Materials Testing & Inspections
UES strives to ensure that every project has the right people, resources, and tools to perform our services to the highest standard for our clients. We provide quality service on various projects - from large roadway construction, parking lots, and multi-story buildings to single residential communities. A willingness to serve our clients with on-demand, part-time, and full-time staffing demonstrates our approach to meeting the specific needs of our clients.
In-House Laboratories
UES maintains full-service laboratory testing capabilities from each of our offices and performs testing services in the following fields of construction materials:
- Aggregate
- Asphalt and Bituminous Materials
- Soils and Water
- Concrete and Cement
- Fireproofing/Fire Safety
- Masonry
- Structural Steel, Reinforcing Steel, and Steel Welding
In addition to conducting standard tests for typical construction materials, we also have the technology and expertise to conduct specialized tests, including Non-destructive Testing (NDT)/Ultrasonic Testing (UT) and various kinds of soil testing. Well-trained and experienced field and laboratory technicians perform materials testing in accordance with local, state, and national test methods. We also have a Corporate Quality Systems Group (in-house) responsible for keeping our equipment calibrated and checked for accuracy. Our laboratories are qualified and accredited through agencies such as:
- AASHTO Re:source (formerly AMRL)
- Cement/Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL)
- American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
- Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
- Division of the State Architect (DSA)
Field Services
Soils
By conducting on-site tests and monitoring, UES can analyze the suitability of soils for structural fill, determine the need for moisture adjustment, and provide an overview of earthwork activities.
Concrete
Our inspection services also include sampling concrete for air content, slump, temperature, and unit weight; making cylinders for compressive strength tests; and observing concrete placement. Our staff is also experienced with the inspection of post-tensioned concrete and precast-prestressed concrete, should these systems be used on the project.
Asphalt
Our asphaltic concrete inspection services are designed to ensure that a project’s asphalt pavement system is constructed per project requirements. Using core samples, UES can provide field quality control to determine and monitor temperature, lift thickness, and compaction. Our field staff also verifies aggregate gradation, asphalt content, bulk-specific gravity, stability, and flow. UES also provides more advanced inspection services such as:
- Asphalt and Concrete Batch Plant Inspection
- Contractor Quality Control (CQC)
- Drilled Shaft
- Floor Flatness/Levelness Evaluation
- Maturity and Relative Humidity of Concrete
- Prestress/Precast
- Welding and Metals Fabrication
Structural Masonry Inspection
UES provides inspection of constructed concrete masonry units (CMU), masonry reinforcing steel, and grout spaces. We provide inspection during the grouting and construction of masonry prisms. Masonry prisms are tested for compressive strength.
Structural Steel Inspection
UES provides inspection for steel member materials, size and shape, spacing, and connections. We provide fabrication testing of high-strength grout samples for compressive strength. We also perform non-destructive testing, which may include ultrasonic, magnetic particle, dye penetrant, and radiography techniques for welded connections, alterations, and Skidmore Wilhelm testing for high-strength bolts.
Epoxy and Mechanical Anchor Inspection
UES provides inspection during the placement of epoxy for bolts, all thread rods, and reinforcing steel, as well as during the installation of mechanical anchors such as wedge-and-screw types.
