EXPERTISE // SERVICES

Materials Engineering

 

"Improving materials performance is a crucial step toward more durable and enduring structures."

— Kevin Michols, Principal

Design versus function. Laboratory data versus real-world application. With each new project, our materials engineers seek to balance and align these considerations. Time, weather, exposure, and use all affect the performance and durability of construction materials. The goal is to mitigate those factors, guard against failure mechanisms, and improve the quality of materials we use in the built world. Since 1956, clients have relied on our experience and laboratory capabilities to develop innovative solutions to materials challenges.

Our professionals have significant experience assessing the strength, durability, and behavior of materials, including concrete, steel, other metals, stone, glass, and polymers. Using extensive in-house chemical and physical testing and field assessment capabilities, our materials engineers can evaluate a wide variety of construction materials integrated into virtually any structure type or environment.

As part of repair, rehabilitation, or structural asset management projects, we can project the likely rate of material deterioration over time using analytical models developed from data collected through visual inspections, sampling, and laboratory testing in our Janney Technical Center. Service life modeling allows clients to plan and prioritize for future repair and maintenance needs.

Starting from a first principles understanding of materials science, we have long been a pioneer in improving materials performance and developing innovative solutions for project-specific applications and the construction industry overall.