Brick, stone, marble, granite, limestone, cast stone, concrete block, travertine, glass block, stucco, ceramic tile - almost every imaginable type of building material has been used in masonry - plus the binding materials that hold them together. For centuries, tourists have visited the pyramids of Egypt, the temples of Asia, and the cathedrals of Europe, all of which pay tribute to the amazing structures man can make from individual building units.
Masonry materials quality testing
Since the earliest structures, material quality has made the difference between successful and unsuccessful building projects. Today's masonry materials can be simple or advanced, but all must meet quality standards and codes.
Element supports your masonry products and projects with accurate testing to the standards and specifications that matter to your business, including:
- ASTM C190, Method of Test for Tensile Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars
- ASTM C348, Standard Test Method for Flexural Strength of Hydraulic-Cement Mortars
- ASTM C482, Standard Test Method for Bond Strength of Ceramic Tile to Portland Cement Paste
- ASTM C67, Standard Test Methods for Sampling and Testing Brick and Structural Clay Tile
Testing building anchor performance in masonry
Element masonry testing laboratories also test the performance and qualify of construction anchors in masonry materials to standards that include:
- ICC-ES AC 01, Acceptance Criteria for Expansion Anchors in Masonry Elements
- ICC-ES AC 58, Acceptance Criteria for Adhesive Anchors in Masonry Elements
- ICC-ES AC 70, Acceptance Criteria for Fasteners Power-Driven into Concrete, Steel, and Masonry Elements
- ICC-ES AC106, Acceptance Criteria for Predrilled Fasteners (Screw Anchors) in Masonry
Comprehensive cement testing
We also provide a comprehensive range of tests for cementitious materials which help to bind masonry elements together, to check the conformity according to EN 97-1. These materials include traditional Portland cement, blended cement and other cementitious materials, such as fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), limestone fines and silica fume.
Our tests include both Physical and Chemical analysis, covering:
- Strength
- Setting time
- Soundness
- Fineness
- Activity Index
- Moisture content
- Loss on ignition
- Residual insoluble
- Sulphate
- Sulphite
- Chloride
- Manganese
- Major elements (SiO2,Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, Al2O3)
- Carbon dioxide
- Alkali (Na2O & K2O)
- Reactive silica
- Heat of hydration
- Pozzolanicity
- Specific surface area -BET method
- Chemical analysis by X-Ray Fluorescence
- Free Calcium Oxide
Cement Treated Base (CTB) testing
Cement-treated base (CTB) is a mixture of aggregate material and/or granular soils combined with measured amounts of Portland cement and water that hardens after compaction and curing to form a durable paving material.
CTB is suitable as a base (for asphalt pavements) or subbase (for concrete pavements) - with uses including mainline highways, high-volume streets, local roads and residential streets, heavy industrial/intermodal/military facilities, airport runways and parking lots.
Our testing procedures for CTB products include:
- Wetting and Drying Compacted Soil-Cement Mixtures – ASTM D559
- Moisture-Density (Unit Weight) Relations of Soil-Cement Mixtures – ASTM D558
- Compressive Strength of Molded Soil-Cement Cylinders – ASTM D1633
- Measuring Thickness of Concrete Elements Using Drilled Concrete cores -ASTM C174/C174M-17
We provide an extensive range of building materials testing. For more information about our services, contact our experts today.
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Our deliverable is certainty - high quality data, test reports and certificates that you can absolutely rely on when making decisions about your materials and compliance. Engage with an expert today.