Concrete Sample Tracking: Never Miss 7, 28 and 56-Day Tests

The concrete compressive strength test is one of the busiest jobs in a construction materials laboratory. Samples arriving from the site are not tested on the day they come in, but when they reach a certain age. In practice, 7, 28 and 56-day tests are common examples. This means that every day the laboratory has to find and test, on exactly the right date, samples it accepted weeks earlier. With only a few samples a notebook will do, but the picture changes quickly as the number of sites grows. In this article we explain why concrete sample tracking becomes difficult and how testing laboratory software lightens the load.

Why is it hard to keep track of test days?

On a single day a laboratory may receive samples from different sites with different casting dates. Part of the same sample set is tested at an early age and part of it later. As the number of samples grows, remembering which sample is due on which day becomes impossible. Tracking done in a notebook or a personal Excel file depends on the person who keeps it. A day off, an illness or simply a hectic day is enough for the list to go out of date.

Weekends and public holidays affect the plan too. Waiting samples look very much alike, and the markings on them can become hard to read over time. Time spent finding the right sample is time taken away from the test itself.

What happens when a test day is missed

When a test day is missed, the sample has not been tested at the intended age, and it may become difficult to use the result for its expected purpose. Because the concrete has already been poured, taking the same sample again is usually not an option. The laboratory may have to explain the situation to its customer and put it on record. Repeated delays can damage customer confidence and raise questions during audits. For these reasons the testing calendar is one of the records a laboratory needs to manage most carefully.

The problem does not always take the form of a day being forgotten altogether. When more samples than expected fall on the same day, the workload can strain equipment and staff capacity. Knowing the day's work in advance is the first step in managing that pile-up.

Automatic scheduling and a daily work list

The most visible benefit of sample tracking software is that planning no longer depends on individuals. In our Testing Laboratory Software, test dates are scheduled automatically when concrete samples are accepted. When the technician starts the day, a daily work list showing the samples due for testing is already there. Nobody has to leaf through a notebook in the morning to work out what needs doing. Because the plan lives in the software, the knowledge stays in the laboratory when an employee goes on leave.

Request, sample and report numbers are generated automatically as well, which lowers the risk of skipped or duplicated numbers. There are separate sample intake screens for concrete, steel and reinforcement, soil and aggregate, and other tests. Each test group asks only for the information that is relevant to it.

From raw data to report

Once the test has been carried out, the results need to become a report. The technician enters the raw data, the calculation is done with Excel templates and the report is produced as a PDF. The cover page is prepared automatically and the accreditation mark appears on the report. Because results are not copied by hand from one file to another, transcription errors become less likely.

The report is completed after passing through review, approval and e-signature. The person who prepares the report and the person who approves it are separate, and the report can be sent back for review if necessary. Completed reports can be verified with a QR code and downloaded in bulk.

Conformity assessment and periodic reports

What the results say when taken together matters as much as each individual result. The software performs conformity assessment for concrete strength and water impermeability class and produces conformity reports. A monthly chart report makes it easier to see how results develop over time. Sample handover, periodic summaries and follow-up lists are also part of the software. The manager does not have to spend the end of the month merging separate files.

Traceability for customers and audits

In the customer portal, customers see and download only their own completed reports and can request a conformity report when they need one. This reduces the stream of phone calls and emails asking for reports. Laboratory staff can in turn give more of their time to testing.

Inside the laboratory, roles and permissions define who can perform which operation. The audit trail shows who created a record, who changed it and when. Deleted records are not destroyed, they are set to inactive. ISO/IEC 17025, the standard that defines the general requirements for the competence of laboratories, expects records to be traceable. Features of this kind make record keeping and traceability easier.

Conclusion

Concrete sample tracking starts with testing the right sample on the right day. When this work moves from notebooks and personal files into a shared system, both the risk of a missed test day and the effort of preparing reports go down. During the transition, running the old method alongside the new system for a while can build the team's confidence. If you are looking for a solution for your construction materials laboratory, you can take a look at our Testing Laboratory Software. If you would like to see it with your own sample flow, request a demo.