How do you accurately understand the root causes of poorly performing concrete construction?
Concrete is not only widely available, it is also cost-effective, structurally sound, and able to be molded into limitless geometries, making it the most prevalent construction material. However, numerous factors ranging from design and placement to chemical and mechanical loading can compromise concrete's integrity, causing cracking, spalling, or otherwise diminishing its performance.
Ä¢¹½tv draws on combined resources in materials science, civil engineering, metallurgy, and geology along with state-of-the-art laboratory testing capabilities to investigate cause and prevention of concrete failures. With nearly five decades of experience in concrete and cement materials, we're uniquely qualified to evaluate the causes of poorly performing concrete construction and to make recommendations.
Common challenges
Various factors, including concrete mix design, raw materials, placement practices, environmental exposure, and maintenance can affect the integrity of concrete. Our expertise related to concrete and cement-based materials involves investigating a variety of problems, including the causes of cracking and surface problems, assessing reinforcing steel corrosion and service life, assessing damage from cyclic freeze/thaw and chemical attack, and surface coating failure.
Our Capabilities Are Unparalleled
With expertise in over 90 disciplines and hundreds of capabilities, tools, and methodologies — we get to the root of even the most complex challenges and give you the objective answers you need.
Structural & Geotechnical Quantitative Risk Assessment
Innovative, quantitative risk assessments to support climate-change planning that helps protect buildings, infrastructure, and other valuable assets.
Structural & Geotechnical Design Support
Complex structural health and design support, with effective strategies to mitigate environmental impacts and degradation.
Design & Construction Defects
Rigorous design and construction defect assessments, including building components and standard-of-care evaluations.
Testing & Analysis of Construction & Building Materials
Cutting-edge technical construction engineering and materials testing.
Construction Accidents
Accident investigation informed by 50+ years of failure analysis, including falls, equipment-related incidents, impacts and collapses.
Specialty Structures
From airports to green buildings, construction consulting for specialty structures requiring wide-ranging expertise to improve safety and performance.
Structural Failures
Understand why buildings and structures fail, and how to prevent similar failures in the future.
Emergency Response
Rapid, data-driven engineering response to natural disasters, accidents, and human-made catastrophes.
Experts
Our global and comprehensive expertise across industries gives us a deep understanding of current challenges, best industry practices, and the implications of emerging technologies.
Senior Fellow and Principal Engineer