Cylinder break compression test
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Construction Quality Assurance

Construction Materials
Testing & Special Inspections

Western-EGI delivers integrated CMT and Special Inspection services from a single, AASHTO-certified team — eliminating coordination gaps, reducing mobilization costs, and keeping your project on schedule from groundbreaking through certificate of occupancy.

Top 5%
AASHTO Proficiency Testing Accuracy
AWS
Certified Welding Inspectors on Staff
ACI
Certified Concrete Field Technicians
CMT vs. Special Inspections Materials Testing Special Inspections Our Laboratory Representative Projects
Understanding the Services

Two Services.
One Integrated Team.

Construction Materials Testing (CMT) and Special Inspections are related but distinct quality assurance functions. Both are required on most commercial and public construction projects — and both are most efficiently delivered by the same qualified firm.

Quality Assurance / QC
Construction Materials Testing
CMT verifies that the materials incorporated into a project meet the required design specifications and construction standards. It is specification-driven and typically required by the owner or engineer of record on virtually all public and commercial projects.
  • Soil compaction testing and subgrade verification
  • Concrete sampling, slump, air content, and cylinder breaks
  • Asphalt sampling, density, and mix verification
  • Aggregate testing — gradation, Atterberg limits, CBR
  • Masonry and grout testing
  • Pavement thickness and structural testing
  • Rock mechanics and specialized geotechnical testing
IBC Chapter 17 — Code Compliance
Special Inspections
Special Inspections are mandated by the International Building Code (IBC) to verify that structural systems critical to a building's safety are installed correctly. They are performed by approved inspectors on behalf of the building official — not the contractor.
  • Structural steel fabrication and erection observation
  • Welding inspection — AWS D1.1 / D1.3 / D1.4
  • High-strength bolt installation and verification
  • Reinforced concrete and post-installed anchor inspection
  • Masonry construction observation
  • Sprayed fire-resistive material (SFRM) application
  • Seismic and wind force-resisting system components
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Why one firm for both? The IBC and most project specifications allow — and industry best practice strongly favors — a single qualified firm providing both CMT and Special Inspections. The same technicians mobilize to the same site, share the same lab, and report through a single chain of command. Western-EGI's integrated team eliminates the scheduling conflicts, communication gaps, and duplicated costs that arise when owners hire two separate firms.

Western-EGI AASHTO-certified materials testing laboratory
AASHTO-Certified Laboratory · Rock Springs, Wyoming
Field & Laboratory Services

Construction Materials
Testing Services

Western-EGI's CMT services cover every phase of construction — from subgrade preparation through final structural elements. Our AASHTO-certified laboratory provides the analytical backbone, while our certified field technicians deliver timely, accurate results that keep projects moving.

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Soils & Earthwork
Proctor compaction testing, field density (nuclear gauge), subgrade classification, moisture-density relationships, CBR, Atterberg limits, and gradation analysis. Subgrade verification for roadways, building pads, and utility corridors.
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Concrete Testing
Sampling, slump, air content, temperature, and unit weight at the point of placement. Cylinder fabrication and compression testing to 28-day breaks. Mix design review and pre-construction verification testing.
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Asphalt & Pavements
HMA mix sampling, extraction and gradation. In-place density testing by nuclear density gauge and core. Western-EGI does not perform LA Abrasion or full aggregate quality suites — contact us to confirm scope coverage for your project.
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Masonry & Grout
Masonry unit sampling and absorption testing, mortar and grout cube fabrication and compression testing, prism testing. Subsidence grout mix design and injection quality control for mine mitigation programs.
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Aggregate & Base Course
Gradation, sand equivalent, fractured faces, magnesium sulfate soundness. Crushed aggregate base and CTB evaluation for roadway and pavement design programs. Note: LA Abrasion testing is not available in-house.
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Rock Mechanics Testing
Unconfined Compression (UCS), Brazilian Split Tensile, and Triaxial rock testing with confining pressure equivalent to depths exceeding 3,000 feet below the earth's surface. Full ASTM / ISRM protocols in our Rock Springs lab.
Nuclear density gauge field testing Proctor compaction test Moisture tin soil samples
IBC Chapter 17 Compliance

Special Inspection
Services

Special Inspections are required by the International Building Code for structural systems and components whose proper installation is critical to building safety. Western-EGI's staff includes AWS Certified Welding Inspectors (CWI), ACI-certified concrete technicians, and ICC-qualified inspectors — providing the full suite of IBC-required special inspection services.

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Structural Steel & Welding
AWS D1.1 / D1.3 / D1.4 / API 1104 / ASME IX — IBC §1705.2
Fabrication and erection observation of structural steel framing. Visual weld inspection, weld size and profile verification, and nondestructive testing (NDT) coordination. Western-EGI's principals hold AWS CWI certification — the highest credential in welding inspection. We inspect to any applicable code: AWS D1.1 (structural steel), D1.3 (sheet steel), D1.4 (reinforcing steel), API 1104 (pipelines), ASME Section IX and B31 series (pressure piping), and owner-specified standards. Brandt Lyman also holds the AWS Welder Performance Qualification (WPQ) Endorsement, authorizing welder certification testing, WPS development, and PQR documentation.
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High-Strength Bolting
AISC 360 / RCSC — IBC §1705.2
Pretensioned and slip-critical bolt installation verification. Turn-of-nut, twist-off, and direct tension indicator (DTI) methods. Pre-installation verification testing and bolt assembly inspection.
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Reinforced Concrete
ACI 318 — IBC §1705.3
Placement observation for structural concrete elements. Reinforcing steel placement, cover, and lap splice verification. Post-installed anchor installation inspection and pull-out testing. Concrete mix design and placement condition verification.
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Masonry Construction
TMS 402/602 — IBC §1705.4
Continuous and periodic observation of masonry construction including mortar joint preparation, unit placement, reinforcement installation, and grout placement. Verification of special inspection program compliance throughout construction.
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Sprayed Fire-Resistive Materials
ASTM E605 / UL — IBC §1705.13
Application observation and thickness/density verification for intumescent coatings and sprayed fireproofing on structural steel. Substrate preparation verification and adhesion/cohesion testing per project specifications.

What is IBC Chapter 17?

The International Building Code (IBC) Chapter 17 requires Special Inspections for structural systems whose failure could compromise building safety — including steel connections, concrete placements, masonry, and seismic and wind force-resisting systems. The building official requires these inspections to be performed by an approved agency independent of the contractor. Western-EGI is qualified to serve as the Special Inspection Agency of Record on IBC-regulated projects throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West.

Staff Credentials

AWS CWI
Certified Welding Inspectors — Brandt Lyman, PE/CWI & Zack Meek, PE/CWI. Brandt holds the AWS Welder Performance Qualification (WPQ) Endorsement — authorizing welder certification, WPS development, and PQR documentation. Inspect to any applicable code: AWS D1.1 / D1.3 / D1.4, API 1104, ASME IX, ASME B31 series, and owner-specified standards.
ACI
ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician Level I — certified field personnel on staff. Contact us to confirm current certified personnel for your project.
Nuclear Gauge
HAZMAT
Nuclear density gauge operators — licensed and HAZMAT certified.
PE Licensed
PE licensure in WY, CO, UT, TX, SD — engineer-of-record oversight on all programs.
AASHTO
AASHTO-certified laboratory with proficiency testing accuracy in the top 5% of labs nationwide.
Structural weld inspection Masonry inspection on site Masonry wall construction crew
AASHTO-Certified Laboratory

The Lab Behind
The Results

Every field sample collected by Western-EGI's technicians is processed in our AASHTO-certified laboratory in Rock Springs, Wyoming. No shipping delays. No chain-of-custody gaps. Results come from the same team that was on your job site.

Western-EGI's materials testing laboratory is the analytical backbone of every CMT and Special Inspections program we execute. AASHTO certification — through the AASHTO Accreditation Program (AAP) — requires laboratories to demonstrate accuracy across a rigorous set of proficiency tests. Our lab has consistently achieved results in the top 5% of all participating labs nationwide for testing accuracy. That is not a ranking — it is a measure of how precisely our results align with the known correct answers on blind proficiency samples.

For our clients, this means the test data supporting your project decisions — foundation designs, pavement acceptance, concrete structural adequacy — comes from a laboratory operating at the highest level of accuracy in the country.

Our in-house rock mechanics capability extends this advantage to the mining, energy, and subsurface infrastructure sectors. We are the only commercial laboratory in Wyoming known to offer the full suite of UCS, Brazilian Split, and high-pressure Triaxial rock testing — with confining pressures equivalent to depths exceeding 3,000 feet below the earth's surface.

Top 5%
AASHTO Proficiency Testing Accuracy — Nationwide
AASHTO
Accreditation Program Certified
3,000+
Ft. Equivalent Depth — Triaxial Confinement Capacity
Rock Springs
Wyoming — Samples Stay Local
Triaxial rock test Brazilian split test
Selected Work

Representative
CMT & Inspection Projects

CMT / Special Inspections — Kemmerer, WY
$4B+ Project
Natrium Reactor — TerraPower / WSP
Construction materials testing and laboratory testing services for the Natrium sodium-cooled advanced nuclear reactor — one of the most significant energy infrastructure projects in Wyoming history. Testing includes moisture-density curves (ASTM D1557/D4253), moisture content, Atterberg limits, grain size analysis, concrete cylinder breaks, and grout cube breaks. Western-EGI selected for AASHTO-certified lab capability and regional presence. Client: WSP USA (Adamson Mwembeshi, PE).
CMT / Special Inspections — Rock Springs, WY
$11.1M
WWCC Health Sciences Building
Full CMT and special inspections for WWCC's new Health Sciences facility. Scope includes drilled shaft testing, cast-in-place concrete, soils and aggregates, and masonry. Special inspections cover drilled shafts and foundations, rebar, steel erection and welding, soils and aggregate placement and compaction, and masonry work. Active since 2024. Client: WWCC (Chris Dever).
CMT / Grout Testing — Southwest Wyoming
$132.5M+ combined
AML 17.6 Subsidence Mitigation (17.6B / C / D)
Three-phase AML grouting program spanning 2015 to present. Western-EGI provides all materials testing — gradation, temperature, slump, unit weight, vicat, core, and compressive strength. When a regional fly ash shortage threatened to halt the program, Western-EGI's lab evaluated and qualified alternative cementitious materials including zeolite, metakaolin, kiln dust, pumice, and perlite — protecting program continuity. Client: BRS Engineering (Harold Hutson).
CMT / Special Inspections — Rock Springs, WY
~$300K
Memorial Hospital Northwest Entry Reconstruction
Structural design, CMT, and special inspections for concrete flatwork and retaining wall over an existing underground utility tunnel. Western-EGI designed a lightweight concrete mix for full structural performance within tunnel load limits, and a zero-settlement pad for an emergency oxygen delivery truck. Both elements required custom mix design, precise placement, and rigorous testing. Active since 2024. Client: Sweetwater County Memorial Hospital (Gerry Johnston).
CMT / Industrial — Rock Springs, WY
$7M
JR Simplot Bevill Project
Construction materials testing for the Simplot Bevill industrial project — compaction testing, proctors, concrete and rebar inspection, gradation, and concrete testing over a multi-year program. Client: Madsen Construction (Daniel Madsen).
CMT / Pavement — Rock Springs, WY
~$2.5M
WWCC Parking Lot Reconstruction
CMT and construction management for WWCC's ~$4.5M parking lot improvement program. Unforeseen water infiltration required a design change mid-project — Western-EGI substituted CTB for the planned paving fabric, stabilizing the base and realizing substantial project savings. Included reclaimed asphalt as roadbase and geosynthetic reinforcement in saturated areas. Client: WWCC (Chris Dever).
CMT / Special Inspections — Rock Springs, WY
~$1.5M
Rock Springs High School Track
Special inspections and CMT for the RSHS track reconstruction. During demolition, trapped moisture was discovered beneath the existing field — caused by an impermeable membrane. Western-EGI performed additional geotechnical drilling and worked with the district to redesign the section in the field, keeping the project on schedule. Client: Sweetwater County School District No. 1 (Dan Selleroli).
CMT / Rock Mechanics Lab — Green River Basin
~$4.5M
Confidential Mineral Exploration Program
In-house rock mechanics testing — UCS, Brazilian Split, and triaxial — on core samples from drilling to approximately 2,000 feet depth in the Green River Formation. All testing performed in Western-EGI's Rock Springs AASHTO-certified laboratory. Also included e-logging, total core recovery, solid core recovery, and rock quality designation. Client: Confidential — one of Wyoming's largest mining operations.

Need CMT or Special
Inspections on Your Project?

Western-EGI mobilizes quickly across Wyoming and the Mountain West. One call, one firm, one report — from first soil test to certificate of occupancy.

Email Brandt Lyman, PE/CWI Email Zack Meek, PE/CWI Call (307) 362-5180