Construction Materials

McGrath Engineering Ltd provides construction materials engineering for new and existing buildings and structures.

Concrete is our specialty.  From the very practical to the highest level of research, we provide solutions for problems with concrete.  Construction troubleshooting, non-destructive testing, concrete mix design, service life evaluation, design of chemical protection and waterproofing systems are some of the areas in new construction where we provide service.  Assessment of problems with existing buildings and restoration, repair, and maintenance of older deteriorated structures are key areas of our practice.

Some of the specific areas of our experience include:

Evaluation and restoration of concrete structures:

  • bridge deck survey and repair
  • parking garage restoration and traffic grade membranes
  • high-rise concrete corrosion damage and envelope repairs
  • post-tension tendon failure analysis
  • crack repair by epoxy/urethane and micro-fine cement injection
  • bonded overlays and toppings

Concrete materials design:

  • shrinkage and crack control methods and materials
  • durability design for concrete (service life modeling)
  • high performance and high strength concretes
  • self compacting concrete
  • sustainable concrete using fly ash slag and recycled concrete
  • shotcrete (wet/dry/low velocity)
  • corrosion inhibitor systems

Specialty and non-destructive testing and analyses:

  • strength evaluation
  • rebar location and cover
  • rock pocket and integrity testing by ultra-sonic pulse velocity
  • chloride penetration tests (ASTM C 1202 and others)
  • water permeability and absorption (various methods)
  • plastic and drying shrinkage tests
  • corrosion assessment tests including half-cell, delamination mapping and carbonation depth