We have seen a large number of concrete producers move from testing samples themselves to using a third-party laboratory such as BHP. They have developed lasting relationships with the majority of concrete manufacturers throughout the country and are always on hand to provide technical assistance where necessary. For example, BHP Laboratories is the largest independent construction materials testing laboratory in Ireland, as part of this, they provide a comprehensive range of testing and monitoring solutions for the concrete sector.
Not only is this the fastest and most efficient way to do it, it’s also the safest way.”Īs Ireland’s premier independent and multidisciplinary laboratory, BHP provides a wide range of testing services to numerous industries. Whereas previously the movement of cubes was very labour intensive, they are now lifted by overhead gantry crane into the curing tanks in a single move, with no manual lifting.
“We collect concrete cubes from sites all over Ireland on a weekly basis and test them to make sure the concrete meets all regulations and is fully up to spec. “It’s a fully-automated, manual handling system which can cater for large quantities of product,” notes Materials Testing & Service Manager James Purcell. All collections of samples from customers’ sites throughout Ireland are included free of charge and BHP are always on hand to ensure that samples are collected and tested within required / designated time periods. The long-established, customer-orientated testing provider operates a fleet of over 20 vehicles, which allows them to provide site testing and concrete collection services nationwide. The new facility has been inspected and approved by the Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB) and BHP’s experienced technicians have the capacity to perform concrete cube, aggregate masonry block, cylinder and concrete beam tests. While, traditionally, 99% of reports were finished within three days of tests taking place, the new facility and ongoing improvements have allowed them to improve efficiency levels so that 100% of reports can now be issued within 24 hours of tests taking place. As part of the investment, BHP introduced a new automated reporting system for their concrete cube testing service. This new facility and the automation of BHP’s handling process – along with investment in new testing machines – has increased capacity to 500 concrete cubes per day. Thus, in order to continue providing an excellent service to the construction industry, BHP designed, developed and installed a new state-of-the-art testing facility, which will allow them to remain at the forefront of the concrete quality assurance testing market going forward into the foreseeable future. They currently carry out approximately 300 concrete cube tests per day, but the potential for growth was becoming increasingly apparent. And, with the recent resurgence in the construction industry, the County Limerick based company has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of customers seeking concrete quality assurance and testing services. Building Ireland met Materials Testing & Service Manager James Purcell to get an insight into this industry-leading, family-run laboratory, which provides world-class concrete quality assurance testing services to customers throughout Ireland and the UK.īHP Laboratories have been at the cutting edge of concrete quality assurance testing since 1978. Ireland’s largest independent construction materials testing laboratory, BHP Laboratories, recently installed a brand-new, state-of-the-art concrete testing facility, which has been fully operational since September, 2019.