Oberlin, Ohio—The Natural Stone Institute’s testing lab has received three noteworthy distinctions including those related to USACE Validation, ASSIMAGRA S.TONE Network and Fischer Fixings USA.
USACE Validation
The Natural Stone Institute testing lab has received validation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the ASTM C97 test method for absorption and bulk specific gravity of dimension stone. Only one other lab in the country has received this designation.
Laboratory validation is a process by which the Materials Testing Center (located at the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, MS) ensures the lab is equipped, staffed and qualified to perform material testing for the specified test. This process took two months from start to finish and included a documentation of how the association’s lab process complies with ASTM C97.
ASSIMAGRA S.TONE Network
Portuguese stone association, ASSIMAGRA, has selected the Natural Stone Institute’s testing lab as one of two U.S.-based labs to join the new S.TONE network of recommended labs for natural stone testing. The S.TONE network provides access to technical resources and exists to “close the gap that exists between those who need the services and those who provide them,” according to ASSIMAGRA.
Fischer Fixings USA
The Natural Stone Institute lab has been named the exclusive North American Fischer Anchor Pull Test Provider. The lab is the exclusive provider of ASTM C1354 Strength of Individual Stone Anchorages testing for North American projects utilizing the Fischer Fixings Systems with natural stone.
The Natural Stone Institute lab has remained fully functional during the pandemic and remains ready to accept new stone.
Current tests offering by the Natural Stone Institute’s lab include:
- ANSI A326.3 Dynamic Coefficient of Friction of Hard Surface Materials
- ASTM C97 Absorption and Bulk Specific Gravity of Dimension Stone
- ASTM C99 Modulus of Rupture of Dimension Stone
- ASTM C170 Compressive Strength of Dimension Stone
- ASTM C880 Flexural Strength of Dimension Stone
- ASTM C1353 Abrasion Resistance of Dimension Stone Subjected to Foot Traffic Using a Rotary Platform, Double-Head Abraser
- ASTM C1354 Strength of Individual Stone Anchorages in Dimension Stone
- ASTM C666 (and similar) Freeze/Thaw Testing