Shotcrete Q & A
Q: What is shotcrete and when would I use it? A: Shotcrete is concrete and refers to the method of placing it using a high-velocity spray onto a receiving surface. […]
Author: Mark Lukkarila
Natural cement in Minnesota and beyond
When we think of cement, it’s usually portland cement, which is made from limestone and clay. In Minnesota, we have to import portland cement because most of the carbonate rock […]
Concrete petrography gives a grander view
Many engineers have no idea how informative concrete petrography can be. That’s too bad, because concrete petrography is one of the most useful techniques in forensic engineering. Failure analysis of […]
Make sure you take good concrete cores
We often receive concrete cores from our clients for petrography or other types of testing. When we haven’t witnessed the coring, we can’t always tell whether a core represents damaged […]
Not All Cements are Created Equal
“We can be using the same kind of technology, the same kind of techniques, but when we use it, we get something different.” Shigeru Miyamoto Have you ever experienced a […]
Petrographic examination of historic stone-veneer mortar
As a petrographer, I have had the opportunity to examine many historic mortars and historic concretes from around the United States. They silently tell stories about natural elements and sometimes, […]