Material Test

The construction industry continues to be one of the most innovative industries in the world as they continue to develop both new materials for construction and new ways to use older materials. As these new developments occur, new ways to test the material must be found to ensure that they meet with the standards required by inspectors from the city and state as well as the ASTM and the AAMA. The first place to test a material is going to be in a laboratory setting. Here specialized equipment can be used to subject materials to a variety of tests to ensure that it will perform properly when it is used in the construction project. Devices are used to subject it to the stresses involved when a building is subjected to winds and even earthquakes.

These two forces can exact a tremendous amount of twisting stress on a window or doorframe as well as any other structural part of a building. Along with stress forces you have to test a material to see how well it will stand up to the elements. In the construction industry materials are subject to everything that nature has to offer, so the materials have to be able to stand up to water and wind without leaking. By placing the materials being considered in a special jig they can be subjected to these elements under controlled conditions that can simulate these. Many of these simulations will test the material to see how well it holds up under conditions that far exceed anything it is likely to encounter during its lifespan in the building it will be installed in. This is done to make sure that the material will be as safe as possible for use, leaving no room for error and risk to both the occupants of a building and anyone passing by. In the case of some of today's skyscrapers that appear to be made completely of glass walls this is very important. It is equally possible to test a material once it has been installed in a building to see how well it is performing. To do this a company will bring out a selection of specialized equipment that can perform similar tests on site.

This information can be useful if there is any question about the quality of the materials used or the methods used to install them whether during construction or once the project is completed. Certain standards are used to test a material for suitability in the construction industry. The most common and the oldest recognized standards are those set forth by the ASTM. This organization was established in the late 19th century to set forth a standard for the manufacture of the steel being used to build the rails for the rapidly expanding railroads of America. It is now the main standard by which all building engineers and architects both in the United States and around the world design their buildings. QED Lab is one of 30 companies in the United States that is recognized by both the ASTM and the AAMA for excellence in testing. They apply both standards when they test materials to see if they meet the requirements necessary to be certified as suitable for the project for which they have been chosen. They offer both laboratory testing and field testing to ensure complete customer satisfaction and do not consider a job done until the customer is completely satisfied.