At TESELA we have more than 25 years of experience and we offer you a team of experts from different fields (chemists, engineers, art historians, doctors and geologists) that allows us to develop, certify and validate the different materials, processes and products.

Our materials laboratory offers a comprehensive support service adapted to the needs of each heritage project or innovation on materials, offering technical assistance on site and actively collaborating.

Laboratory analysis and testing:

Characterisation of materials.
Determination of alteration forms.
Determination of physical-mechanical properties.
Artificial ageing tests.

On-site testing to determine intervention methodologies:

Cleanliness tests.
Selection of conservation treatments (consolidants, water repellents) and protection (anti-graffiti treatments, painting).
Adherence tests (mortars and paints).
Colorimetric studies.
Studies for the definition of the working system in the project phase, thus adjusting the proposed treatment and its economic scope to reality.

Control and monitoring of pathologies. Preventive conservation

Management and implementation of quality controls.
Study and design of restoration mortars.
Monitoring of cracks and fissures.
Monitoring of capillary dampness and evaluation of damp-proofing systems.
Drawing up reports, intervention proposal reports, plans and quality control improvements.
Selection of the most suitable products for any type of restoration during the construction phase.

Some of our trials and analysis

ANALYSIS OF RAW MATERIALS (AGGREGATES, BINDERS AND ADDITIVES)

Friability coefficient in aggregates
Determination of fines in aggregates
Determination of the alkali-silica and alkali-silicate reaction. Chemical method
Determination of alkali-carbonate reactivity in aggregates
Fineness module in aggregates
Alkali-silica potential reactivity. Accelerated method on mortar specimens
Potential reactivity of aggregates with alkalis. Concrete prism method
Determination of pH of water for mortar mixing and test specimens
Clay lumps and other friable particles in aggregates
Cleanliness coefficient
Determination of water-soluble chlorides by Volhard’s Method
Light pollutants
Humus content in aggregates
Water-soluble sulphate content.
Total sulphur content by acid digestion
Water-soluble materials
Calcination loss
Acid soluble sulphates.
Chemical analysis of cements
Magnesium sulphate test, except evaluation of complete aggregate particle sizes
Freeze-thaw resistance
Thermal shock resistance in aggregates
Specific surface area of binders and additives
Elemental analysis CHNS
Determination of sieving grain-size curves
Thermogravimetry (TG) (10ºC/min, air atmosphere)
Chemical analysis of organic and inorganic compounds by means of Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).

ANALYSIS FOR HISTORICAL MORTARS, PASTES, ADHESIVES AND MORTARS

Flexotraction and compression resistances
Determination of resistance to capillary absorption
Chemical-mineralogical analysis
Infrared thermography of facings/floors
Determination of adhesion
Adhesion after immersion in water
Transverse deformation
Determination of the bond strength of mortars
Water tests (determination of the water vapour permeability coefficient)
Water tests (determination of the coefficient of capillary absorption)
Determination of water holding capacity
Wetting capacity
Volatile and non-volatile matter
Ash content by direct calcination
Determination of initial adhesion
Hardening time
Determination of air content in fresh mortar
Open time of fresh mortar
Run-off time (flow)
Initial and final setting time (Vicat)
Determination of workability. Run-off test of thixotropic mortars
Determination of the workability of products to be applied via runoff
Determination of workability. Concrete run-off test for repairs
Determination of flexural and compressive strength of hardened mortar
Chloride test on masonry mortars
Rheological analysis of lime pastes
Determination of workability. Application of repair mortars on substrates
Determination of the carbonation depth in hardened concrete by the phenolphatelin method
Determination of the bulk density of powdered mortar
Determination of the bulk density of fresh mortar
Determination of the bulk density of hardened mortar
Determination of the consistency of fresh mortar by means of a shaking table
Workability time
Determination of compressive strength (including shearing and specimen preparation)
Determination of physical characteristics of hardened mortar (including mortar preparation, determination of density, moisture content, shrinkage value, flexural and compressive strength).
Digital image analysis
Microstructural, textural, and chemical characterization by scanning electron microscopy
Determination of the dimensional variation curve of the mortar (from time zero) for 48 hours.
Compatibility of rendering mortars with masonry substrates
Determination of the carbon dioxide permeability
Resistance to carbonation

ANALYSIS FOR THE CHARACTERISATION OF PICTORIAL AND WOOD SAMPLES

Chemical analysis of organic and inorganic compounds by means of Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).
Analysis of the attack of xylophagous insects on wood.
Analysis of microbiological attacks.
Study of the microbiota present in a sample of stone material to determine the presence of carbonatogenic bacteria to guarantee the effectiveness of the bioconsolidation treatment.
Analysis of the causes of biodeterioration.
Porosity and permeability to gases and vapours of organic supports.
colourimetry
UV spectrophotometry
Electron microscopy (SEM)
Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry by attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR).
UV lamp examination.
Analysis by Raman spectroscopy.

STONE ANALYSIS

Mineralogical analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) (including sample preparation, identification of mineral phases and semi-quantitative analysis).
Elemental chemical analysis by X-ray fluorescence (XRF).
Study of the porous system by mercury injection porosimetry (MIP).
Accelerated aging tests (freeze-thaw cycles).
Petrographic study (including thin film preparation, study by polarised optical microscopy and microphotographs).
Durability test in climatic chamber.
Water tests (determination of the coefficient of capillary absorption, water vapour permeability, absorption and drying at atmospheric pressure).