Texas Council of Engineering Laboratories

Publications

[ Home ] [ Position Papers ] [ Publications ] [Up]

A key publication, originally developed and  published by TCEL, this 56-page "Manual of Practice" now has become  available nation-wide through the services of ACIL, the American Council of Independent Laboratories.  It is designed especially as a guide for owners,  design professionals, contractors and others involved in the selection of  firms which provide materials engineering services for construction projects.	Engineering Publications and TCEL Over the years, TCEL has published or has been instrumental in developing a number of valuable publications closely related to basic concerns of the industry that its member firms serve.     Two of these publications, by mutual agreement, have been reformatted and produced by ACIL (the American Council of Independent Laboratories) as civil engineering publications and made available via ACIL's online store.     The first of them (as set forth at left) is generally known as "The ACIL Manual of Practice" but also bears the title, "Scope of Services for Materials Engineering Testing and Inspection." Among others, it includes sections on how to select a materials engineering laboratory, responsibilities of the various parties involved in construction projects,  and a comprehensive "technical scope of materials engineering services."  As such, it serves as a basic companion piece to ASTM's "E329 Standard Specification for Agencies Engaged in the Testing and/or Inspection of Materials Used in Construction" ― as a guide for use when selecting  services of engineering laboratories.
		Test equipment in the engineering laboratory can range from the relatively simple to the clearly complex.  Above: equipment for compression testing concrete samples.  Below: an air board being used to derive permeability values of soil samples.

     The second publication, 44 pages long, which also stemmed out of TCEL and is offered as an ACIL civil engineering publication, has the title of "Guidelines for Effective Practice for Materials Engineering Laboratories."  It came into being because construction materials testing clearly  has become an engineering service, and it provides guidelines for providers and purchasers of materials engineering services, as well as interested members of related communities.   Included are reviews of accepted procedures and practices within the construction materials engineering industry.
     TCEL highly recommends both publications,  and ASTM E329 as well.  We believe no provider or receiver of the type of engineering services offered by TCEL's member firms can afford to be without them.

How to Obtain These Publications Via the Internet

To see brief reviews (and prices) of the "Scope of Services" and "Guidelines for Effective Practice" publications on ACIL's web site, click here.  ACIL is setting up an online store.  You will find a link to it on the page describing the two publications.

To see a "document summary" of ASTM E329, its price, and links for either downloading it or getting mail delivery, click here.