Building Materials
In today’s competitive and regulation-controlled marketplace, it is imperative for both
manufacturers and service providers to work in compliance with the various relevant national
and international standards and regulations. Spectro Research Lab Ventures (P) Ltd. is one of
the top service providers in the field of physical and chemical testing of building materials.
Our services not only include testing activities, but also encompass structural inspections,
Non-destructive (NDT) inspections, and engineering consultations.
At Spectro, analyses activities range from determination of physical properties, like
durability, strength, load, resistance, and chemical properties like compositional analyses,
and also micro-structural properties. Spectro’s strength lies in its team of qualified,
trained, and experienced analysts, who are not only aware of their technical responsibilities
but also, do their bit in solving the client’s queries, if any. Besides, Spectro also
possesses the latest and ultra-modern instruments which, not only provide fast sample analysis,
but also, more importantly provide accurate and reproducible test results. Spectro’s
accreditations from NABL for its testing activities bear its credentials and uphold its
integrity as a leading testing laboratory in India.
Our major clients include DMRC, Airport Authority of India, DDA, EIL, NTPC, NHPC, JP Group,
Gammon India, etc.
The Rapid Chloride Permeability Test conducted at Spectro
This test is aimed at nondestructive measurement of Chloride permeability of in-place concrete.
This test measures the electrical conductance of the concrete, which can be correlated to
concrete permeability. A concrete with a high permeability will allow a high amount of current
to pass through it, and hence have a high Coulomb value and vice versa.
The Rapid Chloride Permeability test gives a measure of the “permeability‿ or
“penetration‿ of concrete to chloride ions, the presence of which badly affects
the compressive strength of concrete. Many highway agencies have adopted this test and it
was also included in High performance bridge specifications. Spectro conducts ‘The Rapid
Chloride-ion Permeability Test‿(RCPT) in accordance with ASTM C1202. The
advantage of this test over other conventional Permeability tests is that it is extremely
simple to conduct and can be performed in a shorter period of time.
Ingression of Chloride ions into reinforced steel is one of the most common environmental
damages that result in the damage and deterioration of concrete structures. The penetration
of chloride ions into crack-free concrete may occur via different mechanisms, viz. capillary
absorption, hydrostatic pressure, diffusion, and evaporative transport. Out of all these,
‘Diffusion‿is the predominant one. Diffusion occurs when there is a concentration gradient
of chloride ions across the separation between the inside and the outside environment. This
initiates the movement of chloride ions moving through the concrete to the level of the rebar.
The occurrence of this in combination with the natural wetting and drying cycles of the
environment, and the presence of oxygen create conditions ideal for corrosion of reinforcement
steel/concrete.
Chloride Permeability Based on Charge Passed
Charge Passed (in Coulombs) |
Chloride Permeability |
Typical of |
> 4,000 |
High |
High (Water/Cement) ratio (> 0.60); Conventional PCC |
2,000 ‿4,000 |
Moderate |
Moderate (Water/Cement) ratio (0.40 ‿0.50); Conventional PCC |
1,000 ‿2,000 |
Low |
Low (Water/Cement) ratio (< 0.40) Conventional PCC |
100 ‿1,000 |
Very Low |
Latex modified concrete or internally sealed concrete |
< 100 |
Negligible |
Polymer impregnated concrete; Polymer concrete |
N.B.: PPC stands for Portland Pozzolana Cement
Some of the Materials and Products tested at Spectro
- Aggregate
- Masonry
- Asphalt
- Concrete
- Bitumen
- Bricks
- Cement
- Soil
- Refractories
- Tiles
- Wood
Major Equipments used by Spectro
- Los Angeles Abrasion Machine
- Aggregate Impact Value Apparatus
- Blaine Permeability Apparatus
- Cement Auto Clave
- Penetrometer
- Vibration Machine
- Vicat Apparatus
- Water Permeability Apparatus
- CBR Apparatus
- Compressive Testing Machine
- Cursing Value Apparatus
- Surface Abrasion Machine
- Sedimentation Apparatus
- Bitumen Extractor
- Air Content Apparatus
- Butimen Softing Point Apparatus
- Ductility Meter
- Digital Gloss Meter
- Angle Protector
- Le Chatelier Flask
- Liquid Limit Tester