On-site surveys and acceptance testing

The “On-site Surveys and Acceptance Testing” sector aims to provide on-site assistance to Designers, Project Managers and Inspectors in order to make use of their knowledge of structures under renovation or supply test data for acceptance testing of a brand new construction.
 
With the recent D.M. n. 18 of 03/01/2022, Istituto Giordano is authorized by the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility, to operate in accordance with art. 59 paragraph 2 c-bis of the Presidential Decree n. 380/2001 (laboratories for tests and controls on building materials on existing structures and buildings) pursuant to Circular 633/ STC of 03/12/2019.

Our highly-skilled staff possess Non-Destructive Testing Level 3 Certification and can assist those working in the sector by identifying the optimum solution for each individual project and suggesting the survey programme.

Using the experience and knowledge acquired after almost thirty years in the business, we carry out static and dynamic load testing of floors, bridges and viaducts, load testing of piles and micropiles, destructive and non-destructive testing of plain, reinforced and prestressed concrete constructions, masonry and structural metalwork.

Require the TESTING AND MATERIALS APPLICATION forms (pursuant to Act No. 1086 dated 5/11/1971 with the updates requested by the Ministerial Decree for cubes and rebars): sdc@giordano.it


MAIN ACTIVITIES

The main on-site survey and acceptance testing activities can be summarised as follows:

Reinforced-concrete structures

• Cover meter survey (DIN 1045)
• Determination of rebound number (UNI EN 12504-2)
• Determination of ultrasonic pulse velocity (UNI EN 12504-4)
• Combined pulse velocity/rebound test (SonReb method)
• Pull-out tests (UNI EN 12504-3)
• Taking concrete core and microcore samples (UNI EN 14630, UNI 9944)
• Carbonation of concrete using phenolphthalein (UNI 9944)
• Chloride ion penetrability (UNI 11747)
• Sulphate ion penetrability (UNI 8019)
• Determination of corrosion half-cell potential of reinforcing steel (UNI 9535)
• Cross-Hole Sonic Logging of foundation piles
• Foundation pile length and integrity testing using the pulse-echo method
• Structural monitoring

Masonry structures

• Flat jack (single or double) testing
• Determination of creep strength (shear stress - τ)
• Endoscopic examination
• Sonic sounding
• Mortar mechanical strength using a PNT-G penetrometer
• Quantitative petrographic examination of mortar (UNI 11176)
• X-ray diffraction analysis of mortar (UNI EN 13925-2)
• Determination of anion content in mortars: sulphates, nitrates and chlorides by ion chromatography (UNI 11087)
• Crack width and structural monitoring

Structural timber:

• Testing of solid and laminated timber
• Joint testing of solid and laminated timber
• Testing of wood-based panels

On-site acceptance testing

• Load testing of piles and micropiles
• Static load testing of floors
• Static load testing of beams
• Load testing of stairs
• Load testing of roofs
• Acceptance testing of bridges and viaducts

Laboratory acceptance testing

• Reinforced-concrete, prestressed-concrete, fibre-reinforced-concrete, steel, timber and prefabricated structural members.