In the following eight specialist departments, we guarantee you a broad, technically and scientifically sound range of services:
- Building construction and component testing
- Determination of masonry strength (stone compressive strength and mortar compressive strength) on existing buildings
- Dowel/fastening technology
- Building material development and material testing
- Dynamic component testing
- Non-destructive testing
- Building physics and construction chemistry
- Load tests in existing buildings
Together with an external assessor, the FPM can also carry out work for approvals in individual cases and in the approval system in the following areas:
- Fastening technology
- Building material recycling
- Reinforcing steel connections
- Dynamic investigations
- Special constructions for reinforced and prestressed concrete components
- Masonry construction
- Cantilever slab connections
- Maintenance
- Cellular, fiber and lightweight concrete
- Self-compacting concrete
- High-strength concrete
- Environmentally friendly concrete
On-site inspections:
In addition to the tests within the FPM facilities, extensive external tests are also carried out on site. References include load tests on storey ceilings, acceleration measurements on computer systems as a result of conversion work, ultrasound examinations and external monitoring on construction sites.
Laboratory equipment
The FPM has very well-equipped laboratories at its disposal in which it is possible to determine the load-bearing capacity of building components, mechanical building material parameters, chemical analyses and building physics parameters.
Design laboratory:
- Testing machines for material and component tests up to 5000 kN, for compressive and tensile loading
- Test field and frame for all types of component tests
- Modern control systems (Doli) for static and dynamic material and component testing
- Equipment for testing fastening technology (e.g. dowels, anchor rails)
- Various measuring equipment: settlement strain gauges, strain gages, displacement transducers, pressure sensors, load cells, photopostic measuring system (DIC – digital image correlation)
- E-modulus measuring devices (DIN 1048, DIN EN 12390-13) incl. dynamic E-modulus with ultrasound
- Creep stands, shrinkage measuring devices, shrinkage channels, Schleibinger shrinkage cone
- Apparatus for wear resistance according to Böhme (DIN EN 13813)
- Equipment for on-site load tests (DAfStb guideline for load tests on concrete structures)
Mortar and concrete laboratory:
- Standard equipment, incl. laboratory mixer for mortar and concrete up to 80 l and various devices for fresh mortar and fresh concrete tests
- Concrete rheometer BT2 and ICAR
- Mortar rheometer Haake
- Vicat devices
- Standard testing devices for SCC (spreading plate, settling funnel, funnel, blocking ring, sedimentation pot, discharge cone)
- Foam generator – at the Institute of Construction and Building Materials
Durability and chemistry laboratory:
- Chemistry laboratory with standard equipment
- Carbobox (setting of increased CO2 concentration, testing according to fib Bulletin 34)
- Climatic cabinets (temperature, humidity and CO2 concentration)
- Ion chromatograph for determining anion and cation concentrations (e.g. determination of chloid and sulphate content)
- Stands for diffusion tests, water vapor diffusion (DIN EN 12086) and CO2 diffusion
- Water penetration test stands – WU (DIN 12390-8)
- Frost cabinet (slab test, cube method according to DIN EN 12390-9)
- Mercury porosimeter
- Blaine value tester (DIN EN 196-6)
- Migration apparatus for chloride migration rapid test (BAW data sheet and NT Build 492)
- Various light microscopes
- Laser granulometer – at the Institute of Construction and Building Materials
- Thermal conductivity measuring device – at the Institute for Building Materials
Climate chamber
with a volume of approx. 50 m3 (regulation of temperature and humidity)
