About Us
Who We Are
CMC, Construction Materials Consultants, Inc. is a full-service testing and consulting firm located in Greensburg (40 miles east of Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, USA. Click here for directions to CMC.
Materials We Deal With
CMC has three divisions, which deal with various types of construction materials:
Cement, Aggregate, and Concrete Division
Masonry and Mortar Division
Stone and Tile Division
Our team of professionals has the skill and expertise in testing, investigation, evaluation, and research of various construction materials. CMC specializes in evaluation of clinker, cement, aggregate, concrete, masonry, mortar, grout, brick, terra cotta, dimension stone, stucco, plaster, ceramic tile, drywall, paint, and various other materials used in construction.
Techniques We Use
We use a variety of laboratory tests to obtain detailed information about the physical, chemical, structural, and mineralogical make-up of construction materials. Laboratory tests include a variety of standard (e.g., ASTM, AASHTO) and non-standard (specialty) tests related to:
Petrographic (Light and Electron Microscopical) Examinations
X-ray Diffraction Analysis
Chemical Analysis
Physical Testing
In many cases, field reconnaissance is a common step for detailed condition survey and selection of sample locations for laboratory testing.
Services We Provide
Our services are broadly divided into:
Materials Analyses, Quality Evaluation, and Characterization
Failure (or Forensic) Investigation of a Problem (or of a Concern)
Evaluation of Short and Long-term Durability and Performance
Repair Evaluation
Innovative Research of New Materials and Methods
Applied Petrographic Services, Inc. (APS) provides petrographic sample preparation services to academic institutions, government agencies, petroleum industry, and various testing, engineering, and consulting firms. For sample preparation needs, please visit www.petrography.net.
Troubleshooting Concrete Problems
We have extensive expertise in diagnosing various concrete problems related to:
Surface distress (Scaling, Spalling, Delamination, Discoloration, Dusting, Crazing, Cracking, Blistering)
Loss of Strength of Concrete; Slow Strength Gain (Delayed Setting)
Concrete Corrosion due to various Chemical Attacks (Sulfates, Carbonates, Sea Water, Acid)
Corrosion of Reinforcing Steel in Concrete
Effects of exposure of concrete to sub-freezing (< 0°C) or high (> 100°C) temperatures
Curling and Cracking of Concrete Slabs
Deviation from the Project Specifications,
Cracking and other deteriorations due to various expansion and shrinkage mechanisms
Troubleshooting Masonry Problems
The 'Masonry & Mortar Division' of CMC uses various field and laboratory techniques to investigate problems associated with brick, concrete and stone masonry. Some typical case studies include failure investigation of:
Masonry Efflorescence & Discoloration
Water Leakage & Penetration
Cracking, Softening, Discoloration, or Disintegration of Jointing Mortars
De-bonding of Mortars and Masonry Units
Troubleshooting Stone and Tile Problems
The 'Stone & Tile Division' of CMC performs various industry tests for dimension stones and ceramic tiles and investigates problems related to:
Tile De-bonding
Tile Cracking, Curling, Bumps, Blisters, Discoloration
Moisture Intrusion, Emission and related Floor-covering Failures
Stone Cracking and Curling
Stone Failure due to Cyclic Freezing & Thawing
Projects & Structures
Our projects range from various residential and commercial buildings, schools, highways, high-rises, pavements, roads, sidewalks, driveways, bridges, parking garages, tunnels, pipelines, precast/prestressed products, and other large structures.
Goals
The results of the laboratory studies, sometimes complemented by field studies, provide information on the composition and quality of the material, past performance, anticipated future performance, and diagnose the causes of problems. This allows for the design of appropriate and cost-effective repairs, and helps to resolve construction disputes. Since proper solution of a problem starts with proper diagnosis, CMC provides help in identifying construction problems through an integrated approach of field and laboratory examinations.
Copyright © 2007 CMC, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Berkshire Center, Suite 104, 4727 Route 30 Greensburg, PA 15601
724-834-3551 (Tel) ● 724-834-3556 (Fax) ● www.cmc-concrete.com
Cement-Aggregate-Concrete Division ● Masonry & Mortar Division ● Stone & Tile Division ● Applied Petrographic Services, Inc.