Construction Services

MTI's Construction Services personnel are highly trained, certified, and have the experience to provide testing and inspection services for a wide range of construction projects. Using various techniques, we are able to provide clients with quantifiable results on the durability, strength, and characteristics of materials used to build structural elements. Inspections are performed on a wide variety of construction processes and materials, to confirm compliance with applicable codes and/or project specifications.

Inspection & Testing
Soils & Aggregates

MTI provides fill placement monitoring, density testing, geotechnical observations, and many other soils related services. These services are performed during excavation activities and serve the purpose of qualifying all load bearing surfaces or areas, as being in accordance with the project requirements and/or able to provide the necessary bearing that has been specified.

• Fill Placement Monitoring - Visual monitoring of fill placement lifts to ensure that materials and placement procedures are in accordance with project soil reports and/or specifications.
• Density Testing - The use of a nuclear-densometer to determine optimum moisture content and in-place density of soils.
• Subgrade Inspections - Geotechnical observations made to ensure that structural assemblies are bearing on suitable subgrade materials, and to identify other potential structural issues.
• Aggregate Source Evaluation/Suitability - The evaluation of mined aggregate to determine its properties, characteristics, and suitability for its intended use. This includes borrow source, pit source, and on-site source evaluations.
• Geosynthetic Membrane Placement - Professional overview of geosynthetic membrane installation procedures in accordance with industry standards and specifications.
• Pile Driving and Caisson Placement - Monitor pile driving and caisson operations and to verify compliance with the project requirements and/or geotechnical engineering report.

Concrete

Concrete is inspected and tested to ascertain that all specified conditions meet the acceptable criteria specified. This is achieved by visual, mechanical, nondestructive, or destructive methods. Tests are performed in accordance with the American Concrete Institute (ACI), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and American Association of State and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) testing and inspection procedures.

• Concrete Placement - Inspection of the placement of concrete and testing the fresh properties of concrete to verify conformance to the project plans and specifications. Concrete tests include slump, air content, temperature, yield, unit weight, water-cement ratio, in addition to the casting of concrete cylinders/beams for compressive/flexural strength.
• Reinforcing Steel Placement - Placement of reinforcing steel is verified for size, quantity, spacing and clearance in the concrete forms prior to the placement of concrete. A comprehensive inspection of the forms and subgrade conditions is also performed.
• Compressive Strength Testing - Laboratory testing of concrete specimens is performed to determine the compressive strength of the concrete.
• Pre-stressed & Post-tensioned Concrete - Inspection is performed during installation of unbonded tendons, couplers, anchorage and concrete placement. Calibration of stressing jacks, gauges and elongation measurements are verified to be in accordance with plans and specifications.
• Pre-cast Concrete Fabrication - Inspection of precast facilities is performed to verify quality control procedures are being adhered to and construction methods/techniques are in accordance with project requirements.
• Batch Plant Inspection and Quality Control - Monitoring of concrete at the plant is performed to control key properties; including air content, water/cement ratio, slump, etc.
• Epoxy Bolting or Doweling - Inspections are performed to confirm installation depth, cleanliness of hole, size and grade of dowel/bolt, and epoxy materials used. Pull testing can also be performed to confirm the bond strength.
• Pachometer Testing - Pachometer testing is used to locate existing reinforcing steel in concrete structures. This equipment can determine the concrete cover, rebar sizes, spacing, and length.
  
• Windsor Probe Testing - Windsor Probe (ASTM C 803) testing methods can be used for assessing the general quality, uniformity, and relative strength of concrete members.
  
• Schmidt Hammer Testing - Schmidt Hammer testing is used for the non-destructive measurement of the concrete/mortar compressive strength and the control of the uniform concrete quality (in-situ concrete and prefabricated structures) as well as for detecting weak spots.
• Petrographic Analysis - Using varied microscopic equipment and expertise, MTI is able to perform a multitude of unique analysis methods including petrographic analysis of rock and aggregate and porosity of hardened concrete, mortar, and grout. A number of properties can be determined; including air content, aggregate percentages, water/cement ratio, etc.

Structural Masonry

Structural masonry is inspected and tested to ascertain that all specified conditions meet the acceptance criteria. This is achieved by visual, mechanical, nondestructive, or destructive methods. Tests are performed in accordance with the American Concrete Institute (ACI), Masonry Institute of America (MIA), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the International Building Codes (IBC) testing and inspection procedures.

• Masonry Placement Inspection - Inspection consists of inspecting cell conditions and reinforcing steel placement prior to grouting and witnessing of grouting activities during placement. Inspection of block placement and onsite batching of mortar/grout are also performed, when required.
• Reinforcing Steel Placement - Verification of the placement of reinforcing steel for size, quantity, spacing and clearance in masonry walls prior to the placement of grout.
• Grout and Mortar Testing - Testing includes compressive strength of masonry prisms, grout prisms, and mortar cylinders.
• CMU Testing - CMU blocks are sampled and tested for moisture content, absorption, and compressive strength.
• Brick Sheer Testing - Testing of masonry in shear is performed in accordance with the Uniform Code for Building Conservation.

Structural Steel

Structural steel is inspected and tested by by MTI's qualified inspectors to ascertain that all steel connections meet the acceptable criteria specified. This is achieved by visual, mechanical, nondestructive, or destructive methods. Tests are performed in accordance AWS (American Welding Society), AISC (American Institute of Steel Construction) and ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) codes and standards.

• High-Strength Bolting - Bolt calibrations are verified and connections are inspected in accordance with the project specifications.
• Field Welding - Welder certifications are verified and visual welding inspection is performed on field welds.
• Fabrication Shop Inspections - Welder certifications are verified and visual welding inspection is performed on shop welds.
• Ultrasonic Testing - Ultrasonic methods of weld testing use beams of sound waves (vibrations) of short wavelength and high frequency, transmitted from a probe and detected by the same or other probes. This method is utilized for detection of internal flaws in welds such as slag inclusions, internal porosity, or internal cracks.
• Magnetic Particle / Dye Penetrant - This method employs a penetrating liquid, which is applied over the surface of the component and enters the discontinuity or crack. This method is utilized for the detection of surface flaws in welds that may or may not be visible.

Asphaltic Concrete

Asphaltic Concrete is inspected and tested to ascertain that all specified conditions meet the acceptable criteria specified.

• Asphalt Placement - Monitoring and/or establishing a rolling pattern to determine compaction procedures, perform in-place densities, and monitor lay-down temperature. Obtain core samples to determine mat thickness and unit weight in order to correlate the nuclear densometer. Determine oil content, gradation, and Marshall/Hveem/Gyratory properties.
• Asphalt Mix Designs - MTI has the equipment and ability to perform Marshall, Hveem, and Gyratory (Superpave) Mix Designs and Mix Design Verifications.

Roofing and Waterproof  Linings

Inspection of polymeric materials, built-up bituminous and modified bitumen sheets for roofing and waterproofing assemblies. Perform roof moisture surveying and mapping.

Fireproofing

Visual and physical tests to identify the condition of the substrates, thickness of the application, density, bond strength, adhesion/cohesion, condition of the finished application, inspection of patching. Sprayed fiber and cementitious fire-resistive materials.

Special Services
Structural Investigation

We are able to assist structural engineers in evaluating existing structures for strength. MTI provides coring, pachometer, brick shear and flat-jack testing to assist in the structural evaluation process

Paint Thickness Testing

Paint thickness measurements are performed using magnetic and optical gauges. Accuracies of 1/2 mils are possible.

F Numbers for Floor Flatness

MTI has equipment and expertise to provide F-Numbers for floor flatness and levelness. Measurements relative to other specifications, including the "10 foot straight edge" are also available.

Floor Moisture Issues

MTI has experience testing and analyzing vapor emission issues with concrete slabs on grade. We routinely conduct vapor emission testing and concrete sampling to determine emission rates and porosity of the concrete.