Laboratory & Testing

YA has the expertise, equipment, and facilities to perform all manner of testing required to support technical investigations, which many standard testing laboratories lack.

The suspected root cause based on the field investigation was environmental stress cracking. Identification of the stress cracking agent is critical as it will determine whether the source leads to the manufacturer, installer, or some other source. No standardized test exists to perform this analysis. The stress cracking agent must be carefully separated from the fracture surface and then analyzed by spectroscopic techniques. The appropriate analysis techniques are chosen by an expert with sufficient knowledge and experience to reliably identify the relevant substance.

The extent to which the strength and/or other performance characteristics of concrete or masonry in a structure are compromised by fire often determines whether the structure can be repaired. YA’s investigating engineers work with our experienced concrete petrographers to identify and locate the appropriate locations in the structure for sampling and lab testing. Petrographers perform microscopical examinations of the sample materials to identify the depth of micro-cracking and to identify other features that indicate the temperature to which the concrete has been heated. Based on these results, YA is able to draw conclusions regarding the fire effects on the overall strength of the material as well as the expected serviceability and durability (resistance to wear) of the affected concrete surfaces.