The Importance of Materials Testing

With so many different materials used in the construction of most structures, whether warehouses or residences, there is a need for developers and architects to have a solid understanding of the properties of these materials. This includes the behaviour of materials in general and how each one interacts with another. Another consideration is being able to be across the impact of factors which affect the performance of a material. With this in mind, the importance of materials testing becomes clear.

With HOKLAS steel testing Hong Kong, it’s not just a matter of durability that is importance, but also of strength, hardness and weld quality as well as thickness and how tensile it is. At the end of the day, testing is needed to ensure safety, compliance and at a base level to make sure that quality and recognition of industry standards along with regulations all stand in the way of potential liabilities.

Steel testing can be both mechanical and also chemical using x-ray devices, for example. Ultrasounds can also be used as well as magnetic particle testing, for example which magnetises a surface and by doing so effectively identifies any discontinuities either on the surface or the subsurface of the steel.

Hong Kong has a history that goes back decades in the use of structural steel in construction, with many iconic buildings incorporating steel into the structure. Steel is also used to reinforce foundations where weaknesses are detected. There are many reasons why steel may be a preference over reinforced concrete. Certainly, structural steel is strong and tensile so it can take a lot of stress. With such a high speed of development within Hong Kong, structural steel offers developers the opportunity to build quicker and also use a material that is easier to maintain too.

A common test it to determine how tensile steel is, which is a way of assessing how the steel acts when force is put upon it or it is stretched. A certain temperature and pressure is applied to see what the steel can put up with. Consideration has to be given to what type of structure is being made as well as being aware of the disadvantages that come with this material such as joint problems as frames age. Steel testing needs to be carried out by experienced professionals using the best equipment possible and without doubt quality developers appreciate this necessity as well.