Forensic Engineering in Aurora, IL

Chain of custody documents every transfer of a concrete core, soil sample, or material specimen from the moment it leaves the field to final laboratory disposition. It establishes that evidence has not been altered, contaminated, or confused with other samples. For disputes involving litigation or insurance claims, an unbroken chain of custody is often required before laboratory findings will be accepted by opposing parties or a court.

Field sampling can proceed in winter with appropriate precautions, though frozen ground, icy surfaces, and low ambient temperatures affect logistics and some test procedures. Concrete core extraction per ASTM C42 is generally feasible year-round. Your project team should discuss scheduling with our dispatch coordinator so that sample condition and field documentation quality are not compromised by weather at the time of collection.

Common analyses include compressive strength per ASTM C39, petrographic examination per ASTM C856 to identify alkali-silica reaction, carbonation, freeze-thaw damage, or admixture anomalies, and chloride content testing per ASTM C1152 or C1218 where corrosion of reinforcement is suspected. The scope is determined by the failure hypothesis; the licensed engineer directing the investigation specifies which tests are relevant to the observed distress pattern.

Field work in Aurora is dispatched through the Chicago, IL regional hub, about 36 miles away. Laboratory testing is performed in Sugar Land, TX under chain of custody, or in a mobile laboratory mobilized to large Aurora projects.

Field sampling and testing in Aurora are performed by our ACI- and NICET-certified technicians. Forensic engineering and professional services are delivered with professionals licensed in Illinois, coordinated under one proposal.