Laboratories for testing and quality control

The geotechnical laboratory is staffed by highly qualified personnel, with more than 30 years of experience in the sector. This department provides services not only to the different geotechnical consultancies that make up part of our customer base but also collaborates with the company's other departments, and with various mining and civil engineering projects within the geotechnical field, and in quality control in construction.

Thus we possess all necessary instruments and tools to perform the most frequent tests on rock, soil and aggregate samples, including the identification, classification, mechanical stress, deformation and wear of materials. Among others:

• Sieve analysis and sedimentation analysis for gradation
• Atterberg limits and shrinkage limit
• Simple compression tests, direct shear test, triaxial shear test and permeability tests, for all different types.
• One-dimensional consolidation, soil collapse and soil volume expansion tests (free swell value, swell pressure test
• Soil compaction tests: Proctor and CBR
• Soil classification for their use in construction according to PG3·criteria: soils and aggregates
• On stony materials: Brazilian (indirect tensile strength) test, simple compression with deformation calculation (Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio)
• Common chemical tests to determine the degree of soil and groundwater aggressiveness

All mechanical tests are equipped to automatically record readings. This includes CBR, compression, oedometer, direct shear and triaxial shear tests. The same department has developed its own computer systems to calculate, present and interpret the different tests. The results are communicated clearly and precisely, and may be delivered in different languages.

The company is well versed in the different regulations on the sector, not just at a national but also an international level; and the different activities are performed according to the standards of the current quality assessment systems. It is our intention to provide a reliable and thorough advisory service that suits our customers’ expectations.

For more information, visit our website: www.gcq.es