December 13, 2022

Care to take a guess at what’s happening in this artistic photo? At first glance, it seems something has gone wrong when looking at the appearance of the stud. In reality, this photo has perfectly captured NOVA putting our crucial skills to the test. During this construction project, the contractor is shooting Nelson studs on an elevated deck prior to a concrete slab being poured. NOVA is performing bend testing on the studs. Bend testing is performed to ensure fusion between the Nelson studs and supporting steel and is required to ensure the studs bend but don’t break.

Ductility describes how well a material, usually metal, can be stretched and keep its new shape. Steel, for example, is highly ductile. If pressure is applied that stretches the steel into a new shape, it will keep this shape even after the pressure has been removed. This characteristic is referred to as ductility and is a desirable characteristic for metals and other building materials. To determine how ductile the material is, a bending test is used. Force is applied to a piece of the material at a specific angle and for a specific amount of time. The material is then bent to a certain diameter using force. After the bending test is over, the material is examined to see how well it held its shape once the pressure was removed, and whether or not the material cracked when pressure was applied.

This is an example of the many fascinating things going on behind the scenes at NOVA as well as glimpse into one of the many crucial services that NOVA can provide.

(Photo credit: Karl Chaney, Raleigh, North Carolina Special Inspector)