Materials Laboratory

Mission

Our mission is to support the design, construction and maintenance of City of Tucson system by constantly providing highly professional, timely and cost effective geotechnical, testing and pavement design information.

Goals

1. Improve movement of people and products throughout City of Tucson.
2. Increase the quality, timeliness and cost effectiveness of our products and services.
3. Develop and retain a competitively paid, high performing, successful workforce.
4. Optimize the use of all resources.

Certification

City of Tucson Materials Laboratory is certified by:

• Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)
• AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL)

Activities

• Perform Asphaltic Concrete testing in accordance with Arizona (AZ) test methods and City Standard Specification.
• Perform Independent Assurance and correlation sampling, testing, and reporting in accordance with the Materials Quality Assurance Manual
• Review and approve hot asphalt mix designs
• Perform structural inspections of pre-stressed concrete girders
• Certify concrete cure
• Perform inspections and certify pre-cast concrete manhole cones/cover/rings, pipes and box culverts
• Test Portland cement concrete cylinders in accordance with ADOT Standard Specifications
• Review and approve Portland cement concrete and asphaltic concrete mix designs for construction.
• Perform pH, resistivity, sieve analysis, sand equivalent , etc tests of soils and aggregate materials in accordance with Arizona test methods
• Conduct the Radiation Safety Program in accordance with Department procedures, regarding construction organizations using nuclear gauges in the Region
• Materials Engineer provides technical assistance to project personnel, aids in Material issue escalations and has an active role in the development of Material Group Policy and Materials Specifications
• Perform field density tests for Asphalt Concrete, Soil and aggregates with Nuclear Gauges and Sand cones for Soil and aggregates.
• Perform sampling and testing of emulsified asphalt in accordance with AASHTO and Arizona test methods

Customer Relations

The City Of Tucson / Materials Section is involved in interaction and relationships with the following:

• ADOT / Quality Assurance Section
• FHWA and other Federal agencies
• Contractors and contractor organizations
• Consultants
• Materials suppliers
• State agencies
• Pima County
• AASHTO and AMRL
• ASTM
• ACI
• Asphalt user producer groups
• Transportation Research Board
• The general public