PANAMA CITY, PANAMA | Fall Line Testing and Inspection

IAS was in Panama City in August to assess the laboratories of Fall Line Testing & Inspection Panama, S. de R.L. The firm recently received a multi-million dollar schedule extension to complete testing on the new third set of locks on the Panama Canal. Fall Line was originally contracted by the consortium Grupo Unidos por el Canale in December of 2010 to perform all of the concrete and soils testing for the Panama Canal expansion. Fall Line operates two laboratories in Panama, Cocoli on the Pacific side and Colon on the Atlantic. Both labs are accredited by IAS.

LAGOS, NIGERIA | Midwal Engineering

Midwal Engineering Services Limited is a relatively new testing laboratory providing a wide spectrum of mechanical and hardness testing services for a variety of industries. The company was established in recognition of the need for highly competent testing services in Nigeria and performs metallurgical testing and consultation across a wide variety of industrial applications. IAS conducted a successful on-site assessment of the laboratory in March 2014.

SHARJAH, UAE | IFFCO Research Development and Analytical Centre

An assessment by IAS of IFFCO Research Development and Analytical Center was conducted in June. IFFCO, established in 1975, is a United Arab Emirates-based company that manufactures and markets a wide variety of food products, oils and fats. Over the last three decades, IFFCO has developed brands that have built a strong market share in the UAE. Since its inception, IFFCO has grown from a local company to an international company with operations and manufacturing facilities in UAE, Pakistan, Malaysia, Tunisia, South Africa, Turkey, Indonesia, China and Australia. IFFCO Research Development and Analytical Center provides testing and analytical capabilities to its manufacturing operations.

MANAMA, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN | Gulf Petrochemicals Industries Co.

IAS was in Bahrain from in May to conduct an assessment of Gulf Petrochemicals Industries Co. (GPIC) laboratory. GPIC was formed in December 1979 as joint venture between the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and Petrochemical Industries Company of Kuwait. The plant produces ammonia, methanol and urea which are sold in international markets by its share holders PIC and SABIC. The chemical laboratory provides routine tests to enhance process and quality control requirements during manufacturing as well as to provide certificates of analysis for finished products.

HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN | Michigan Tech University—Wood Protection Group Laboratory

In September, IAS conducted a reassessment for the continued accreditation of the Wood Protection Group Laboratory (WPG) of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Tech University. During the assessment, the team visited MTU Ford Center in Alberta, Mich., to observe field tests in progress. The laboratory supports a wood products research function funded almost completely by the industry. Long-term studies on the durability of wood products and effectiveness of wood preservation methods are carried out on MTU land near the University and at several remote sites in Hawaii, Washington, Texas, Florida and Louisiana. The physical testing in the lab at Houghton is conducted solely in support of field testing and research contracts. In addition to performing testing in accordance with ASTM and AWPA standards and methods, WPG has developed several Standard Operating Procedures used to document methods for long-term study of wood product performance in field conditions.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA | Soil & Foundation Company Limited

Soil & Foundation Company Limited (SAFCO) underwent its initial assessment by IAS in September. The laboratory features facilities for soil, geotechnical, and concrete testing and measures 460-square meters in. The Riyadh Branch of the SAFCO is the first laboratory of the 13 laboratories run by SAFCO in Saudi Arabia to be assessed for IAS accreditation.

DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA | Specialized Kingdom Laboratories

In June, IAS conducted an initial assessment of the Specialized Kingdom International Laboratories (SKILs). SKILs is an independent laboratory involved in physical and chemical testing, including testing of drilling fluids.