Efficient and accurate material testing workflows keep construction projects on-time, on-budget and on-spec. Is yours causing problems instead? These five signs can help identify a problem.
Ensuring materials are high-quality and safe is the foundation of any successful construction project. At the same time, project owners are always looking for ways to reduce costs, minimize errors and work faster. To achieve these goals, making improvements to the construction materials testing workflow is a great place to start.
As we look to the start of 2025, most construction firms are no stranger to technology. Tech-savvy construction sites use iPads. Modern test labs have new, automatic machines. Even AI is being used to optimize and enhance concrete operations. What else could material testing need?
The technology is there. Now, it’s about connecting not only each step of the material testing workflow but also that workflow to the overall project.
A connected material testing workflow requires no manual intervention from the moment sample data is collected in the field to strength testing in the lab to final report approval.
VIEW INFOGRAPHIC: Connected Construction in the QA/QC Workflow
A disconnected workflow, then, is one that requires human intervention to close gaps between technology — which means the potential for human error is present almost every step of the way. Even the smallest error can have a big impact on the project as a whole. This is because information from the field informs work in the lab, which informs important next steps for the project back in the field. So when material testing moves too slow or stops in order to fix an error, the job site has to stop, too.
Is your material testing workflow disconnected? Here are five signs to tell.
5 Signs Your Material Testing Workflow Is Disconnected
#1. You Manually Select & Verify Specimens on Test Days
After you collect sample data and cast specimens on the job site, specimens are transported to the lab for curing. What happens when specimens are ready to test?
In a disconnected workflow, technicians have to manually find and verify that the specimen being tested is the right one on the right date. At the machine, they have to calculate preload settings and enter the correct parameters based on sample data, specimen size and type, expected strength, and geometry. The entire process of specimen identification takes time and is vulnerable to human error.
However, a connected testing workflow automates the process of specimen identification, eliminating the potential for errors like testing a specimen on the wrong date. Faster, automatic test assurance also saves a material tester time. The combination of improved accuracy and productivity translates into more successful construction projects.
RELATED READING: Automate Specimen Identification (And More) with a Connected Machine
#2. You Have to Control the Test by Hand
At the material testing machine, your specimen is ready to test. Do you manually operate the full advance, metering and hold controls throughout the entire test, or can you simply start it at the push of a button?
A manual test machine is a clear sign of a disconnected workflow. Tests are subject to variance and error, and the entire workflow slows down. Technicians are required to constantly monitor the test, pulling them away from other important work and limiting their ability to start more tests. Plus, manual machines are prone to overheating, causing premature wear and poor load rate control, which leads to unreliable test results.
In a connected workflow, tests run automatically. This means busy machine operators can let tests run on autopilot without impacting results reliability. After the test, the connected machine will automatically transfer data to other software, enabling intelligent workflows for detailed reporting and approvals.
RELATED READING: 5 Testing Problems a Connected Machine Solves
#3. You Enter Test Data Into Another System Later
After the test is complete, where do your results go?
If you have to write results on a clipboard and type them up later, or they are automatically transferred to one system and then you have to export them somewhere else, your workflow is disconnected.
This is a common source of human error, from writing down the wrong number to misinterpreting handwritten numbers to making typos when retyping information.
In a connected workflow, results flow exactly where you need them without having to retype or transfer them manually. This removes the chance of bias or error impacting results, making your results more trustworthy, process more efficient, and project more successful.
#4. You Don’t Get Automated Alerts & Notifications
You’ve tested your material and received the results. What if there’s a problem?
Disconnected workflows can’t generate timely alerts and notifications, which threatens the progress of your construction project. Worst case scenario, issues with tested construction materials might slip through the cracks – increasing the risk and cost of the project.
Low breaks happen, but they need to be communicated as fast as possible so you can solve the problem before it causes bigger ones down the road. Overdue cylinders can be completely avoided in a connected workflow, because you’re notified of the cylinder’s age and break date well before it becomes overdue.
READ MORE: Stay On Top of Testing with Automatic Alerts & Notifications
#5. Approvals Take Too Long
Before a construction site can take the next step, material strength and quality need to be reviewed and approved. Are you getting the approval you need as fast as you can to keep the project moving forward?
If engineers have to manually alert stakeholders when reports are ready for review, the workflow is disconnected. This can lead to delays as approvals rely on untracked, inefficient methods like emailing, moving files between shared folders, or even delivering printed documents.
In a connected workflow, approvals arrive almost instantly. As soon as your material is approved, the construction project can keep moving forward.
READ MORE: Why Projects Need a Digital Report Approval Workflow
Conclusion: Connect Your Material Testing Workflow
A disconnected material testing workflow puts the larger project at risk of costly errors and delays. From manually selecting and verifying specimens on test days to dealing with slow approval processes, these inefficiencies signal deeper issues that can throw your project off track.
The reality is, construction materials testing involves many processes for field technicians, machine operators, engineers and project owners. Connecting all these people and processes will help you work faster and reduce errors, translating into a construction project that’s on-time, on-budget and on-spec.
CASE STUDY: How the MDTA Used Connected Technology on a Major Bridge Project
So, how do you connect the material testing workflow? It starts with CMT software, ForneyVault. Here’s how it works:
- In the field: Capture field data into a field application. ForneyVault creates unique identifiers that connects every specimen to sample and field data.
- In the lab: Scan barcode label at the machine, preloading the machine with related specimen data. The machine “knows” what it’s testing and validates the test with smart checks.
- In the office: Get results where you need them, then signal next steps with a fast digital approval, eSignature and automatic notifications.
Try ForneyVault out by taking tours at each step of the connected material testing workflow: the field, the lab, and the office.