INTEMAC’s Central Laboratory provides services as a Verifier Laboratory in the execution of tests that correspond to certification of construction products, in order to obtain the ORM (Officially Recognised Mark) as well as the voluntary quality mark, in the area of testing on concrete, cement, fly ash, corrugated steel bars, corrugated and smooth wire, electrowelded mesh, basic rebar electrowelded into a lattice, etc.

The Institute’s Central Laboratory is certified by ENAC with certification nº 25/LE039, to carry out testing on concrete, cement and cement components (fly ash, slag, pozzolans, limestone, etc.) in accordance with the criteria in the standard UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The scope of this accreditation, granted in 1991, is defined in the Technical Annex Rev. 28 dated 11/02/2022

Pedro López, G. in Chemistry, MSc , Phd

plopez@intemac.es

INTEMAC’s Materials Area has specific laboratories for different types of construction products, all located in INTEMAC’s Central Laboratory.

These units are specialised in analyses and testing for acceptance control of materials upon receipt at the worksite, as well as for production control (internal self-inspection or external verification) intended for certification or CE Marking of products, including:

• Concrete and its component materials (cement, water, aggregate, additives and additions: fly ash)
• Masonry mortar. Cement grout. Plaster and lime.
• Asphalt mixes and their component materials (bitumen and aggregate for highways)
• Steel rebar for prestressed or reinforced concrete
• Steel profiles for metal structures
• Baked clay materials (bricks, roof tiles, blocks, top slabs, and cobblestones)
• Rock materials (granite, marble, limestone, sandstone, basalt, slate, etc.) for paving, surfacing, facades, or roofs
• Materials for roof waterproofing
• Ceramic tiles
• Precast concrete for floors (concrete floor tiles, cobblestones, curbs, terrazo tiles, etc.), roofs (roof tiles), or sidewalls and partitions (blocks)
• Other materials used in architecture and building: plaster panels and sheets, enamelled or anodized aluminium profiles, laminate surfacing for floors, parquet, laminate flooring, etc.

The Materials Area of INTEMAC’s Central Laboratory runs quality control tests on materials for different purposes and fields of activity:

Pedro López, G. in Chemistry, MSc , Phd

plopez@intemac.es

Since it was established in 1967, INTEMAC has always had specific organisational units dedicated to quality control of materials acceptance for both building construction and civil works.

Its operation is currently managed by the Project Control Department, and is aimed mainly at the collection of on-site samples to later verify the compliance of the materials with physical, mechanical, and/or chemical tests done in the different specialised units of the Central Laboratory.

Quality control for materials acceptance is made of the following services:

• Establishment of a quality control plan.
• Development of the plan of action.
• Generation of reports with test results.
• Technical assistance to interpret the results.

Acceptance quality control applied to fresh concrete is an essential activity of the Project Control Department

Silvia Grandes G. in Chemistry

silvia.grandes@intemac.es

INTEMAC has been providing technical assistance to the ceramic industry and its customers since its foundation, in its laboratory of ceramic products, not only can the mechanical characteristics of these materials be certified, but multiple studies have been carried out to study their durability and the permanence of their characteristics over time. INTEMAC has several climatic chambers that allow accelerated aging tests to be carried out to verify the properties of these products.

Silvia Grandes G. in Chemistry

silvia.grandes@intemac.es

In order to carry out these activities, the Materials Testing Area is distributed in seven areas of the INTEMAC Central Laboratory, configured as specialised operational units for each type of construction material under study. It also has mobile equipment equipped with the necessary instruments for sampling and on-site testing activities.

The Area is structured in two departments, the Works Control Department and the Materials Technology Department.

The main field of activity of the Works Control Department is concrete quality control, carried out both on site and in the laboratory by the personnel assigned to the Concrete Structures Control Section.

The aim of the Materials Technology Department is the evaluation of construction materials (reception control, suitability tests, characterisation and evaluation of performance, durability, etc.). This work is carried out by personnel assigned to two sections:

• Mechanical Testing Section.
• Chemical Testing and Materials Analysis Section.

Silvia Grandes G. in Chemistry

silvia.grandes@intemac.es