box of tubes for the Ground Engineering laboratory testing.

Laboratory Services

In-house laboratories yield test results you can trust

GROUND is Colorado’s premier construction materials testing laboratory. You can rely on our nationally accredited geotechnical and materials soils, concrete, asphalt, and masonry IN-HOUSE laboratories for fast, accurate results.

We continually invest in our laboratories to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of our clients.

Here are highlights – we invite you to call to learn more:

Accredited, so you can always trust the results

  • AASHTO R-18
  • US Army Corps of Engineers Validated
  • CDOT Inspected

State-of-the-art equipment.

  • In the early 2000’s GROUND was one of the first companies in the West to perform Resilient Modulus Testing, AASHTO T307, on soils and aggregates. GROUND has provided this testing for countless projects and several research projects over the years, most recently with CDOT and Colorado School of Mines.
  • GROUND continues to invest in state-of-the-art equipment, including automated direct shear / residual shear testing systems from Geocomp and the latest kneading compactor from James Cox and Sons all housed in our new laboratory addition.

Extensive personnel certification and training

  • Our lab staff are cross-trained and certified in multiple areas. Our current Commerce City lab management has a combined 75+ years of field and laboratory geotechnical testing experience.

Internal quality control

  • GROUND maintains a rigorous internal QC program to ensure the most accurate results for our Clients. GROUND participates in the AASHTO ReSource Proficiency sample program, CDOT’s Round Robin testing program and regularly splits samples between our own laboratories to ensure testing accuracy.

Fully customizable on-site mobile laboratories

  • GROUND owns a fleet of trailers that can be outfitted and delivered to your job site to meet all your onsite testing and concrete cylinder curing needs.

Lab Accreditation

The current scope of accreditation for each of our laboratory locations can be viewed by clicking the links below.

Laboratory Services We Offer

  • Asphalt

    ASTMAASHTOMethod
    D2041T209Theoretical Maximum Specific Gravity
    D6307-D5444T308-T30AC Content by Ignition Method and Extracted Gradation
    D2726T166Bulk Specific Gravity of Compacted Asphalt (Cores)
    D2726-d6925T312-T166Relative Density of Asphalt Specimens by Gyratory (Voids/VMA/VFA)
    D1560T246Resistance to Deformation and Cohesion of Asphalt (Hveem)
    D6307T308Asphalt Content by Ignition
    D4125T287Asphalt Content by Nuclear Method
    D6752T331-T166Bulk Specific Gravity of Compacted Asphalt by Vacuum Sealing
    D2726-D6752-D6925T331-T312Relative Density of Asphalt Specimens by Gyratory (Vacuum)
    D4867T283Resistance of Asphalt to Moisture-Induced Damage (Modified Lottman (TSR))
    D6926-D6927R68-T245Sp.G.(SSD), Stability, Flow (Marshall)

  • Concrete

    ASTMAASHTOMethod
    C39T22Concrete Compressive Strength
    C42T24Concrete Core Compressive Strength
    C42T34Shotcrete Cores Compressive Strength
    C157T160Length Change of Hardened Cement Mortar and Concrete
    C1074-Maturity Meter Strength Correlation
    C39T22Concrete Compressive Strength Cylinders (Hi Strength)
    C780T106Gypcrete Compressive Strength
    C642-Density, Absorption, and Voids in Concrete
    C78T97Concrete Third-Point Flexural Strength Beams
    C42T34Shotcrete Compressive Strength
    C496T198Splitting Tensile Strength of Concrete
    T358-Surface Resistivity Indication of Concrete’s Ability to Resist Chloride Ion Penetration

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    Soil Testing

    ASTMAASHTOMethod
    D698T99Standard Proctor Compaction
    D4318T89-90Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils (Atterberg)
    D6913-Partical-Size Distribution of Soils (Gradation)
    --Denver Swell
    D2844T190Resistance R-Value and Expansion Pressure of Compacted Soils
    D1140-No. 200 Wash (Soils)
    D422T88Particle-Size Analysis of Soils (Gradation and Hydrometer)
    D5102-D1633-Unconfined Compressive Strength of Compacted Soil-Lime Mixtures
    D558-Moisture-Density (Unit Weight) Relations of Soil-Cement Mixtures
    D7263-Natural Density and Moisture Content
    G51T289pH Test
    D2434T215Hydraulic Conductivity of Coarse-Grained Soils
    D1557T180Modified Proctor Compaction
    D4546T216One-Dimensional Swell or Collapse of Soils
    D4829-Expansion Index of Soils
    G187T288Soil Resistivity Using 2-Electrode Soil Box
    G57-Soil Resistivity using the Wenner 4-Electrode Method
    --Water-Soluble Sulfate Ion Content in Soil (CDOT Method)
    --Water-Soluble Chloride Ion Content in Soil (CDOT Method)
    D3080T236Direct Shear under CD-Conditions
    D2974T267Organic Content
    D2435-One-Dimensional Consolidation of Soils using Incremental Loading
    D4647-Dispersive Clay Soils by the Pinhole Test
    D854T100Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by the Water Displacement Method
    D6572-Crumb Test
    D2166T208Unconfined Compressive Strength of Soil
    D1883T193California Bearing Ratio-3 Point
    C1252T304Uncompacted Voids Test of Fine Aggregate
    D559-Wetting and Drying Compacted Soil-Cement Mixtures
    D560-Freezing and Thawing Compacted Soil-Cement Mixtures
    D2216T255/265Moisture Content of Soil/Aggregates
    --Qualitative Sulfide Reactivity (AWWA)
    D4373-Carbonate Content of Soils

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    Aggregates

    ASTMAASHTOMethod
    C127T85Specific Gravity and Absorption of Coarse Aggregate
    C136T27Sieve Analysis of Aggregates
    C131T96Resistance to Degradation of Small Aggregate (LA Abrasion)
    C1260-Potential ASR of Aggregate (Mortar-Bar Method)
    C88T104Soundness of Aggregate (Magnesium or Sodium Sulfate)
    C117T11No. 200 Wash (Aggregate)
    C128T84Specific Gravity and Absorption of Fine Aggregate
    D4253 & D4254-Max/Min Index Density and Unit Wt of Soils (Relative Density)
    D2419T176Sand Equivalent
    C29T19Unit Weight & Voids in Aggregate
    C40T21Organic Impurities
    C142T112Clay Lumps and Friable Particles
    D4791-Flat or Elongated Particles
    C1567-Potential ASR of Combinations of Materials(Accelerated Mortar-Bar Method)
    D5821T335Fractured Particles in Coarse Aggregates
    C535-Resistance to Degradation of Large Aggregate
    D6928T327Resistance of Coarse Aggregate to Degradation (Micro Deval)
    D7428-Resistance of Fine Aggregate to Degradation (Micro Deval)

  • Masonry

    ASTMAASHTOMethod
    C1019-Masonry Grout Compressive Strength
    C1314-Masonry Prism Compressive Strength
    C140-Compressive Strength CMU/Brick Coupon
    C780T106Masonry Mortar Compressive Strength
  • Specialty Testing

    ASTMAASHTOMethod
    D5334-Thermal Conductivity (Geothermal)
    D5084-Hydraulic Conductivity of Saturated Porous Materials Using a Flexible Wall Permeameter
    D5298T273Measurement of Soil Water Potential Using Filter Paper
    D6836-Measurement of Soil Water Potential using a Dew Point Potentiameter
    -T307Resilient Modulus of Soils and Aggregates
    --Soil Stabilization Mixture Analysis (Cement-Lime-Fly Ash)
    --Concrete Mix Trials
  • Other

    ASTMAASHTOMethod
    C123T113Lightweight Particles in Aggregate
    D5767-Consolidated Undrained Triaxial Compression
    D2850-Unconsolidated-Undrained Triaxial Compression
    --Water Quality Analysis and Testing

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