UK-based Element Materials Technology has opened a new laboratory in Duqm, Oman, to offer improved access to expert testing services for customers in the region.

Element specialises in providing a comprehensive range of materials and product qualification testing, consulting, certification and calibration services to the global aerospace; fire and building products; infrastructure and environmental; oil and gas; and transportation and industrials sectors.

The new laboratory will complement the existing facilities in Muscat and Sohar and is ideally located for the petrochemical complex and infrastructure projects in Duqm, said a statement.

Initial services conducted in the laboratory will be predominantly construction-based, including concrete, soils and aggregates testing, it said.

The laboratory will also support the delivery of Element’s full capabilities, including mechanical and corrosion testing, investigations and failure analysis, chemistry, and microbiology, by offering efficient transportation of samples from the Duqm area to Element’s main facility in Muscat, which will minimise turnaround time, it added.

Matt Davies, executive vice president of infrastructure, Element, said: “Our new laboratory in Duqm creates an unparalleled offering for customers in the region as our three facilities provide a local service, while still connecting to a large, regional network of technical capability and expertise.”

“Our satellite office in Salalah, which has also just opened, rounds out this local offering by providing additional testing services for the construction industry,” he said.

“We have had a long-term presence in Oman and have strong relationships with many existing customers. With this increased capacity and strategically located facilities, our aim is to provide them with a more efficient service, while also bringing in new customers who will benefit from the competitive turnaround times offered by our local service,” he added.

Element operates at the heart of the Middle East’s construction and civil engineering industry, helping architects, engineers, manufacturers and consultants to push the boundaries of design and construction to create some of the most iconic structures on earth. Its construction materials testing and consultancy services help bring certainty to material safety, performance and application, giving customers accurate and independent information at every stage of their project. – TradeArabia News Service