Underwriters Laboratories Expands Testing Facilities to Toronto
Underwriters Laboratories is broadening its services for the building sciences sector by opening a new facility in Toronto. The company is offering improved building science and building envelope testing services for construction companies in Canada.
Underwriters Laboratories is a leader in the Canadian construction science and building envelope sector, delivering testing services for building envelope, building forensics, field testing, along with building envelope commissioning for architects, building owners, and material manufacturers in the construction industry in the region.
The Toronto testing facility will feature fenestration and mockup sets for testing window wall, wall assemblies, and curtain walls. The mockup lab is located is equipped with 50 cranes and to test up to a height of 12 meters. It is also equipped with the latest Controls S.p.A. ultrasonic pulse velocity tester for material testing purposes.
The UL mockup lab is among the largest indoor testing facilities in the region. In addition to the lab at Toronto, UL also has testing facilities in Montréal and Chicago.
Tri State Materials Lab to Expand Testing Facility in Berlin
In a similar move, England based Tri State Materials Lab is shifting its facilities to Berlin, Germany, owing to a rapid increase in construction in this region, and the need for a spacious and centralized location. This move is expected to be advantageous for testing concrete with the use of advanced testing methods such as ultrasonic pulse velocity tests that require quick concrete curing before making casts.
As per a recent study by Future Market Insights on the ultrasonic pulse velocity tester market, the demand for ultrasonic pulse velocity testing devices is showing steady rise, owing to increased use in detecting cracks, voids, and strength measurement through a non-destructive procedure, in the fields of material science, infrastructure and construction, and the measurement of elasticity.
The Tri State Materials lab also tests for integrity of steel and welding, fireproofing materials, and soil among others. The firm uses highly specialized methods such as ground penetrating radar for identification of underground electric wiring or piping, and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests for material strength and integrity.
The boom in business will provide the Tri State Materials lab with additional business opportunities during the slowdown in winters that might result in the hiring of more workers and field inspectors in this period. The new facility will also have a unique layout that will reduce noise during the application of concrete shattering tests.