Know what your structure is made of — before you design, load or repair it.
When a structure’s original records are missing, incomplete or simply old, the material itself holds the answers. Infrastruct North delivers on-site materials testing and metallurgical screening that tells engineers what a structural element is made of, what condition it’s in and what it can be asked to do — from Victorian cast ironwork to twentieth-century structural steel.
Our field programmes combine X-ray fluorescence (XRF/PMI) alloy analysis, portable hardness testing, ultrasonic thickness surveys, fixing investigations and in-situ pull-out testing, backed by coordinated laboratory analysis where formal confirmation is required. The result is a factual, engineer-ready evidence base for structural reassessment, refurbishment and strengthening design.
What we test
Historic cast and wrought ironwork — brackets, balustrades, columns and landings. Structural steelwork in ageing buildings, hangars, depots and industrial structures. Fixings and anchorages, including concealed and historic fixing systems. Section loss and remaining thickness on corroded members. Anchor and fixing capacity through in-situ pull-out testing.
Our approach
Every programme starts with the engineering question, not the instrument. We work with your structural engineer to build a targeted test schedule, then deliver a staged, minimum-intervention investigation: visual assessment and condition recording first, non-destructive screening second, and sampling only where it is genuinely needed and formally approved.
XRF is used as a rapid, in-situ screening tool to characterise alloy families and flag anomalies — with its limits stated honestly in every report. Where design depends on confirmed material properties, we coordinate laboratory chemical analysis, hardness correlation and metallography on approved samples, with full chain-of-custody records.
Equipment and methods
Thermo Scientific Niton XL2 Plus GOLDD XRF analyser for alloy identification and PMI. Portable Leeb hardness testing with calibrated verification blocks. Ultrasonic thickness gauging for section-loss surveys. Hydrajaws M2000 load-test system, with bespoke adaptors for non-standard and historic fixings. Structured digital survey capture on site — every test location referenced, photographed and traceable.
Our XRF work is carried out under HSE registration for work with radiation generators (IRR17), with an appointed Radiation Protection Adviser, trained authorised operators and controlled-area working on every site.
What you receive
A factual report your engineer can use: results registers keyed to marked-up drawings, asset-by-asset photographic schedules, calibration and laboratory certificates, clearly flagged anomalies and data-quality notes, and practical recommendations for further testing where the field data can’t close the question. We report what the data shows — and just as clearly, what it doesn’t.
FAQs (for the accordion)
What is XRF / PMI testing? X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a non-destructive technique that measures the chemical composition of metal in seconds, on site. Used for positive material identification (PMI), it characterises the alloy family of a structural element — a fast, low-impact first answer to “what is this made of?”.
Can XRF tell cast iron from wrought iron or steel? Not on its own — carbon, the most diagnostic element, can’t be measured by field XRF. What it can do is separate material families through silicon, manganese, phosphorus and trace elements, supported by hardness testing. Where design depends on formal classification, we coordinate laboratory metallography to confirm — and we’re always clear about which is which in our reporting.
Is XRF testing safe to use on a live site? Yes, under proper controls. Our analysers are operated under HSE IRR17 registration, with Radiation Protection Adviser oversight, trained authorised operators, temporary controlled areas and strict beam-control procedures. Everyone else stays outside the barrier; testing stops the moment conditions change.
Do you work on occupied and operational sites? Routinely — including custodial establishments, defence sites, live rail environments and occupied buildings. Programmes are planned around induction, security, escorting and permit requirements, with minimum-intervention methods and full protection of the asset.
Can you test the capacity of existing fixings? Yes. Using the Hydrajaws M2000 system we proof-load existing anchorages and fixings in situ, including historic and non-standard fixings via bespoke adaptors — with each location assessed first for suitability, safe reaction and protection of the surrounding fabric.
Featured projects (link once live)
HMP Usk — historic handrail and landing investigation. RAF Halton — structural steel testing, Hangars 275, 287 and 288.