Testing Capabilities: Safety, Reliability, and Performance
Safety is the most important driving force in our business. It impacts our people, it influences our processes, and it inspires innovation. With safety at the core of what we do, it is imperative that we produce critical infrastructure products that provide our clients with reliable, stable, and strong solutions.
We are confident that our products will perform in the environment they have been designed for because of the testing procedures we follow. We explore everything from a product’s longevity to the impact of UV exposure; relevant tests are conducted on the corresponding products and materials to validate our confidence in their performance.
Below is a synopsis of the types of testing we carry out internally and externally on relevant materials and products:
Internal Testing
Sidewall and Vertical Testing
We are proud to be the only manufacturer in the UK with sidewall and vertical testing facilities on site, allowing us to continuously monitor product performance. Conducting these tests allows us to ensure our products are safe for purpose, compliant and resistant to deformation, cracking, or failure.
Sidewall testing simulates lateral earth pressures and surcharge pressures in heavily loaded environments by subjecting the material to specific loads or stresses applied perpendicular to the sidewall.
Vertical testing, on the other hand, focuses on assessing the performance and stability of structures in a vertical orientation. It involves subjecting the structure or its components to vertical loads, such as compression. This testing is crucial to ensure the structure's ability to support its intended weight, withstand vertical stresses, and maintain stability under various conditions.
External Testing
Fatigue Testing
We perform fatigue testing to assess our products’ long-term performance in high or continually loaded environments. Fatigue testing determines the ability of our products to withstand repeated loading and unloading cycles, examining the durability and strength of materials or components under cyclic loading conditions.
Thermal Expansion Testing
We assess how the materials we use expand or contract when exposed to changes in temperature. It highlights our products’ dimensional stability and potential for deformation or stress within a given temperature range.
For example, we conduct this type of testing on PROtrough to assess its performance when placed in environments where it is exposed to more extreme varied temperatures. In applications where our troughing is used above the ground (i.e., running over a bridge) it must be able to perform despite the varied temperatures of the seasons and this testing process allows us to confirm success.
UV Testing
We produce products that are UV protected. Our HDPE products include 2% carbon black which helps to reduce UV degradation and ensure maximised resistance to product disintegration.
Our products are used worldwide, in areas where they are subjected to prolonged UV exposure. Therefore, UV testing is undertaken to assess the durability and resistance of materials and products to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure.
Thermal Ageing Tests
We evaluate the ideal lifespan of the materials we use by subjecting them to a controlled temperature environment for an extended period, simulating accelerated aging. This testing helps evaluate the material's resistance to thermal degradation, changes in physical or mechanical properties, and potential for performance deterioration over time.
Chemical Agent Testing
We measure chemical reactivity, changes in physical or mechanical properties or even surface degradation by immersing samples of our products in chemical mixtures, simulating the extremities of real-world conditions. The purpose is to determine the material's resistance to chemical attack, degradation, corrosion, or other adverse effects. This process allowed us to realise the high potential of our products to withstand degradation from exposure to hydrocarbons in the soil.
Basic Environmental Testing
We understand our products are made for the built environment and need to be resistant, durable, and reliable, when implemented in real-world environments. Basic environmental testing looks at how materials, products, or systems perform under various environmental conditions.
For example, our products undergo Salt Spray Testing which evaluates corrosion resistance and observes how our products respond when exposed to a saltwater mist or fog, simulating coastal or marine environments.
Fire Tests
We actively pursue fire safety when considering the design and manufacture of our products. To do this, our products undergo multiple fire tests to monitor risk of fire spread, heat release, smoke production and other potential negative effects. We carry out fire crib testing, flame resistance testing and hot shoe brake testing on relevant products and materials.
We are serious about fire safety, our goal is to assess our products’ ability to self-extinguish flames and optimise fire resistance. We are capable of producing our products to comply with the specification of London Underground Section 12 tunnel applications.
We are proud innovators, operating in traditional markets. Testing is an important part of our manufacturing process as it is crucial for design optimisation, material selection, and determining the expected lifespan of our materials.
We develop critical infrastructure solutions for the built environment that have been made to stand the test of time. We are collaborators, working with external asset owners and designers to understand their needs and ensure our products meet their requirements and will perform in the built environment.
Our products are tested to ensure the materials we use in our products can withstand their intended applications, maintain their integrity, and prevent any unnecessary negative impact on people, or the environment.
To find out more about the specific testing our products have undergone you can submit an enquiry here. In conjunction with testing products, we also advise that you visit our digital library and consult with our team of dedicated experts to ensure optimum performance of our products within your specific infrastructure projects.