Laboratory Services

Road Science have specialised laboratories located throughout New Zealand located in Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Wellington, Christchurch, as well as mobile laboratories.

Testing and Services

Road Science laboratories provide expert construction materials testing, classification, quality assurance, material design, data collection technology, pavement investigation and advice.

Road Science has four permanent IANZ accredited laboratories in Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Wellington and Christchurch, as well as the ability to establish mobile laboratories for specific projects.

In the field you can expect skilled and knowledgeable technicians utilising modern equipment and methods to advise and help you meet your specifications and deliverables.

The experienced laboratory team work to current New Zealand and International test methods to help customers meet NZ Transport Authority, local authority and project specifications.

Each Road Science laboratory is led by a team who have extensive experience in the construction materials testing industry. Each laboratory works collaboratively with the other Road Science teams to share resources and knowledge.

Compliance to Standards

All our laboratories are IANZ accredited to NZS/ISO/ IEC 17025 covering mechanical test sections on:

4.01 Aggregates

4.02 Bituminous Materials

4.04 Concrete

4.08 Soils

4.15 Seconded Sampling

4.20 Pavements

4.99 Site Testing

Advice and Support

When you choose the Road Science Technical Services team you are guaranteed a reliable service with fast turnaround times. The Technical Services team provide more than just test results and data - they can provide technical assistance to help you understand the quality of your materials and pavements for your projects or assist with tenders.

The Road Science laboratories work in collaboration with a team of experts including Dr Greg Arnold - Principal Pavement Engineer and Darcy Rogers - Technical Development Manager. Greg’s team can analyse laboratory test results and interpret them as inputs to pavement design modelling - for predicting performance with comparisons with other standard products.

Testing and Services

All our laboratories are IANZ accredited to NZS/ISO/IEC 17025 covering mechanical test sections on the adjacent categories.

Road Science labs are accredited for over 200 different test methods including those that are recognised by the industry in New Zealand and offshore.

Aggregates and Soils

Abrasion Resistance
Size and Shape (ALD)
Broken Faces
Californian Bearing Ratio (CBR)
Clay Index
Cleanness Value
Cone Penetration Limit
Crumb Test
Crushing Resistance
Degradation Factor
Density and Absorption
Fineness Modulus
Foam Bitumen Mix Design
Heavy Compaction
Liquid Limit
Methylene Blue Absorption
Particle Size Distribution (PSD)
Plastic Limit
Plasticity Index
Polished Stone Value (PSV)
Repeated Load Triaxial (RLT)
Sand Density and Absorption
Sand Equivalent
Solid Density
Specific Gravity
Standard Compaction
Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS)
Vibrating Hammer
Voids Ratio
Water Content
Weathering
Wet - Dry Strength Variation
Indirect Tensile Strength

Asphalt

Air Voids
Asphalt Coring (Machine)
Aging of OGPA and Cantabro
Binder Drain Off
Binder Film Index
Bitumen Content
Bulk Density
Bulk Specific Gravity
Compaction by Gyratory Compactor
Compressive Modulus
Fatigue Life & Flexural Stiffness
Marshall Compaction
Mix Design
Moisture Sensitivity
Particle Loss
Permeability
Resilient Modulus
Stability and Flow
Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR)
Theoretical Maximum Specific Gravity (TMSG)
Thickness and Height
Wheel Tracking

Bitumen sprayer calibration

Dipstick Verification
Speed Control Verification
Spray Bar Distribution
Temprature Verification

Bitumen (Binders And Emulsions)

Detection of Adhesion Agent
Ductility
Durability
Dyanamic Viscosity
Flash Point
Kinematic Viscosity
Penetration
Rheology by Dynamic Shear
Rolling Thin-Film Oven (RTFO)
Softening Point
Specific Gravity
Tensile Testing
Torsional Recovery
Viscosity

Concrete

Compressive Strength
Density of Hardened Concrete
Slump

Field Testing

Asphalt Coring (Machine)
Benkelman Beam Deflection
Deflection Bowls
Deflection Bowl - Method and Data Collection
Field Sample Manufacture
Impact Value
Nuclear Density Meter (NDM)
Penetration Resistance
Road Macrotexture
Road Roughness
Road Rutting
Sampling
Thin Lift (air voids)
Vane Shear Strength
Sand Circle
Scala

Pavement Materials Testing

Field Permeability of OGPA
Pavement Flexural Beam (Modified Base course)
Pavement Skid Resistance (British Pendulum)
Pavement Test Pits
Repeated Load Triaxial (RLT)

National Services

Helpful External Links

See the New Zealand transport
Agency (NZTA) for NZTA
Specifications

The Civil Engineering Testing
Association of New Zealand
(CETANZ)

Find documents from the
International Accreditation New
Zealand (IANZ)

Steven leads the Road Science Technical Services department. This department includes the most advanced binder, asphalt, aggregates, soils and pavement investigation testing facilities and data collection technology services in New Zealand. With 17

Where are we?

We have plants and laboratories located all over NZ:

Head Office

Mt Maunganui

Bitumen Plant

Mt Maunganui
New Plymouth
Lyttelton
Bluff

Laboratories

Auckland
Mt Maunganui
Palmerston North
Wellington
Kaikoura
Christchurch