Lab tour

Written By John Fox

Prescott Petrographics has a fully equipped petrographic testing laboratory

Concrete petrography is a powerful tool for failure analysis of hardened concrete, to certify aggregates for use in concrete, and in evaluating powders used with cement to enhance concrete quality and durability that are known as supplementary cementitious materials or pozzolans.

Stereoscope

Prescott Petrographics examines construction materials according to the following ASTM designations:

  • C856, Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete

  • C457, Standard Test Method for Microscopical Determination of Parameters of the Air-Void System in Hardened Concrete

  • C295, Standard Guide for Petrographic Examination of Aggregates for Concrete.

  • Powders are evaluated microscopically and by powder X-ray diffraction to determine their suitability for use as a concrete pozzolan.

  • Proprietary microscopic methods used at Prescott Petrographics can determine the quantitative weight percent of fly ash and slag in blended cements and hardened concrete.

 
Thin Section microscope and monitor showing a sample

Thin Section microscope

Standard tools found in qualified petrographic laboratories performing materials analysis and forensics on construction materials

  • Petrographic microscopes

  • Stereomicroscopes

  • Thin section equipment

  • Powder X-ray diffraction instruments.

Thin Sections being made on-site for petrographics testing

Creating thin sections on site

Prescott Petrographics offers you expertise in the areas of:

  • Hardened concrete

  • Aggregates testing

  • Pozzolans & powders

  • Quantitative weight percent of fly ash & slag in blended cements and hardened concrete.

Get testing results from an experienced geologist with over 20 years in the concrete petrographic laboratory industry.

Onsite equipment used for petrographic analysis at Prescott Petrographics includes:

X-Ray Diffraction machine used for petrographics analysis

X-Ray Diffraction Machine on-site for quick results

  • Powder X-ray diffraction

  • petrographic microscopes

  • Stereoscopes

  • Thin section equipment saws

  • Sample preparation equipment

  • Large research library

If a lab tells you they do not use thin sections, they are not petrographers. Thin sections are a vital tool to the scientific testing of samples.

Contact us to uncover concrete and materials issues you are experiencing.




John Fox
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