About

As a leader in quality assurance, materials testing, special inspection and geotechnical engineering, CTI is renowned for our advanced and diverse technical abilities, impeccable project performance history and mastery of our trade.

Over the course of nearly 40 years, Carlson Testing, Inc. has advanced to become one of the premier, full service materials engineering consulting firms in our industry. Our vigorous commitment to continually identify, explore, and implement the latest technologies and advanced methods has provided CTI with a distinguished reputation as being a firm on the forefront of its profession.

Ethical practice, reliability, repeatability, timeliness, along with effective and efficient communications are an essential part of our success. Acquiring a comprehensive understanding of our clients goals and objectives and customizing our services to exceed this criteria, yields us the opportunity to maximize our performance, thus elevating the ultimate quality of the project and invested construction dollars.

CTI employs a large staff of experienced and highly knowledgeable materials and geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, geologists, special inspectors and qualified laboratory technicians. Our staff are required to participate in continuing education and progressive training, as well as, on-site and in-house supervisory performance audits. This intensive and comprehensive program is an illustration of our commitment to providing our clients, and their projects, with the best quality assurance representation available on the market.

As a service oriented agency, we understand the significance of information sharing and expeditious reporting of results. A unique attribute at CTI, comes from the expertise of our executive accounting and administrative staff. These key individuals engage in a diverse range of “behind-the-scenes” activities and collaboration with other project team members, including project set-up, report distribution, billing, etc. Our administrative performance is executed with such precise; their participation in the project can almost be translucent.

Locally owned and operated, from our offices located in Bend, Eugene, Salem and Tigard, Oregon, CTI provides geotechnical engineering,construction special inspection, and materials testing services throughout the Northwest. With a fully accredited and certified fleet of mobile testing laboratory facilities, we can also participate on remote projects while maintaining credibility and reliability of results. Our facilities are accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). We also maintain a number of certifications and affiliations with ASNT, AWS, ICC, ODOT, AAMA, AMRL, CCRL, USACE, ACI, OBOA, and WABO.

Carlson has seven fully equipped mobile laboratories to serve on your ODOT, FAA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other remote projects. These facilities are capable of performing a wide range of soils, concrete, and asphalt related tests. If you are not close to one of our permanent facilities, these traveling laboratories will fulfill your testing requirements and save costs by reducing unwanted travel expenses.

Materials Testing

Fundamentally sound and technically accurate results backed by national accreditation and years of experience breeds the highest level of confidence.

Carlson’s major strength is the breadth of our technical laboratory capabilities. Our laboratories are capable of testing and evaluating a wide variety of construction materials, ranging from common concrete and masonry samples to unique, proprietary, or experimental materials or components. These and all other laboratory procedures are performed in accordance with standardized and accepted procedures promulgated by ASTM, AASHTO, ICBO, ODOT and other governing bodies in our laboratories which are nationally accredited and regularly audited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).

Individual branch offices have also obtained accreditation or certification by one or more of of the following agencies: US Corps of Engineers (USACE), Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Oregon Building Officials Associations (OBOA) or Washington Building Officials Association (WABO).

Concrete Testing

• Flexural Beam Tests
• Unit Weight of Hardened Concrete Specimens (Cylinders)
• Portland Cement Concrete Trial Batch
• PCC (ACI 3 Point) Trial Batch
• Compressive Strength of Concrete Cylinders
• Compressive Strength of Cores
• Compressive Strength Gypsum Concrete
• Compressive Strength of Lightweight Insulating Concrete
• Length Change of Hardened Concrete
• Specific Gravity, Absorption & Voids in Hardened Concrete
• Compressive Strength of 2x2x2 Samples

Masonry Testing

• Compressive Strength of 2 x 4 Mortar Cylinders
• Compressive Strength of 4 x 4 x 8 Grout Prisms
• Compressive Strength of Clay Brick Units
• Absorption Test of Brick (24-Hour Cold)
• Absorption Test of Brick (5-Hour Boiling)
• Freezing and Thawing Test of Clay Brick
• Efflorescence Test of Brick
• Measurement of Size of Brick (Dimensions)
• Measurement of Warpage of Brick
• Linear Drying Shrinkage of CMU
• Compressive Strength of CMU (Prism/Unit)
• Absorption of CMU
• Measurement of Size of CMU (Including Webs)
• Moisture Content of CMU (Includes Absorption)
• Percent Solids Determination (Net Area)
• Initial Rate of Absorption of Brick
• Moisture Content of Brick
• Modulus of Rupture of Brick Units
• Cold Crushing Strength of Refractory Units
• Bulk Density of Refractory Units
• Modulus of Rupture of Refractory Units
• Moisture Content of Mortar
• Qualification Test Services
• Compressive Strength of Segmental Retaining Wall Units

Earthwork (Soils & Aggregate) Testing

• Moisture/Density Relationship includes Rock Correction
• Screen or Sieve Analysis – Dry
• Screen or Sieve Analysis - Washed
• Specific Gravity & Absorption (Course Aggregate)
• Specific Gravity & Absorption (Fine Aggregate)
• Specific Gravity of Soils
• Sand Equivalent
• Unit Weight of Aggregate
• Fractured Faces
• Atterberg Limits (Plastic Limit, Liquid Limit, Plastic Index)
• Moisture Content (Soil or Aggregate)
• California Bearing Ratio - (Undisturbed)
• California Bearing Ratio - (In-Lab)
• Direct Shear
• Durability Index
• Los Angeles Abrasion Test
• Magnesium/Sodium Soundness
• Friable Particles
• Cleanliness Value
• Oregon Air Degradation
• DMSO Test
• Ethylene Glycol Test
• Swell or Shrink Factor
• Organic Impurities
• Scratch Hardness Test
• Tons to Yard Conversion Factor
• Elongated Particles
• Wood Particles
• Dust & Clay Coating
• Hydrometer Analysis
• Consolidation Testing of Soils
• Organic Matter Content of Soils by Ignition Method

Asphalt (Bituminous) Testing

• Marshall Mix Formula (MS-2, FAA)
• Gyratory “Superpave” Mix Formula (ODOT/FHWA)
• Asphalt Extraction-Gradation Tests (Vacuum Method)
• Marshall Flow-Stability
• Bulk Specific Gravity of Compacted HMAC
• Maximum Specific Gravity (Rice Method)
• Pavement Thickness (Cores)
• Moisture Content of Bituminous Mixes (Oven)
• Coating & Stripping of Bitumen/Rock Mixture
• Compressive Strength of Bituminous Mixtures
• Index of Retained Strength
• Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR) of Bituminous Mixtures
• Asphalt Incineration Calibration
• Asphalt Content/Gradation by Incineration Furnace

Structural Steel Testing

• Fireproofing Density Samples
• Non-Destructive Testing: Ultrasonic (UT), Magnetic Particle (MT), Dye Penetrant (PT)
• Non-Destructive Testing: UT, MT, PT (Level III)
• Welder Certification: AWS D1.1
• Welding Procedure AWS D1.4
• Welder Qualification: AWS D1.3
• Procedure Writing
• Tensile Strength
• Skid-more Wilhelm