexible building material which can be exclusively designed for strength and it may range from M10  to M100. A mix selection needs appropriate knowledge of concrete properties as well as experimental data especially for the person who is conducting the mix design. The objective of preparing a design mix is to achieve good quality concrete in the most economical way. Good quality concrete is dense, homogeneous and imparts better strength and durability

TESTS CONDUCTED:

TCR Arabia offers a range of concrete mix design testing services that are conducted both in the laboratory as well as on site. Some of the routine tests are:

Abrasion Resistance
Abrasion Value
Accelerated Cube Strength
Air Content & Alkali Content
Bleeding Test
Block Density
Bridge Load Test
Compressive Strength
Core Cutting
Permeability Test
Rapid Chloride Penetration Test (RCPT)

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Brick Testing Services

Bricks are categorized as the building blocks of any structural building. Thus, the quality of each and every brick needs to be good in order to avoid any serious damage in the building. A brick is a single unit made from Clay bearing soil, lime and sand or it may also be made up of concrete material.

 

Bricks are named depending upon their composition such as Burnt clay bricks, Concrete bricks, Sand lime bricks, Fly ash clay bricks and Fire clay bricks

TESTS CONDUCTED:

To analyze the quality of bricks, TCR Arabia performs several tests, which include:
Apparent Porosity and Density
Cold Crushing Strength 
Permanent Linear Change (PLC) 
Abrasion Resistance
Creep Test 
Refractoriness under load (RUL) 
Modulus of Rapture
Compressive Test
Water Absorption Test

Concrete Mix
Brick Testing
Tiles Testing

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Tiles Testing Services

Tiles are manufactured pieces of materials like stone, ceramics, glass or metals and are considered construction materials. Their major application is for usage in floors, roofs, walls, tabletops and other similar objects. Tiles are categorized on the basis of the applied manufacturing process and are classified as per their water absorption level. 

 

 

TCR Arabia is proficient in evaluating the performance of glass tiles, acid resistant tiles, ceramic tiles, stones, marbles, slates, limestone along with their respective installations. TCR provides testing facilities for all types of tiles as per various National and International Standards

TESTS CONDUCTED:

TCR tests tiles on many parameters and some of them include:

Dimension
Flexural Strength
Surface Quality
Breaking Strength
Abrasion Resistance
Compressive Strength
Impact Resistance
Thermal Expansion
Chemical Resistance
Bulk Density
Staining Resistance Materials

Mortar Testing

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Mortar Testing Services

Mortar is a mixture of lime or cement or a combination of both with water and sand. It is a paste used to bind together building blocks like stones, bricks, etc. It fills the irregular gaps between the blocks and seals them completely. Mortar is also used to add patterns or colors in the masonry walls. Cement mortar is composed of sand and aggregates of water and is used as a building compound. Water is used to hydrate the cement and hold the mixture together. It also finds application in creating smooth surfaces on walls made up of bricks and another masonry.  

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Mortar when mixed is a much thicker substance than concrete and this makes it ideal to act as glue for building materials. It hardens into a stone­like mass and distributes the load evenly over the bonding surfaces providing tight joints.

TESTS CONDUCTED:

Few of the routine tests conducted at TCR Arabia for mortar testing include:
In­Situ Metallography
 Reduced Wastage
 Accurate Content of Cement
 Consistent Strength and Quality
 Enhanced Health and Safety on Site
 Reduced Mixing and Labour Costs

Cement Testing

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Cement Testing Services

Cement testing is performed to determine if there is alteration/loss of material when in its solid state. Methods of testing include subjecting it to a high temperature to determine loss of material,  compressive strength, hand fineness among other factors to ensure that they meet the relevant international standards.  

TESTS CONDUCTED:

TCR Arabia offers testing services for cement inclusive of:

Chemical Analysis
Compressive Strength 
Fineness
Heat Of Hydration
Loss On Ignition
Physical Analysis
Setting Time 
Soundness

ToR Steel Testing

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ToR Steel Testing Services

TOR steel is one of the best grades of steel that is used in reinforced concrete and is a high adherence steel. Other types of steel are used for less resistant concrete. Thermo­mechanically Treated (TMT) bars are a type of corrosion resistant steel reinforcing bar used in concrete construction.

TESTS CONDUCTED:

TCR Arabia provides world-class services for ToR Steel testing, which is available in the laboratory as well as on site. Some of the tests are:

 Bend Test
 Chemical Analysis
 Elongation
 Ultimate Tensile Strength
 0.2% Proof Stress / Yield stress
 Mass per meter Run
 Rebend Test

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Aggregate Testing Services

TCR Arabia offers a complete range of testing services for all the construction materials including:

 

  • Sampling of Aggregates – ASTM D75 / BSEN 932-1 Clause8.8 / BS 812-102

  • Sieve Analysis of aggregates – ASTM C136 / BSEN 933-1 / BS 812-103 Section 103.1

  • Material Finer than # 200 – ASTM C117

  • Clay Lumps & Friable Particles – ASTM C142

  • Specific Gravity and Water Absorption (Particle density) – ASTM C127&C128 / BSEN 1097-6 Clause 7,8 & 9

  • Sand Equivalent Test – ASTM D2419

  • Moisture content of aggregates (oven dry method) – ASTM C566 / BS 812-109. Clause-6

  • Percentage of fractured particles in coarse aggregate – ASTM D5821

  • Soundness of aggregates by sodium sulphate and magnesium sulphate – ASTM C88

  • Test method for unit weight for aggregates – ASTM C29

Aggregate Testing
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