Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) routinely conducts testing to characterize earthwork construction. The BCD Construction Materials Engineering Testing (CMET) facility maintains well-equipped and technically advanced soils, earthwork, concrete and asphalt testing laboratories.  Our laboratory and field technicians are experienced in conducting all ASTM and AASHTO standard soils, earthwork, concrete and asphalt laboratory and field tests. Our laboratory facilities hold accreditation through the Corps of Engineers (COE), Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), and AASHTO Accreditation Program.  BCD participates in AMRL’s and CCRL’s soils, aggregates, asphalt and concrete proficiency program which is a national testing program that evaluates testing accuracy.  Our technicians are currently certified by MDOT and ACI in the areas of soils, aggregates, asphalt and concrete.  BCD personnel are also active in teaching and monitoring MDOT, MAPA, MCIA, and ACI certification programs for materials technicians.
BCD meets criteria for the following ASTM standards. 

  • ASTM E329 “Standard Specifications for Agencies Engaged in the Testing and/or Inspection of Materials Used in Construction”
  • ASTM C1077 “Standard Practice for Laboratories Testing Concrete and Concrete Aggregates for Use in Construction and Criteria for Laboratory Evaluation”
  • ASTM D3666 “Standard Specification for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Testing and Inspecting Road and Paving Materials”
  • ASTM D3740 “Standard Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in the Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock as Used in Engineering Design and Construction”

Our AASHTO accredited CMET laboratories maintain all necessary equipment required for the complete analysis and testing of embankment and subgrade soils. Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. employs approximately 25 experienced personnel to monitor and test earthwork construction.  Our field personnel are all certified to operate nuclear density gauges to estimate subgrade density.  Our personnel are also experienced in conducting sand cone density measurements for granular base/subbase construction.

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. also has the capabilities to conduct numerous laboratory tests for pavement subgrade construction. Our laboratory has the ability to conduct the following subgrade related tests:

    • Standard and Modified Proctors
    • Sieve analysis tests
    • California Bearing Ratio tests
    • Unconfined compression tests
    • Permeability tests
    • Routine classification tests
    • Soil – cement designs
    • Soil – lime designs
    • AASHTO TP46, Resilient Modulus of Base and Subbase Materials (or the new harmonized MR test recommended as part of NCHRP 1-28A)

Our AASHTO accredited CMET laboratories maintain all necessary equipment required for the complete analysis of flexible pavement materials.  This includes the equipment necessary for accomplishing the characterization of base, subbase, and asphalt concrete materials.  BCD has the capabilities to conduct numerous aggregate property tests including: washed gradations, unit weight and voids, Los Angeles Abrasion, sodium and magnesium sulfate soundness, fine aggregate angularity, coarse aggregate angularity, flat and elongated particles, permeability, shear strength, resilient modulus, specific gravity and absorptions.

BCD has the capabilities for the complete rheological characterization of asphalt binders. We maintain and operate the equipment required to conduct Superpave performance gradings for asphalt binders.  For the aging of asphalt binders, BCD utilizes a James Cox & Sons rolling thin film oven and a Prentex pressure aging vessel.  For characterizing the high and intermediate temperatures of binders, BCD operates a TAInstruments dynamic shear rheometer.  For low temperature properties, we utilize a Cannon Instrument Company bending beam rheometer.  BCD can also characterize asphalt binders by more conventional methods like absolute viscosity and penetration testing.

The CMET laboratory can also fully characterize hot mix asphalt mixtures, from mix design through forensic type investigations.  BCD is experienced in conducting both Marshall and Superpave mix designs. For forensic investigations, we have the capabilities to determine asphalt binder contents using either the Barnstead-Thermolyne ignition oven or by solvent extractions. When using solvent extractions, we can also recover asphalt binders using the rotovapor method.

BCD has the ability to conduct all manner of pavement materials characterization testing.  BCD has the equipment to conduct all testing associated with the upcoming 2002 AASHTO Pavement Design Guide. BCD maintains an Interlaken Soil & Asphalt Test System that permits application of dynamic, fatigue, and creep type loadings with the ability to measure small strains.  With this equipment, BCD has the capabilities to conduct the following tests related to the new Pavement Design Guide:

  1. AASHTO TP8, Flexural Fatigue of Asphalt Beams
  2. AASHTO TP9, Creep Compliance Test Method
  3. AASHTO TP31, Determining Resilient Modulus in Indirect Tension
  4. ASTM D3497, Dynamic Modulus of Asphalt Mixtures
  5. ASTM D4123, Determining Resilient Modulus in Indirect Tension
  6. AASHTO TP46, Resilient Modulus of Base and Subbase Materials (or the new harmonized MR test recommended as part of NCHRP 1-28A)

The test equipment utilized for pavement materials characterization can also be used to conduct the Simple Performance Tests recommended during the NCHRP 9-19 Project which include: Dynamic Modulus, repeated load permanent deformation test (Flow Number) and static creep test (Flow Time).

Our AASHTO accredited CMET laboratories maintain all necessary equipment required for the complete analysis of rigid pavement materials. This includes the equipment necessary for accomplishing the characterization of base, subbase, and concrete materials.  Within the CMET laboratory at Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc., we maintain a humidity room of almost 1,000 sq ft for curing of concrete materials. This room can cure approximately 2,000 specimens.  Our laboratories can also conduct the following tests:

    • Concrete mix design tests
    • Compressive strength tests for cylinders
    • Splitting tensile tests for cylinders
    • Flexural strength tests for beams
    • Concrete unit weight tests

BCD is well equipped to conduct field investigations.  Because of our background as a construction monitoring company, we have a large staff of technicians that are experienced in conducting field investigations.  BCD has a portable core rig and generators, which can be used to obtain pavement samples in the field.  We maintain approximately eleven nuclear density gauges for the testing of soils and hot mix asphalt, nondestructively. BCD has a Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) that can be used to evaluate the strength of subgrade soils.

Overview

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) routinely conducts testing to characterize earthwork construction. The BCD Construction Materials Engineering & Testing (CMET) facility maintains well-equipped and technically advanced soils, earthwork, concrete and asphalt testing laboratories. Our laboratory and field technicians are experienced in conducting all ASTM and AASHTO standard soils, earthwork, concrete and asphalt laboratory and field tests. Our laboratory facilities hold accreditations through the Corps of Engineers (COE), Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), and AASHTO Accreditation Program. BCD participates in AMRL’s and CCRL’s soils, aggregates, asphalt and concrete proficiency program which is a national testing program that evaluates testing accuracy. Our technicians are currently certified by MDOT and ACI in the areas of soils, aggregates, asphalt and concrete. BCD personnel are also active in teaching and monitoring MDOT, MAPA, MCIA, and ACI certification programs for materials technicians.

ASSHTO accreditation details for specific BCD laboratories can be found at the AASHTO re:source website.

BCD meets criteria for the following ASTM standards.

  • ASTM E329 “Standard Specifications for Agencies Engaged in the Testing and/or Inspection of Materials Used in Construction”
  • ASTM C1077 “Standard Practice for Laboratories Testing Concrete and Concrete Aggregates for Use in Construction and Criteria for Laboratory Evaluation”
  • ASTM D3666 “Standard Specification for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Testing and Inspecting Road and Paving Materials”
  • ASTM D3740 “Standard Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in the Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock as Used in Engineering Design and Construction”

Earthwork Laboratory

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) operates AASHTO-accredited CMET laboratories that maintain all necessary equipment required for the complete analysis and testing of embankment and subgrade soils. BCD employs approximately 25 experienced personnel to monitor and test earthwork construction.  Our field personnel are all certified to operate nuclear density gauges to estimate subgrade density.  BCD personnel are also experienced in conducting sand cone density measurements for granular base/subbase construction.

BCD also has the capabilities to conduct numerous laboratory tests for pavement subgrade construction. Our laboratory has the ability to conduct the following subgrade related tests:

    • Standard and Modified Proctors
    • Sieve analysis tests
    • California Bearing Ratio tests
    • Unconfined compression tests
    • Permeability tests
    • Routine classification tests
    • Soil – cement designs
    • Soil – lime designs
    • AASHTO TP46, Resilient Modulus of Base and Subbase Materials (or the new harmonized MR test recommended as part of NCHRP 1-28A)

Asphalt Materials Laboratory

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) operates AASHTO-accredited CMET laboratories that maintain all necessary equipment required for the complete analysis of flexible pavement materials.  This includes the equipment necessary for accomplishing the characterization of base, subbase, and asphalt concrete materials.  BCD has the capabilities to conduct numerous aggregate property tests including: washed gradations, unit weight and voids, Los Angeles Abrasion, sodium and magnesium sulfate soundness, fine aggregate angularity, coarse aggregate angularity, flat and elongated particles, permeability, shear strength, resilient modulus, specific gravity and absorptions.

BCD has the capabilities for the complete rheological characterization of asphalt binders. We maintain and operate the equipment required to conduct Superpave performance gradings for asphalt binders.  For the aging of asphalt binders, BCD utilizes a James Cox & Sons rolling thin film oven and a Prentex pressure aging vessel.  For characterizing the high and intermediate temperatures of binders, BCD operates a TAInstruments dynamic shear rheometer.  For low temperature properties, we utilize a Cannon Instrument Company bending beam rheometer.  BCD can also characterize asphalt binders by more conventional methods like absolute viscosity and penetration testing.

The CMET laboratory can also fully characterize hot mix asphalt mixtures, from mix design through forensic type investigations.  BCD is experienced in conducting both Marshall and Superpave mix designs. For forensic investigations, we have the capabilities to determine asphalt binder contents using either the Barnstead-Thermolyne ignition oven or by solvent extractions. When using solvent extractions, we can also recover asphalt binders using the rotovapor method.

BCD has the ability to conduct all manner of pavement materials characterization testing.  BCD has the equipment to conduct all testing associated with the upcoming 2002 AASHTO Pavement Design Guide. BCD maintains an Interlaken Soil & Asphalt Test System that permits application of dynamic, fatigue, and creep type loadings with the ability to measure small strains.  With this equipment, BCD has the capabilities to conduct the following tests related to the new Pavement Design Guide:

  1. AASHTO TP8, Flexural Fatigue of Asphalt Beams
  2. AASHTO TP9, Creep Compliance Test Method
  3. AASHTO TP31, Determining Resilient Modulus in Indirect Tension
  4. ASTM D3497, Dynamic Modulus of Asphalt Mixtures
  5. ASTM D4123, Determining Resilient Modulus in Indirect Tension
  6. AASHTO TP46, Resilient Modulus of Base and Subbase Materials (or the new harmonized MR test recommended as part of NCHRP 1-28A)

The test equipment utilized for pavement materials characterization can also be used to conduct the Simple Performance Tests recommended during the NCHRP 9-19 Project which include: Dynamic Modulus, repeated load permanent deformation test (Flow Number) and static creep test (Flow Time).

Concrete Materials Laboratory

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) operates AASHTO-accredited CMET laboratories that maintain all necessary equipment required for the complete analysis of rigid pavement materials. This includes the equipment necessary for accomplishing the characterization of base, subbase, and concrete materials.  Within the CMET laboratory at BCD, we maintain a humidity room of almost 1,000 sq ft for curing of concrete materials. This room can cure approximately 2,000 specimens.  Our laboratories can also conduct the following tests:

    • Concrete mix design tests
    • Compressive strength tests for cylinders
    • Splitting tensile tests for cylinders
    • Flexural strength tests for beams
    • Concrete unit weight tests

Equipment for Field Evaluations

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) is well equipped to conduct field investigations.  Because of our background as a construction monitoring company, we have a large staff of technicians that are experienced in conducting field investigations.  BCD has a portable core rig and generators, which can be used to obtain pavement samples in the field.  We maintain approximately eleven nuclear density gauges for the testing of soils and hot mix asphalt, nondestructively. BCD has a Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) that can be used to evaluate the strength of subgrade soils.