Concrete & Cement-Based Materials

How do you accurately understand the root causes of poorly performing concrete construction?

Concrete is not only widely available, it is also cost-effective, structurally sound, and able to be molded into limitless geometries, making it the most prevalent construction material. However, numerous factors ranging from design and placement to chemical and mechanical loading can compromise concrete's integrity, causing cracking, spalling, or otherwise diminishing its performance.

Exponent draws on combined resources in materials science, civil engineering, metallurgy, and geology along with state-of-the-art laboratory testing capabilities to investigate cause and prevention of concrete failures. With nearly five decades of experience in concrete and cement materials, we're uniquely qualified to evaluate the causes of poorly performing concrete construction and to make recommendations.

Common challenges

Various factors, including concrete mix design, raw materials, placement practices, environmental exposure, and maintenance can affect the integrity of concrete. Our expertise related to concrete and cement-based materials involves investigating a variety of problems, including the causes of cracking and surface problems, assessing reinforcing steel corrosion and service life, assessing damage from cyclic freeze/thaw and chemical attack, and surface coating failure.