About Lincs Laboratory
We provide services to the construction industry and other related industries. These include:
- soils and construction materials testing
- pavement and geotechnical investigation and engineering
- consultancy and traffic data capture
- highways asset and condition surveys
We are UKAS accredited to ISO 17025 for laboratory and site testing.
All other services are covered by our quality management system which is certified to BS EN ISO 9001.
Our Health and Safety Management Systems are certified to BS EN ISO 45001.
For details of materials and sources for highways works view the approved suppliers list.
Engineering and consultancy
We can provide geotechnical and materials consultancy and also pavement engineering guidance.
Geotechnical consultancy
Specialising in ground investigation and geotechnical consultancy such as:
- desktop studies
- factual and interpretive ground investigation reports
- ground investigation for development roads
- advice on bearing pressures and foundations
- factual investigations for soakaways
- contaminated land surveys
- groundwater and gas monitoring
It makes use of many techniques depending on what is needed.
Pavement engineering
Services to help you to design and maintain flexible and rigid pavements such as:
- scheme identification and forward maintenance programming
- pavement investigation and analysis
- design of maintenance treatments
- skid resistance analysis
- footway structural condition assessment and treatment advice
- general consultancy advice
Materials consultancy
Specialist services such as:
- project management
- monitoring materials quality and workmanship
- management of approved suppliers and materials
- material trials
- maintenance of and technical guidance on key documents and specifications
Highway asset data
We can provide detailed carriageway assessment and visual surveys.
Deflectograph surveys
Our deflectograph is accredited for use on the Highways England Strategic Road Network.
The output is formatted to suit your needs. We can produce HMDIF files for loading data into a UKPMS Pavement Management System.
The survey speed is around 2.5km per hour. Survey rates can be up to 15km per day, depending on traffic conditions and working hours' restrictions.
Visual surveys
We carry out visual inspections of the highway network. These are used for performance monitoring and helping prioritise maintenance schemes.
We use the following types of visual surveys:
- Coarse Visual Inspection - a simple, rapid survey for the highway network
- Footway Network Survey – a simple walked survey for footways
National Street Gazetteer
This is the definitive information for streets and is used to manage all street works. We maintain the Local Street Gazetteer for Lincolnshire.
Laboratory and site testing
We undertake a comprehensive range of tests on a variety of construction materials. We can determine suitability for use and consistency of quality.
Aggregates and concrete
Current tests available are as follows:
- physical tests and mechanical tests - particle size, density and shape characteristics, rost heave, strength and compaction characteristics
- chemical tests - sulphate and chloride content, chemical compounds in salt for winter maintenance
- concrete tests - compressive strength and density of hardened concrete cubes. Concrete cubes should be accompanied by a completed 150mm concrete cubes form or a 100mm concrete cubes form.
Bituminous material testing
Current tests available are as follows:
- compliance testing, which includes
- binder content
- grading and the maximum density of bituminous mixtures
- density and air void content of cores
- penetration and softening point of binders
- water and binder content
- efflux of emulsions used in highway pavement construction
- investigation testing – Logging and Tar Content of bituminous cores removed from the pavement
Soil testing
Current tests available are as follows:
- classification tests - plasticity, moisture content, particle size, and density
- physical testing - California bearing ratio (CBR), dry density moisture content relationship, compaction, and consolidation
Site testing services
Current tests available are as follows:
- compliance - surface texture and regularity, the reflectivity of white lines, compaction of aggregates and bituminous materials
- investigation - coring, pavement stiffness, bearing capacity
- performance - bituminous materials, concrete, and granular materials
You can deliver samples directly to the laboratory between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. We can also collect samples direct from your site.
Traffic surveys
We offer a range of automatic and manual traffic monitoring surveys.
Rural routine monitoring and annual average daily traffic
The data is combined from junction turning counts and two-way surveys on straight links of road. The average of two surveys is used to obtain an average daily flow.
Permanent automatic surveys
We operate CA traffic’s loop profiler-type counters for long-term monitoring work.
Automatic traffic counters
Counters use inductive loops in the carriageway to detect vehicles. Each site has four loops in the carriageway, two per lane. They can also classify and record the speed of vehicles.
Automatic cycle counters
These counters use special loop detection systems for cycle routes. Site visits occur every month unless telemetry is fitted.
Requested manual traffic surveys
These are used to understand traffic movements, types of traffic or pedestrian activity.
Requested temporary automatic counter surveys
We conduct these at specific locations where there is a need for 24-hour vehicle type or speed information.