Accredited testing of materials for the construction industry is at the heart of the R-Tech Materials business. We have a particular expertise in reinforcing steels, prestressing steels and related products, where we have a global reputation for efficient leading edge testing services. We are closely involved in the national and international standards making bodies in these areas. We have worked on some of the most safety critical structures, includes Q1 nuclear class structures.
R-TECH Materials services for the construction sector include:
- Laboratory testing of materials samples
- Laboratory testing of construction products
- On site testing and examination
- Failure investigation
- Structural integrity assessment
- Expert witness
- Training
R-TECH Materials are the UK market leaders in accredited testing of steel products for application in structural concrete. This includes products such as:
- Reinforcing steels (bar, coil and welded mesh)
- Prestressing steels (wire and strand)
- Mechanical couplers
- Headed anchors
- Welded joints
In this sector we have a global reputation, and are trusted by product certification schemes to supply reliable, timely, accredited testing to verify performance against national, European and international standards. We are actively involved in standards development in these products, and have run a number of government-backed research and development projects in this sector. We are the go-to laboratory for testing these products, and can advise on the most appropriate test techniques for a given application.
Our testing capabilities are relevant for construction materials, ranging from structural steel and welded joints to adhesives and foam core materials. With our test machines ranging in capacity from 10kN to 1500kN, we have tested everything from 0.5mm diameter wire up to 50mm diameter bars, and couplers up to 1.3m in length.
Our materials testing business is experienced in testing materials during the construction phase of nuclear projects, where integrity of testing and quality systems is vital. We have tested products including reinforcing bar and coil, mechanical couplers, headed anchors and lightning protection connectors, for a number of Class 1 nuclear construction projects.
Our testing services in this sector are supported by our expertise and resources for materials consultancy services. We are regularly asked to estimate the extent of fire damage on structural steel frames, and can conduct structural integrity analysis of such structures. We can also conduct failure investigations, at both the material and structural level. Some of examples of the failure analysis work which we have conducted include:
- Failure of aluminium street lighting
- Failure of alloy bolts on bridge decks
- Assessment of surface defects on reinforcing steel bars
- Failure of prestressing strand grips in a fatal accident
We have a particular expertise in the welding of reinforcing steels, and we are able to provide a full technical service for those fabricators wishing the meet the requirements of the new BS 8548:2017. Assistance we can provide includes:
Acting as Responsible Welding Coordinators
Training in-house Company Welding Coordinators
Accredited independent testing for weld procedure approval and welder qualification
We are able to provide expert witnesses for legal cases, and have acted for clients in disputes with suppliers, clients and regulatory authorities.