Laboratory Services

Construction Materials: Investigation, Research
and Development

The main materials laboratories at STATS form an integrated resource centre offering chemical analysis, physical and mechanical testing and evaluation services for construction materials.

The laboratories are designed, staffed and equipped primarily for investigative and forensic work, together with providing R&D facilities for materials producers, designers and contractors.

The materials laboratories are UKAS accredited for an extensive range of standard tests and other procedures. We also deliver bespoke testing solutions to investigate a particular problem or to substantiate a specific property or characteristic of a material or component.

The work of the laboratories is closely allied to our consulting activities and an overview of the materials more commonly tested in the laboratories can be gained with reference to the pages on civil engineering materials and materials in buildings.

The Centre for Stone and Slate Technology

In recognition of the importance and value of stone and slate products in the built environment STATS created and continues to expand and develop a unique and dedicated Centre for Stone and Slate Technology (CSST).

The CSST offers independent and authoritative testing services for essentially all dimension stone and slate products to standard UK(BS), EU, ISO and ASTM test standards. We can also work to other published and unpublished test procedures and have developed several in-house test methods.

These services are aimed at stone and slate producers and merchants, project designers and contractors, and the full spectrum of parties involved in maintenance, conservation, defect identification and repair of buildings and other structures in which stone and slate is used.
The CSST is also able to draw upon the wealth in-house of consultancy expertise and experience in stone and slate available at STATS.

Specialist Petrography Unit

For over two decades STATS has been one of the UK’s leading providers of high quality applied petrographic examination services in the field of construction materials.
Petrographic examination has been successfully used in a wide range of applications, notably to identify potential problems in advance of a materials use and to solve problems with materials that develop in use, including:

Aggregates
Concrete and other cementicious products such as mortar and renders
Building and armour stone and related quarry products

We offer a comprehensive approach to the use of this powerful analytical tool, covering:
Initial sample selection including quarry and site-based appraisal
Preparation of thin sections and other test specimens
Examination under reflected and transmitted light using the very highest quality optics available in consulting practice
Full interpretation of findings.

UKAS accreditation is maintained for petrographic examination and various associated tests and procedures.

Environment

STATS provides a specialist high quality environmental testing support service for:

Asbestos identification
Asbestos fibres in air counting
Total dust/particulates in air by gravimetric filter concentration analysis
Water quality – chemical analysis for swimming pools

UKAS accreditation is maintained for all asbestos testing and we particpate in the RICE quality assurance scheme for asbestos laboratories.

Laboratory Services

STATS Laboratories have been providing a high quality materials testing service continuously for almost thirty years. STATS was one of the first laboratories in the UK to apply for and achieve NAMAS (now UKAS) accreditation for a range of tests on construction materials and soils.

However, we do not consider that a philosophy of quality alone is sufficient to meet the demands of our customers and hence the laboratories have developed two further leading management drivers, namely focus and delivery. Focus is important in a complex technical world and we aim to reinforce our chosen areas of specialist expertise. Delivery is important in a programme-driven world and we continue to invest heavily in IT systems to expand our laboratory management system (LMS) and in staff training and development.

Download UKAS Schedules

Click here to view David Crofts' article on Contemporary Chemical Techniques in Concrete Analysis, published in the Concrete magazine April 2006 issue.

Geotechnics

STATS provides a high quality geotechnical testing support service for site investigation and construction stage projects covering:

Classification
Chemistry
Compaction & CBR
Strength
Permeability
In situ properties

UKAS accreditation is maintained for all the more commonly specified geotechnical tests.



Construction Materials Investigation, R&D	Specialist Petrography Unit	The Centre for Stone and Slate Technology	Environment	Geotechnics