The Materials Area of INTEMAC’s Central Laboratory has units and personnel specialised in studies and research for the design or classification of materials in order to evaluate their suitability for specific functions and to study whether or not they are appropriate for special applications or innovative uses.

Some of the different lines of action in which activities may be carried out include:

• Design of dosing for concrete and mortar with special characteristics. Additive selection studies
• Studies and research to evaluate the behaviour of materials for unique applications
• Characterisation of special concretes, to evaluate their fulfilment of established requirements for unique or specific functions (in the area of durability, workability, or mechanical strength) and for the execution of the preliminary and characteristic tests (strength and dosing) as established in the 2021 Structural Code (Royal Decree 470/2021, of June 29).
• Evaluation of products that may have presented some type of abnormality during the production process, identifying the importance of the defects and the conditions of use, in such case, or the applicable preliminary treatments.
• Durability and lifetime studies of construction materials and evaluation of the effectiveness of repair or protection treatments

Idoya Sanz, Structural and Civil Engineer ,MSc

isanz@intemac.es

One of the best-equipped and most experienced laboratories within the INTEMAC Central Laboratory is the Metallic Materials Laboratory. This laboratory conducts activities related to the certification of steel products, as well as construction control tests and pathology studies related to this type of material.

The laboratory is equipped with three universal presses with various capacities, ranging from 20 to 120 tons, profile projectors, bending machines, chemical analysis equipment, and more.

The Central Laboratory of the Institute is accredited by ENAC with accreditation number 25/LE039, according to the criteria set forth in the UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard. The scope of this accreditation, granted on 05/09/91, is defined in Technical Annex Rev. 28 dated 02/11/2022.

Most of the tests conducted in the Metallic Materials Testing Laboratory are covered by the laboratory’s ENAC Accreditation. For more information, refer to the Technical Annex.

INTEMAC is the only laboratory in Spain accredited by ENAC to conduct Beam-Test adherence approval tests, which are used to issue adherence approval certificates for ribbed reinforcement bars.

Idoya Sanz, Structural and Civil Engineer ,MSc

isanz@intemac.es

The Materials Area of INTEMAC’s Central Laboratory has units and personnel specialised in studies of material pathologies for damage diagnoses and analyses, as well as the evaluation of the durability of different types of construction materials, and the preparation of technical opinions regarding defects inherent to these products, including, in such case, the applicable criteria to repair or protect the materials.

Some of the different lines of action in which activities may be carried out include:

• Studies of corrosion damage to structural elements of reinforced or prestressed concrete, analysis of the causes of the deterioration, the lifetime, and the applicable repair systems.
• Studies of the causes of deterioration of facade sidewalls (exposed brickwork, surfacing, tiling with stone materials, etc.) and the applicable protection, upkeep, or repair measures.
• Concrete durability studies, in response to different physical-chemical attacks, and repair and/or protection recommendations
• Pathology studies in other project units in the area of architectural or civil works materials (coverings with ceramic materials or slate, stone, ceramic, or precast concrete paving, flexible road surfaces based on asphalt mixes, etc.)
• Studies of pathologies or alterations of stone and ceramic materials in buildings or sculptural or monumental elements. Recommendations of applicable cleaning, protection, or consolidation treatments for rehabilitation of materials

Pedro López, G. in Chemistry, MSc , Phd

plopez@intemac.es

The Materials Area of INTEMAC’s Central Laboratory has specialised equipment and personnel for carrying out environmental testing.

Some of the different lines of action in which activities may be carried out include:

• Carrying out analyses for the monitoring and environmental analysis of CO2 emissions, through laboratory tests of raw materials, fuels, or the final product, to monitor greenhouse gas emissions.
• Tests for the determination of water-soluble chromium (VI) in binders, required for the verification of the regulatory requirement derived from compliance with Directive 2003/53/EC in industry.
• Studies on the characterisation of by-products or industrial waste, based on sustainability criteria, to analyse their suitability for use in non-structural mortars or concretes (thermal power plant slag as aggregate, micronised glass as an addition, copper smelting slag as aggregate, artificial light aggregates, ash from sewage sludge calcination or ground ceramic rubble as a pozzolanic addition…) and as a material for use in bases and subbases and in surface layers (recycled aggregates from the treatment of construction and demolition waste (CDW)
• Analysis of building materials to assess their content in regulated substances or potentially harmful or hazardous chemicals by leaching into soils, surface water and groundwater (European Commission Mandate 366)

The Institute’s Central Laboratory is certified by ENAC with certification nº 25/LE039, to carry out tests to determine CO2 in carbonatic limestone materials and cement raw mix 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

Silvia Grandes G. in Chemistry

silvia.grandes@intemac.es

The Materials Area of INTEMAC’s Central Laboratory has units and personnel specialised in studies and research for the design or classification of materials in order to evaluate their suitability for specific functions and to study whether or not they are appropriate for special applications or innovative uses.

Some of the different lines of action in which activities may be carried out include:

• Design of dosing for concrete and mortar with special characteristics. Additive selection studies
• Studies and research to evaluate the behaviour of materials for unique applications
• Characterisation of special concretes, to evaluate their fulfilment of established requirements for unique or specific functions (in the area of durability, workability, or mechanical strength) and for the execution of the preliminary and characteristic tests (strength and dosing) as established in the 2021 Structural Code (Royal Decree 470/2021, of June 29).
• Evaluation of products that may have presented some type of abnormality during the production process, identifying the importance of the defects and the conditions of use, in such case, or the applicable preliminary treatments.
• Durability and lifetime studies of construction materials and evaluation of the effectiveness of repair or protection treatments

Pedro López Graduate in Chemistry, MSc, PhD

plopez@intemac.es