Services

Applied Science & Research

Overview


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Tour SGH's Applied Science & Research Center, our in-house laboratory facility, to learn more about what we can do.

Testing and research to understand the unknown.

Why has this material failed? How will this structural connection perform? What happens to this substance when exposed to extended sunlight, water, cold, or heat? We constantly question the “why” to better understand how structures and materials behave. Laboratory testing helps us validate innovative designs, provides evidence for investigations, and informs our repair techniques.

By executing hands-on analyses in our Applied Science & Research Center, SGH staff explore all the relevant information–digitally and physically–to develop ideas and find solutions. Through our constant questioning, we solve complex issues, satisfy our curiosity, and create an environment where we can learn and improve.

Specialized Capabilities

Advancing the meaning of what’s possible.

Physical Testing

SGH can perform mechanical testing to understand the physical characteristics of materials, components, and systems. We can conduct tension and compression loading; fatigue testing; macro- and micro-hardness testing; and specialized tests, such as shear, fracture toughness, adhesion, and delamination with our axial load machines. We also have a 5 ft thick strong floor, supported by an overhead crane, that allows us to simulate pushing or pulling forces on components of various sizes and configurations.

Physical Testing

Environmental Simulations

Evaluating how materials, components, and systems perform in specific environments is an important aspect of predicting serviceability and suitability for proposed applications. SGH uses equipment–such as a walk-in freezer, oven, or salt fog chamber–and applies corrosive liquids, high temperature gases, and ultraviolet light to simulate a wide range of aggressive environments, evaluate long-term exposure, or replicate past events to efficiently determine root causes of issues.

Environmental Simulations

Materials Science

Whether a material is new, being used in a new way, or taken to a new limit; deteriorates due to age or exposure; or fails or performs unexpectedly, our Applied Science & Research Center can answer complex questions. With physical testing, environmental simulation, microscopy, and chemical/thermal analysis capabilities, SGH develops testing plans to determine a material’s composition and properties that help us identify it or predict its behavior in service. Our multidisciplinary teams apply an understanding of materials science, engineering principles, construction techniques, and testing approaches to evaluate materials for innovative project designs, investigate failures, and design durable and appropriate repairs.

Materials Science

Microscopy

Microscopy can help our trained specialists in the Applied Science & Research Center identify characteristics that can affect a material’s behavior or performance. We can use this information to evaluate whether a material is appropriate for the intended use or why it failed. SGH’s fully equipped microscopy laboratory includes stereo microscopes (10X to 100X); a transmitted light polarizing microscope (10X to 1,000X); and an ultraviolet, reflected light microscope (10X to 50X); along with cutting and lapping equipment to create flat, polished surfaces, and a computer-assisted, linear-traverse instrument for conducting hardened air-void analyses.

Microscopy

Research Partnerships

We’re better when we work together. SGH collaborates with academic and scientific institutions and other professional firms to advance the architectural, engineering, and construction industry by evaluating new building and structural materials, components, and systems. We work with these partners to develop and execute research initiatives in our Applied Science & Research Center.

Research Partnerships

With approximately 13,500 sq ft of in-house laboratory facilities, our Applied Science & Research Center develops and executes comprehensive testing and research plans to better understand how materials, components, and systems behave. Take a look inside our laboratory and learn how its capabilities enhance the work we do for clients.

With approximately 13,500 sq ft of in-house laboratory facilities, our Applied Science & Research Center develops and executes comprehensive testing and research plans to better understand how materials, components, and systems behave. Take a look inside our laboratory and learn how its capabilities enhance the work we do for clients.

Working together for optimal results.

Working together for optimal results.

Our engineers partner with team members in the Applied Science & Research Center to identify project goals, develop testing protocols, interpret results, and tackle the toughest challenges. Our collective technical knowledge and years of laboratory experience provide us with a unique lens to investigate and explain failures, help codify standards today, and innovate the future. Some of our specialists in the Applied Science & Research Center include:

  • Chemists
  • Geologists
  • Metallurgists
  • Materials Engineers
  • Laboratory Technicians

Ready to work together?

We’re here to solve your complex questions.

Contact our Applied Science & Research Center and let’s talk about what’s possible. 

Norman Perkins
Norman Perkins
Director of Applied Science & Research