FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Five-second concrete analysis from Giatec Scientific displaces weeks-long lab testing, saves lives as well as infrastructure dollars
Giatec Scientific showcases its advanced concrete testing technologies at the American Concrete Institute Conference
Toronto, ON – ACI International Convention, Booth #108 – October 22, 2012 – Giatec Scientific Inc. delivers a dramatic difference in concrete testing technology.
Instead of waiting weeks or months for laboratory-based tests, Giatec Scientific’s devices perform an accurate condition assessment of concrete infrastructure in five seconds. The Giatec RCON™ provides performance-based quality control when concrete is being poured and the Giatec iCOR® offers an accurate tool for structural inspection.
In an era where North America’s concrete infrastructure – from transportation bridges to towers to shopping malls and office buildings – is in dire need of replacement or repair, Ottawa-based Giatec Scientific’s technology can literally save lives as well as infrastructure dollars. In Canada for example, this summer Giatec Scientific assisted the Ontario Provincial Police in the forensic examination of Elliot Lake’s Algo Center Mall roof collapse, to help investigators understand how to prevent future fatal collapses of concrete structures.
“Our devices detect problems in existing concrete structures much earlier than other methods. We can confirm serious problems and also predict the rate of future deterioration. We can also test fresh concrete in five seconds, all of which marks a major advance for the entire concrete industry,” says Aali Alizadeh, CEO of Giatec Scientific.
Giatec Scientific’s technology is based on measuring the electrical resistivity of concrete as well as other parameters. The company’s devices measure electrical resistivity, analyze the data with sophisticated computer algorithms, and in less than five seconds determine the true state of the concrete.
Aali Alizadeh and Pouria Ghods, the company’s President are PhDs in civil engineering from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. With more than 12 years of R&D experience in concrete corrosion and analysis, they lead a fast-growing team, selling Giatec Scientific products around the world. The Giatec team also offers specialized consulting services such as concrete mixture proportioning for specific applications, durability design of concrete materials, corrosion detection, and detailed condition assessment of concrete structures.
Every year about 2.5 tons of concrete is poured for every person on the planet. During construction, if analysis by Giatec Scientific devices reveals the need for changes to the concrete to ensure a longer life, those changes can be made during the first few days. In addition, the rapid-analysis of Giatec Scientific technology cuts testing-related costs by up to 90 per cent. For built structures, Giatec’s analysis pinpoints exactly where repairs are needed and forecasts future deterioration offering a cost savings of 20 to 40 per cent compared to less precise, traditional methods.
Birket Foster is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Storm Internet Services of Ottawa. This year his firm started building more than 20 telecommunications towers, each one anchored to a six-ton concrete pad. Giatec was hired to ensure the concrete met high durability standards. “Their knowledge of concrete is substantial and if I were building roads and bridges I would want these guys on the job. They certainly gave us a huge comfort factor that we were doing it right,” says Foster.
Product descriptions
Giatec RCON™ is a non-destructive device for measuring the electrical resistivity of concrete specimens in the laboratory without any additional sample preparation requirements. This measurement can easily be made on the same concrete samples that are currently used for the compressive strength testing of concrete. RCON™ also allows for continuous measurement of electrical resistivity over time, which can be used to monitor several other parameters such as the changes of water content and time of setting in concrete specimens.
Giatec iCOR® is a hand-held device that measures several parameters from the surface of concrete and then analyzes them using advanced algorithms embedded in the device. These quick calculations accurately determine the ‘rate of corrosion’ in the reinforcement, the most important parameter in evaluating the service life of a concrete structure.
About Giatec Scientific Inc.
Giatec Scientific Inc. is a knowledge-based company and leading provider of testing tools for infrastructure owners and operators to better evaluate the state of their concrete assets. Giatec’s products help engineers better manage infrastructure and schedule maintenance, and conduct rehabilitation and replacement operations more efficiently. Giatec’s tools assist infrastructure owners to prioritize public resources and thereby leads to saving money and ensuring concrete structures are safe. The strength of Giatec lies in its experts who have a robust understanding of the industry and have expertise in all areas from design, to construction, life cycle and forensic analysis.
Giatec Scientific Contacts
Aali R. Alizadeh
PhD, P.Eng, CEO
Giatec Scientific Inc.
Phone: 613-240-7451
Email: aali@giatec.ca
Paul Brent
Senior Communications Specialist
market2world communications inc.
Phone: 613-256-3939
Email: paul@market2world.com
