M+P Labs Helps Engineers, Architects, Contractors, and Materials Suppliers Manage Quality

M+P Labs is an independent and reputable, third-party materials testing lab that provides accurate and reliable information. These attributes are particularly important when performing forensic investigations where objective evidence and expert witness services are required to support litigation claims. We offer a host of comprehensive laboratory testing services to provide one-stop-shopping for investigations of construction materials, including:

We assist clients address challenges experienced throughout the materials life cycle: development of new products, troubleshooting production issues, quality control, condition assessment of installed materials and determining the root causes for premature deterioration. Services include:

Chemical Analysis:

With a wide variety of techniques at our disposal, we can identify the composition of unknown materials, verify materials meet specifications, identify contaminants, determine the concentrations of constituents and perform exposure testing. Typical applications include determining the chloride concentration in concrete, troubleshooting concrete processing issues, performing alloy identification and assessing the weldability of existing structural steel.

Physical Testing:

The strength of materials and components is measured in our mechanical testing lab. Typical applications include hardness testing, tensile testing of structural or reinforcing steel and assessing the strength of failed materials. Specimens for testing are extracted and prepared in our in-house machine shop.

Petrography:

Petrographic Examinations of concrete and aggregate are performed per ASTM C856 to determine if the materials used match the mix design, assess the condition of placed concrete and to determine the root causes for premature deterioration. We can determine if damage is structural or cosmetic, if the concrete was placed and finished properly and provide recommendations for repair or replacement.

Weld Evaluations:

Our metallurgists are widely recognized for their thorough knowledge of welding, joining, and heat-treatment processes. Typical applications include operator qualifications, acceptance testing, porosity evaluations, failure analysis and weldability assessments.

Condition Assessment of Reinforced Concrete:

Corrosion of the metal reinforcement in concrete may cause concrete to crack and spall. M+P Labs offers several techniques, non-destructive and destructive, to help assess the current condition of concrete structures and extent of corrosion throughout the reinforcement. Bridge decks and columns, parking structures, and manufacturing floors may be assessed through on-site inspection, delamination surveys, covermeter surveys and half-cell potential surveys. We will provide a map indicating the degree of corrosion in each area and recommend a concrete core testing plan for a more in-depth condition assessment. Recommendations for testing typically include chloride content and petrographic analysis.