Construction Observation and Materials Testing

Services / Construction Phase Services / Construction Observation and Materials Testing

We take construction materials testing very seriously. We set ourselves apart from our competition with our knowledgeable and experienced onsite technicians, who not only report observations and verify results but troubleshoot issues as soon as they arise, reducing time and money otherwise wrapped up in request for information (RFI) or other clarification-related processes.

Our engineering personnel develop a deep understanding of project requirements and design and are only a phone call or short drive away when more complicated issues develop. Through an in-house training program, our staff completes relevant training modules before performing different services independently in the field. Our field personnel training programs and quality control procedures meet or exceed standards in the industry today.

Observation and testing and Special Inspections services during construction include monitoring of earthwork, foundation, and pavement construction; materials testing including concrete, masonry, steel, and fireproofing; and other additional testing necessary to meet requirements outlined in the International Building Code or by other regulatory groups such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). Confirming that conditions anticipated during the design phase match actual conditions during construction is essential to a successful project. Our construction testing staff provides test data for the project records, and also observes the contractor’s operations for compliance with the design and project specifications.

We also provide a wide range of field materials evaluation techniques for existing structures such as dams, roads, bridges, parking decks, treatment plants, and buildings. These include geophysical methods such as GPR, half-cell, impact echo, UPV, as well as destructive and non-destructive materials testing such as rebound hammer, Windsor Probe, PIT, concrete sounding, vapor emission, relative humidity, and sampling of hardened asphalt and concrete for laboratory testing such as density, compressive strength, chloride content, and petrographic analysis.

Construction Support Services

  • Foundation and earthwork oversight
  • Construction materials testing
  • Special Inspections
  • Owner representative
  • Vibration monitoring pre-construction condition surveys

Foundations and Earthwork

  • Shallow foundations
  • Deep foundations
  • Dynamic pile testing
  • Static load testing
  • Tiebacks
  • Field density testing
  • Ground improvement verification testing
  • Soil laboratory testing
  • Subgrades

Laboratory Materials Testing

  • Soil and materials laboratory certified by AMRL, CCRL, and USACE

Concrete and Masonry Construction

  • Field and laboratory testing
  • Floor flatness
  • Masonry placement
  • Mortar and grout testing
  • Non-destructive and destructive testing and sampling of hardened concrete
  • Post tensioning
  • Steel reinforcement

Asphalt Pavements

  • Pavement subgrade observation
  • Asphalt placement observation and testing
  • Coring of in-place asphaltic concrete
  • Testing of asphaltic concrete for density and thickness

Special Inspections

  • Helped in development and maturation of the Special Inspections program
  • Special Inspector of Record for hundreds of projects
  • Electronic reports on inspection status to facilitate certificate of occupancy process
  • Reports entered in real-time in the field and immediately sent for review to avoid delays
  • Staff participates in certification programs by state DOTs, ACI, FACE, AWCI, AWS, and others

Structural Steel Framing

  • Certified welding inspector services
  • Spray-applied and intumescent fireproofing
  • Light gauge metal framing

Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems

  • Observation of construction