FLOORSCIENCES™
Forensic Failure Analysis | Inspections | QA/QC | Testing
An innovative technical flooring consulting firm focused on
solving and preventing problems with commercial and industrial flooring,
and concrete slabs utilizing science, advanced technologies, and expertise
providing professional services nationwide.
With extensive experience in forensic failure analysis, and quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀™ partners with our clients to prevent and solve complex issues related to floor coverings and coatings, and concrete slabs utilizing science, technology, and expertise. We take pride in maintaining a national reputation for a high level of professionalism and objectivity to provide reliable data and solutions.
𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀™ works on new construction, renovation, and forensic failure projects nationwide during the pre-installation, installation, and post-installation phases of projects. We are nationally recognized as a leading concrete testing and forensic floor inspection agency. Our reports are thorough with accurate data and unbiased, informed, scientific findings.
𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀™ takes floor consulting to the next level with advanced technological capabilities that includes a wide range of innovative analytical testing and evaluation services available from very few flooring inspection companies in the nation.
🔸 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗲 utilized to non-destructively and accurately measure the dry film thickness (DFT) of coatings on concrete, including moisture mitigation coatings.
🔸 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 utilized in the measurements of flooring products and gaps.
🔸 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 utilized to determine the tensile bond strength of coatings, underlayments, overlays, and toppings to concrete slabs and other cementitious substrates; and the tensile strength of concrete slab surfaces.
🔸 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 utilized in the measurement of the surface hardness of floor coverings and floor coatings.
🔸 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿 (𝗚𝗣𝗥) 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 utilized to locate post-tensioning cables, rebar, conduit, pipes, and other embeddings in a concrete slab prior to drilling or coring.
🔸 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗚𝗣𝗥 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 utilized to measure slab thickness. Accurate internal relative humidity (RH) concrete moisture testing (ASTM F2170) requires accurate concrete slab thickness measurements at each test location.
The ASTM F2170 standard mandates that the bottom of the test holes and sleeves be within a tight tolerance of a specific percentage depth (20 or 40%) of the concrete slab thickness. Without accurate concrete thickness measurements, the in situ RH concrete testing could produce inaccurate data that can result in flooring failures and compromise flooring product warranties.
Most testing agencies use an assumed slab thickness and perform all tests on that project based on that assumption when there can be significant variations of thickness within a concrete slab resulting in erroneous data.
Accuracy matters is why FloorSciences™ measures the slab thickness at each test location to accurately tests based on the specified percentage depth of the actual slab thickness.
Professional Services include:
🔸 Cementitious overlays, toppings, underlayments, & repair materials:
🔹 Delamination surveys
🔹 Quality assurance & quality control (QA/QC) testing & evaluation
🔹 Tensile bond strength to concrete surfaces testing (ASTM C1583)
🔸 Claims, arbitration, mediation, & litigation support:
🔹 Consulting
🔹 Expert witness
🔹 Reports: well documented & detailed
🔸 Concrete coatings:
🔹 Dry film thickness (DFT) nondestructive ultrasonic measurements (ASTM D6132)
🔹 Dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) walkway surface testing (ANSI A326.3)
🔹 Hardness testing of the surface (ASTM D2240)
🔹 Quality assurance & quality control (QA/QC) testing & evaluations
🔹 Tensile bond strength to cementitious substrates testing (ASTM D7234)
🔹 Testing & analysis
🔸 Concrete cores:
🔹 Drilling & extractions (CSDA-BP-007 )
🔹 Laboratory testing & analysis
🔹 Water vapor retarder inspections under slabs (ASTM E1745, ASTM E1993)
🔸 Concrete slabs:
🔹 Delamination surveys
🔹 Evaluations & consulting
🔹 Hardness Testing (ASTM C805)
🔹 Moisture testing (ASTM F1869, ASTM F2170, ASTM F2659)
🔹 Moisture mitigation system testing & analysis (ASTM F3010)
🔹 Porosity testing (ASTM F3191)
🔹 Subsurface scanning utilizing nondestructive ground penetrating radar (GPR) to locate post-tensioning (PT) cables, rebar, conduit, & more (CSDA-BP-007 )
🔹 Surface pH testing (ASTM F3441)
🔹 Sweating slab evaluations
🔹 Tensile strength testing of the near surface section of a concrete slabs (ASTM C1583)
🔹 Thickness measurements utilizing nondestructive GPR
🔸 Construction safety training:
🔹 Fire safety *
🔹 First Aid/CPR/AED (ARC certification) *
🔹 First responder *
🔹 OSHA 10 & 30 Construction Outreach Training cards (coming soon)
🔹 Stop-the-Bleed *
🔹 Custom safety training programs
* Lead instructor is a certified tactical EMS paramedic firefighter & instructor
🔸 Educational seminars
🔸 Environmental remote monitoring:
🔹 Ambient relative humidity (RH), temperature, & CO2
🔸 Flooring systems & components:
🔹 Construction materials testing (CMT) of flooring products
🔹 Dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) surface testing (ANSI A326.3)
🔹 Inspections & evaluations
🔹 Forensic floor failure investigation & analysis
🔹 Hardness testing of the surface: Shore A & Shore D (ASTM D2240)
🔹 Measurements of products & gaps utilizing high-tech electronic precision metrology instruments
🔹 Performance evaluations
🔹 Punch list inspections
🔹 Quality assurance & quality control (QA/QC) testing & evaluations
🔹 Site condition surveys as relates to flooring systems
🔹 Sub-floor evaluation, including cementitious underlayments (ASTM F710, ASTM F2419, ASTM F2678, ASTM F2873)
🔸 Architectural/construction photography
Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA/QC)
The success of a flooring system (floor coverings, floor coatings, underlayments, moisture mitigation systems, adhesives, etc.) installation relies on adherence to manufacturers’ guidelines, relevant industry standards, architectural specifications, and other construction documents. Experts with FloorSciences™ can conduct quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) construction material testing (CMT) and observations of the flooring system components based on the relevant standards and project documents.
Concrete Sub-surface Scanning
FloorSciences™ is one of a very few flooring consultancy agencies in the nation with in-house capability to perform ground penetrating radar (GPR) subsurface concrete scanning to locate post-tensioning (PT) cables, reinforcement, conduit, and other embeddings, allowing us to perform internal concrete relative humidity (RH) moisture testing (ASTM F2170) and core drilling in these slabs.
Don’t allow a flooring inspection or testing firm risk damaging concrete embeddings because they do not have the proper advanced instrumentation to locate what’s embedded or directly under your concrete slab prior to drilling into or coring your concrete slab.
To accurate measurement of the slab thickness, nondestructive ground penetrating radar (GPR) is utilized at each test location to conduct accurate ASTM F2170 internal concrete relative humidity testing.
Concrete Internal Relative Humidity (RH) Moisture Testing (ASTM F2170)
Being an industry leader at the forefront of utilizing cutting-edge technologies is not new for FloorSciences. Shortly after the ASTM F2170 test method for determining internal relative humidity of the air void space in concrete slabs using in situ probes became a new standard in the U.S., we recognized it’s efficacy and was an early adopter in 2003.
At that time, very few companies had the cutting-edge instrumentation to conduct concrete moisture testing using this method, and it was primarily only European flooring manufacturers that included it in their U.S. specifications. Now almost all flooring and coatings manufacturers recognize this test method in their specifications.
Although this test only determines the internal relative humidity of the air voids or capillaries of the concrete slab, it is generalized as a concrete moisture test.
Accurate ASTM F2170 internal relative humidity (RH) concrete moisture testing requires accurate concrete slab thickness measurements at each test location.
The ASTM F2170 standard requires the bottom of the test holes and sleeves to be within a tight tolerance of a specific percentage of the concrete slab thickness. Without accurate concrete thickness measurements, in situ RH concrete testing may provide inaccurate data which can result in flooring failures and compromise flooring product warranties. FloorSciences™ believes accuracy matters so using advance technology, we measure the concrete slab thickness at each test location.
Dry Film Thickness (DFT) of Concrete Coatings (ASTM D6132)
The thickness of a high-performance or protective coating can be crucial in the properties needed to fulfill their intended function, such as adhesion, chemical resistance, durability, flexibility, hardness, water vapor permeability, and wearability. This is especially true for concrete moisture mitigation systems.
As a leader in the flooring inspection and consultancy industry, we have the capability to determine the dry film thickness (DFT) of concrete coatings utilizing high-tech non-destructive ultrasonic instrumentation. These concrete coatings include those that become the finished floor surface and those used as part of a flooring system such as with concrete moisture mitigation systems.
Tensile Strength Bond of Concrete Coatings, Overlays, Toppings, & Underlayments (ASTM C1583 & D7234)
Sufficient tensile bond strength of concrete coatings, overlays, toppings, underlayments, and the tensile strength of the near surface portion of concrete slab, can play a crucial role in the success of a flooring system.
Utilizing high-tech electronic hydraulic instrumentation, we are able to determine the greatest perpendicular force or strength (in PSI) of the weakest plane within the flooring system (concrete coatings, cementitious underlayments and toppings, or within the concrete slab itself).
Market Sectors
The largest market sectors for FloorSciences™ are healthcare and education, but we also have worked with Fortune 500 companies along with other building owners, developers, attorneys, architects, engineers, designers, general contractors, floor covering and coating contractors, manufacturers, specification writers, management companies, and tenants. Sectors include:
🔹 Aerospace & Defense
🔹 BioSciences / Life Sciences
🔹 Broadcast Media
🔹 Commercial / Corporate / Office
🔹 Education
🔹 Government
🔹 Healthcare
🔹 Hospitality
🔹 Industrial / Manufacturing / High Technology
🔹 Institutional
🔹 Medical Device Manufacturing
🔹 Multi-Family Housing
🔹 Pharmaceutical
🔹 Retail
🔹 Senior Living
🔹 Sports & Recreation
We have worked on projects with some of the nation’s largest and most well respected General Contractors and Construction Management Firms, including:
🔹 Ajax Building Co
🔹 Batson-Cook Construction
🔹 BE&K Building Group
🔹 Beck Group
🔹 Brasfield & Gorrie
🔹 Choate Construction
🔹 Conlan Co
🔹 Cousins Properties
🔹 DPR Construction
🔹 Gilbane Building Co
🔹 HITT Contracting
🔹 Hoar Construction
🔹 Holder Construction
🔹 MEJA Construction
🔹 Moss & Associates
🔹 New South Construction
🔹 NV5 Global
🔹 Skanska USA Building
🔹 Turner Construction
🔹 Warren Hanks Construction
🔹 White-Spunner Construction
🔹 Winter Construction
Commercial Flooring Categories we have experience in analyzing includes:
🔹 Bamboo
🔹 Carpet: broadloom & tile
🔹 Cementitious overlays, toppings, & underlayments
🔹 Cork
🔹 Hardwood: engineered & solid
🔹 Laminate
🔹 Linoleum: sheet & tile
🔹 Luxury vinyl plank (LVP)
🔹 Luxury vinyl tile (LVT)
🔹 Resins: acrylic, aliphatic urethane, epoxy, methyl methacrylate (MMA), polyaspartic, polyurea, polyurethane, urethane
🔹 Rubber: sheet & tile
🔹 Terrazzo
🔹 Vinyl composition tile (VCT)
🔹 Vinyl (PVC): sheet & tile
FloorSciences’ Principal Technical Consultant, Walter Bell, is active in the industry and a member of these great Industry Organizations:
🔹 American Concrete Institute (ACI) Georgia Chapter
🔹 American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Assn. (AHA)
🔹 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) – member of multiple technical committees for coatings
🔹 Association of Medial Facility Professionals (AMFP)
🔹 ASTM International – member of multiple technical committees for flooring, coatings, concrete, & forensics
🔹 Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
🔹 Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) – Natl & Atlanta Post
🔹 Structural Engineers Association (SEA) of Georgia
🔹 World Floor Covering Association (WFCA)
Connect on LinkedIn with Walter Bell, Forensic+QA/QC Technical Consultant at FloorSciences™
🔸 Principal: linkedin.com/in/walterbell-sciences
🔸 Company: linkedin.com/company/floorsciences
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