LONDON – Element Materials Technology (Element) has signed a contract with the National Heritage Board of Singapore for architectural and structural testing in five museums.

The work will be undertaken by Element’s Admaterials laboratory and will involve the extraction and laboratory-based testing of samples of plaster/render, brick, mortar joint, concrete, timber and paint from each museum.

The testing will be carried out following guidelines issued by a number of technical bodies including the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOC); International Scientific Committee for the Analysis, Restoration of Structures of Architectural Heritage (ISCARSAH);   and other certification. Investment has been made by the team in equipment for establishing the firing degree of masonry using X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry.

Matt Hopkinson, EVP for Oil & Gas and Infrastructure at Element, said, “Heritage buildings require specialist testing and an understanding of the environment in which they are occupied and used. This work, which covers five museums, will enable us to offer expert analysis of their structure and architecture, while identifying potential risk factors or work requiring remedial action. The specialist nature of the work involved investment in our facilities, which we are always keen to do where it helps us provide the best expert services for our clients”

The museums within the testing remit are: Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM); National Museum of Singapore (NMS); Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYS); Malay Heritage Centre (MHC); The Peranakan Museum (TPM); and structural investigation works for the Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC).

The news follows the recent announcement that Element has completed the successful integration of Admaterials Technologies (Admaterials) into the Element group following the acquisition of Exova Group plc in June 2017. The group has retained the distinct Admaterials name as a sub-identifier alongside the Element brand, to support its position as the market leader in Asia.

In addition to the integration and rebrand of the laboratories, Element has invested in further expanding and upgrading the Admaterials facilities.

Admaterials, which has laboratories in Singapore and Malaysia, is an advanced materials testing laboratory accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council. It provides complete solutions for a wide range of construction and related fields, and specializes in areas concerning construction materials, materials specifications and materials testing. It is also a certification body, accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council to ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and IAF Guidance on the application of ISO/IEC 17065:2012, and SAC CT 05- SAC Criteria for Certification Bodies (Ready-Mixed Concrete).