Technical Service Center
Materials Engineering and Research Lab
MERL Testing Capabilities
The engineers and technicians at MERL provide a wide variety of services for other government agencies. We've provided cost estimates for some of our more routine services below.
In addition, we have capabilities allowing us to perform a wide variety of customized, highly specialized services and testing programs for other agencies. Check out our unique capabilities and special programs for some examples, and contact us if you would like to learn more about the services we can provide.
- Aggregate Quality Evaluations, including:
- Aggregate Grading
- Physical Properties (Specific Gravity, Sodium Sulfate Loss, Freeze-Thaw Durability)
- Petrographic Examination
- Roller Compacted Concrete Mixture Proportions, including:
- Designing for Fresh RCC Properties
- Designing for Hardened RCC Properties
- Plastics (geosynthetics/polymeric construction materials) testing, including
- HDPE Pipe
- PVC Waterstop
- Sealants
- Geotextiles
- Geomembranes
Test Description |
ASTM Test No. |
| 3a. Aggregate Grading | C-136 |
| 3b. Percent Silt(<No. 200) | C-117 |
| 4a. Specific Gravity Absorption - Coarse | C-127 |
| 4b. Specific Gravity Absorption - Fine | C-128 |
| 5. Organic Impurities | C-40 |
| 6. Sodium Sulfate Soundness | C-88 |
| 7. Los Angeles Abrasion | C-131 |
| 9. Petrographic Examination* | C-295 |
| 10. Freezing and Thawing of Concrete | C-666 |
| 11. Mortar Bar Expansion | C-227 |
| 12. Friable Particles | C-142 |
| 13. Density and Void | C-29 |
| 14. Sand Attrition | C-1137 |
* Sample processing and petrographic examination costs may vary with the complexity of geologic units sampled.
Physical Properties Test |
USBR/ASTM Test No. |
Initial Mixture Proportions |
|
| 1. Aggregate Processing | |
| 2. Mixture Proportions | |
| 3. Fresh RCC Properties - Vebe Time vs. Water Content | 4905/C-1170 4906/C-1176 |
| 4. Fresh RCC Properties - Vebe Time vs. Sand Content | 4905/C-1170 4906/C-1176 |
| 5. Fresh RCC Properties Final Mixture | 4905/C-1170 4906/C-1176 |
| 6. Strength/Elastic Properties - Testing (7, 28, 90, 365 days) | 4039/C-39 4469/C-469 |
Final Mixture Thermal Properties |
|
| 7. Thermal Diffusivity | 4909 |
| 8. Thermal Expansion | 4910 |
| 9. Adiabatic Temperature Rise | 4911 |
| 10. Specific Heat | 4907 |
Physical Properties |
|
| 11. Bond Strength - Direct Shear Strength (per test age) | 4915 |
| 12. Creep (per test age) | 4512 |
| 13. Strength/Elastic Properties | 4039/C39 4469/C469 |
| 14. Freezing and Thawing of RCC | 4666 |
| 15. Optional Chemical Tests |
| Test/Service | Description |
| HDPE Pipe | Dimensions and Slot efficiency, stiffness, elongation |
| PVC Waterstop | Dimensions, compression molding, tensile strength, elongation, stiffness, plasticizer loss |
| Sealants | Cold and hot flow, penetration, resilience, Shore A hardness, weight loss, pressure resistance, modulus extension, tensile adhesion, durability |
| Geotextile | Dimension, grab tensile, elongation, pin puncture, trapezoid tear, mullen burst |
| Geomembranes | Dimensions, tensile, elongation, graves tear, plasticizer content, seams (peel, shear) |
| Evaluate submittals | |
| Provide Specifications |