Drilling a single cylinder of tarmac provides engineers with detailed insight into road construction and condition across Devon’s extensive highway network.
The Devon materials laboratory examines these core samples to assess layer quality, performance and emerging issues. The team also tests soils, aggregates, concrete and winter gritting materials that support highway maintenance decision-making.
How the laboratory tests road materials
Since opening in 1952, Devon’s materials laboratory has specialised in monitoring asphalt quality. It has operated from Rockbeare Hill Quarry since 2014.
The laboratory analyses core samples from roads under construction to confirm the type, depth, density and composition of laid materials. This validates that construction meets design and specification requirements.
Samples from ageing roads help Devon’s asset management assess current condition and choose appropriate maintenance treatments. Testing skid resistance quantifies surface grip for tyre safety. Foundation strength tests ensure sublayers remain reliable. The team also screens for hazardous materials before work begins.
Supporting maintenance and winter operations
The laboratory tests salt and brine used by the county’s gritting fleet to assure quality during winter treatments.
Away from carriageways, the team supports bridge inspections, drainage designs, slope stability analyses and soil condition surveys.
Most testing is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, a status held since 1989.
Where it fits in Devon’s highway network
Devon manages over 13,000 kilometres of local roads, the largest such network in England, alongside nearly 5,000 bridges and numerous other assets.
With such scale, selecting incorrect repair methods results in rapid cost escalation. The laboratory’s quality assurance reduces this risk by confirming material suitability and road condition.
Keeping the service cost-neutral
The laboratory provides services mainly to Devon County Council but also accepts work from other local authorities, developers and private businesses.
Offering investigation, testing, analysis and technical reporting through one team, income from external clients offsets operating costs to keep the service cost-neutral, according to the council.
What this means for roads and drivers
Councillors touring the facility noted its role is largely unseen but integral to road and bridge quality across Devon.
Having in-house expertise enables the council to advise from initial stages rather than reactively after problems arise. Fewer repeat repairs follow, reducing waste and carbon emissions from maintenance activities.
For drivers, the impact is indirect yet crucial. The laboratory’s work influences whether repairs outside their homes effectively address underlying issues, extending road life and safety.
