Materials Testing & Observations

If you are an owner, owner’s representative, contractor or engineer in the process of building a team to complete the construction phase of your project, the Braun Intertec construction materials testing (CMT) group can help determine if your project will comply with the approved designed plans and specifications.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)

Braun Intertec has adopted a quality management system (QMS) that emphasizes an environment capable of responding, identifying, measuring, controlling and improving our core processes for clear and timely results. The Braun Intertec QMS can help enhance a project’s QA/QC aspects, including:

• Quality policy
• Quality objectives
• Quality manual
• Organizational structure and responsibility
• Data management
• Process and process enhancements
• Product quality
• Continuous improvement (including corrective and preventative action)

Asphalt Batch Plant & Pavement Observations

Braun Intertec is regularly asked to provide asphalt batch plant observations for both QA and QC. These services include mix and testing equipment verification, monitoring daily production tests performed by the contractor, obtaining verification samples of the mix being placed and performing quality tests on approved bituminous mixtures. Pavement observations include pavement lift thickness verification, mix placement temperature documentation, randomly determining core locations and observing the contractor or self-performing the core extraction.

When determining the material acceptance guidelines for your local Department of Transportation and project-specific specifications, asphalt batch and pavement observations can help clients assess the mixture’s durability and potential lifecycle, as well as critical incentives and disincentive payment guidelines.

Concrete Batch Plant & Paving Observations

Concrete batch plant observations involve Braun Intertec personnel providing QA and/or QC during the production of concrete. These observation services include monitoring plant operations prior to and during production, aggregate identification and testing, and concrete property (cement, fly ash, and admixtures) verification and sampling. When the quality of the concrete delivered to your project is critical, concrete batch plant inspections give you the added benefit of knowing the mix designs and the properties allocated to the designs are being properly prepared before leaving the plant.

Concrete Placement Observation & Testing

On-site testing and observations are performed by American Concrete Institute (ACI) certified technicians. During each placement, the fresh concrete is tested for specified properties so that the concrete delivered to the project meets specifications. These tests help prevent the placement of the wrong concrete or concrete not meeting design or durability specifications, which can often lead to costly rework. Strength samples are also prepared to establish whether the concrete ultimately attains design strength or adequate strength to allow for form stripping, stressing or steel erection.

Experienced technicians are also on site during the concrete placement to document and perform placement observations in order to evaluate if proper care was taken to the structure’s reinforcement and other critical components while the work was in progress.

Soil Compaction Testing & Observation

Soil observations and testing are an integral part of getting your project started and built on a solid foundation. From the evaluation of the suitability of an excavation’s subgrade to assessing the suitability of fill soils, and the subsequent compaction testing of the engineered fills, our geotechnical engineers and experienced technicians will be there to get your project off to an excellent start, and also help prevent issues during construction that can arise from unsuitable soils and improperly engineered fills.

Deep Foundations

The performance of foundation systems is dependent on a number of factors including geotechnical conditions, applied loads and specific site and project considerations. Thus, each phase of the design, installation, inspection and quality assurance testing process is critical to the success of a deep foundation in performing its intended purpose. A well-planned and effectively implemented testing and inspection program often results in significant construction savings. In addition, constant and knowledgeable inspection can lead to an increase in reliability and reduction of risk.

Our geotechnical engineers and experienced technicians have years of experience with a wide variety of foundation support systems including various pile systems, drilled piers, augur cast pile and rammed aggregate piers.