LAB TESTING

Committed to providing laboratory testing for projects.

S&ME can cost-effectively address your routine and challenging geotechnical, construction materials and metallurgical testing needs. Our services range from the most fundamental tests and analyses to the highly specialized, requiring sophisticated instrumentation and skills. S&ME technicians conduct our services in lab facilities and in the field.

Accreditation and Certification
S&ME laboratories are accredited under the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Accreditation Program. The program was established in 1988 with the objective of recognizing the competency of testing laboratories to perform specific tests on materials such as hot-mix asphalt, soil, aggregate and Portland Cement concrete.

The AASHTO Accreditation Program, (AAP) recognizes a laboratory's compliance to certain requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and AASHTO practices for testing soil, concrete, and bituminous paving and other construction materials.

Laboratory inspections and testing-proficiency sample services are provided by AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL) and Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL).   These are used by AAP to evaluate laboratory accreditation.

Under the program, S&ME laboratories undergo on-site bi-annual inspections from AMRL and CCRL. Our laboratories also participate in applicable AMRL and CCRL proficiency sample programs which involve semi-annual testing of control hot-mix asphalt, soil, aggregate and Portland Cement Concrete samples.

In addition to the inspections and sample testing, our labs have established internal quality control systems that meet AAP criteria. These systems include:
• Administration organization for each laboratory
• Technical structure and personnel development, including position descriptions and evaluation and training of technicians
• Equipment inventories and calibration procedures and records
• Procedures for preparation, review and retention of test records and reports
• Sample management, including logging, identification, storage and disposal
• Diagnostic and corrective action, including participation in the proficiency testing program, on-site inspection program and accreditation and certifications

As a part of the AAP program, S&ME continues to provide internal training and certification of our technician staff through the NICET and ACI certification programs.

Our lab staff can address:
• Soil Testing and Monitoring
• Geotechnical/Construction Materials
• Soil and Rock Testing
• Concrete and Structural Testing
• Special Facility Testing
• Metallurgical Evaluations
• Plastics
• On-Site Field Testing
• Drilling and Field Testing
• Specialized Soils Testing

Other specialized services include:
• Evaluating seismic force and vibration effects on foundation materials
• Testing reinforcing bars, masonry block prisms and structural joints
• Non-destructive surveys
• Our Knoxville facility is also licensed by the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment, Division of Radiological Health, and can receive and test low-level radioactive material.