Chemistry Laboratory Overview

The Mission of the State Materials Office Chemistry Laboratory is to provide technical support, accurate testing and quality results in a timely manner to support Florida's transportation system.

The Chemistry Laboratory at the Florida Department of Transportation's State Materials Office offers a myriad of services.  This laboratory conducts testing on materials collected at state construction sites as well as products submitted for Approved Products List (APL) approval. Once APL materials are tested, a recommendation is made to the Product Evaluation Office regarding whether or not the material should be used on Department projects. 

Quality assurance testing is performed on materials which have already been accepted in order to ensure continuing compliance with specifications and certifications. In addition, the Chemistry Laboratory staff takes a lead role in the writing and revision of material specifications.  Root cause analyses are performed in order to investigate material failures and provide technical support to other Department entities. By researching and evaluating materials used in the construction and maintenance of Florida's roads and bridges, the Chemistry Laboratory contributes to the quality and longevity of most Department construction projects.

The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art analytical instruments which include an Inductively Coupled Argon Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES), an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), an ultra Violet/Visible Spectrometer (UV-Vis),  and a Chromatic Spectrometer.  We also employ a 100 foot "Light Tunnel" equipped with the latest photometric instrumentation for reflectometry studies - the only one of its kind in the state of Florida. 

The Chemistry Laboratory is also dedicated to quality assurance. Quality assurance is maintained by participating in the Environmental Water Testing Certification Program, Concrete and Cement Reference Laboratory Sample Program and AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory quality systems evaluations.

Our staff of skilled chemists and engineers are experienced in the use of test methods prescribed by organizations such as ASTM, AASHTO and the EPA.