infocus #22 June 2011 Microscopy for the Built Environment

This article reviews the application of petrography to various stages of the construction material life cycle

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.69

Geomaterials such as concrete, stone, brick and asphalt are of huge economic importance to the global construction industry. The performance of built infrastructure is dependent on the availability of high quality construction materials, good construction workmanship and adequate maintenance throughout service life. Microscopy has been used to investigate building stone for over 150 years by geologists as part of the discipline of ‘petrography’. Microscopical and petrographic techniques have since been applied by materials engineers to the investigation of a wide range of other geomaterials, to become an indispensible element of the construction and infrastructure
maintenance industries. This article reviews the application of petrography to various stages of the construction material life cycle starting with resource assessment and quality assurance, through to in-service condition surveys, forensic engineering of failures and the conservation of historic buildings.

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Author

Jeremy P. Ingham

Halcrow Group Limited, London, UK

Jeremy is a Materials Engineer who provides consultancy and investigation services for construction projects worldwide, involving materials technology, forensic engineering and asset management planning. Commissions range from pre-construction advice, quality control during construction, condition surveys and remediation of existing structures, failure investigations and expert witness services. Jeremy is a Chartered Geologist, Chartered Engineer and Chartered Scientist. Jeremy received a BSc. in Geology and MSc. in Geomaterials from the University of London in 1992 and 1998 respectively. He has since gained more than a decade of practical microscopy experience and is a holder of the Diploma of the Royal Microscopical Society. He is Chairman of the Concrete Society’s Petrography Working Group and a member of the Geological Society's Applied Petrography Group. He is author of the book Geomaterials under the microscope – a colour guide.