The Most Common Construction Material Failures and How Testing Prevents Them

Material failures don’t announce themselves politely. They creep in through a bad mix, a rushed cure, hidden contaminants, silent corrosion, or one small installation error that snowballs into something bigger. That’s why materials engineering and construction testing aren’t just boxes to tick. They’re the line between a build that stands for decades and a repair bill no one wants to justify. Rigorous testing catches problems long before they become costly, giving your project real strength from the ground up.

ParklandGEO Ltd., established in 2000, partners with municipal, provincial and federal governments, oil and gas operators, land developers, transportation agencies and industrial facility owners to prevent failures before they reach the construction phase. As a leading Western Canadian engineering consulting firm with a strong presence across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, we deliver practical, constructible solutions rather than just lab results throughout Northern and Western Canada. ParklandGEO operates and maintains laboratory certification and compliance for asphalt, concrete and aggregate testing.

Why Material Failures Happen?

Construction materials are under constant stress from loads, weather, and time, especially in Western Canada’s challenging freeze–thaw climate. Common problems include low‑strength or segregated concrete, poor material compaction, incompatible materials, and moisture‑related damage that accelerates deterioration. Without proper materials engineering and systematic construction materials testing, even small specification or workmanship errors can compound into major performance issues over the life of the asset.​

Typical Concrete and Asphalt Failures

Concrete is vulnerable to cracking, scaling, and spalling when mix design, placement, and curing are not tightly controlled. Inadequate strength, incorrect concrete exposure class, high water–cement ratio, poor air entrainment, or uncontrolled heat of hydration can all lead to surface distress, reduced durability, and reinforcement corrosion. Through materials engineering, ParklandGEO’s certified technicians verify mix design proportions and properties, so that construction materials testing can catch problems early, before concrete is placed on critical infrastructure or industrial projects.​ ParklandGEO can also complete quality control and quality assurance testing during the placement of concrete in accordance to the CSA standards and verify the compressive strength meets the project specifications.

Asphalt pavements fail prematurely for a multitude of reasons which may include insufficient pavement structure, weak subgrade, poor granular base compaction, low asphalt density targets, asphalt mix proportions are off, or asphalt binders are inadequate to the local climate and traffic loading. This can lead to rutting, ravelling, and cracking that shorten pavement life and drive-up maintenance budgets. By pavement and mix design reviews, combining field density testing, laboratory performance testing, and following robust specifications, construction materials testing helps owners and contractors achieve pavements that withstand heavy truck traffic and Western Canada’s severe temperature swings.​

Soils, Foundations, and Geotechnical Links

Some of the most costly “material failures” show up as settlement, heaving, or instability because the underlying soils were not properly understood or compacted. Soft or variable subgrade materials, inadequate compaction, or uncontrolled moisture can undermine even well‑designed structures. Geotechnical engineering complements materials engineering by characterizing subsurface conditions, recommending suitable foundation systems, and defining compaction and backfill requirements for municipal, transportation, and industrial facilities.​

In major infrastructure and land development projects, geotechnical investigations guide the selection of materials, their placement, and testing requirements. Construction materials testing then verifies that field work meets those geotechnical recommendations, tying together lab data, in‑place density, and performance requirements for long‑term stability. This integrated approach reduces the risk of differential settlement, frost heave, and bearing failures across roads, utilities, and building sites.​

Corrosion, Moisture, and Environmental Considerations

Corrosion of reinforcing steel, embedded metals, and structural steel members is another common cause of material-related failures. Deicing salts, moisture ingress, and aggressive soils or groundwater can all accelerate deterioration if materials and protective systems are not carefully selected. 

Carrying out due diligence on a site when evaluating environmental impacts from previous adjacent developments can identify potential contaminants and avoid costly development costs prior to construction of a lot. Environmental testing can be provided in concurrently with a geotechnical field investigation program to save costs.

Moisture issues such as leaks, dampness, and poor drainage also degrade construction materials and finishes. Thorough geotechnical input helps define drainage, waterproofing, and site‑grading strategies, while targeted testing confirms that membranes, coatings, and concrete meet performance criteria. This combination is especially important for critical infrastructure and industrial facilities where unplanned downtime or remediation is costly.​

How ParklandGEO’s Testing Prevents Failure?

Effective materials engineering and construction materials testing are more than pass/fail results. They provide feedback that improves design, construction practices, and long‑term performance. ParklandGEO Ltd. couples field testing with laboratory programs to support projects across Northern and Western Canada, from remote industrial sites to dense urban infrastructure.​

Whether the project involves new highways, land development, municipal utilities, or heavy industrial facilities, quality control testing and engineering review create confidence that materials will perform as intended. Contact ParklandGEO Ltd. today and let’s discuss how we can protect your next Northern or Western Canadian project from preventable material failures.