The Devon County Council Materials Laboratory provides a testing service on a variety of road and building materials to ensure they meet British and European standards including elements relating to safety. The Laboratory is accredited (Quality Assured), for a major part of it\u2019s testing under the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Laboratory provides a vital service to engineers for both new and existing works, ensuring that materials used will not jeopardise public safety, will meet a variety of criteria, such as durability and noise levels and will provide value for money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two main areas of technical work are materials testing and soils mechanics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Materials are tested for various reasons, for example: asphalts (\u201ctarmac\u201d), concrete, road, footway and flooring surfaces for measurement of slip\/skid resistance; road marking for performance; fencing and bridge timber, crash barrier components for safety and stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soil mechanics involves surveys to advise on foundation type, for example, for schools, road construction thickness, earthwork suitability, etc. for soil strength and permeability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n