Department of Central Laboratories and Calibration:

Duties and responsibilities :

1- Proposing plans and programs related to Department's scope of activity and working towards
2- Taking part in proposing regulations for approval of interested non-governmental laboratories and services bodies and assisting in the implementation of these regulations once approved.
3- Rendering services related to the testing of commodities, products and services with a view to check their quality levels and conformity to the approved standards, as per laid down rules and regulations.
4- Conducting researches and studies on the methods of testing commodities and products during the preparation of related draft standards.
1- Elaborating laboratory researches and studies for governmental bodies, private-sector agencies and individuals concerned quality improvement and adherence to the approved standards and applicable rules and regulations.
2- Coordination with the other QGOSM's Departments with a view to conduct tests related to the granting of quality marks and issuing of conformity certificates as per the approved standards.
7. Calibration and hallmarking of valuable metals and precious stones in accordance with the effective regulations, and coordination with the approved calibration laboratories for the determination of services to render in such a regard.
8. Calibration and hallmarking of measures, dry measures and weighing machines in accordance with the regulations in place.
9. Maintaining technical cooperation with local and overseas laboratories in terms of suitable information exchange.
10. Drafting testing reports on commodities, products, raw materials and services in whose respect QSs have been issued.
11. Preparing statistical Statements related to Department's scope of activity.
12. Setting the amount of fees to be charged by QGOSM against services it renders and the certificates it issues.

( A SustainableTechnical Development Program)

2005 – 2006
Central Laboratories and Calibration

Introduction :

Given the accelerated large scale advancement in all science and technology areas and the correlated need to urgently join the global rise, which makes it inevitable for personnel of all segments to undergo continued technical promotion, regardless of their qualifications and according to their respective duties, skills and nature of act, the application of multi-level continued technical promotion programs can bring in higher academic and practical scores. Hence the idea of the program has been inspired and developed.
This program relies on modern information, skills and techniques which are adaptable to the global modern science with a view to attain perfection of performance and assure timely and plentiful output with pretty less input.

Objective :

• Update the vocational and technical information and skills related to the laboratory staff members in terms topics associated with their respective departments in order to maintain and promote professional, technical and academic efficiency.

Target :

• Promote the performance of pesonnel and reach top quality and work perfection.

• Optimize quality of technical services.

• Exchange information and technical know-how through communication among QGOSM's departments.

• Enhance contact among ministries and other interested governmental bodies.

Targeted Personnel :

The program was designed to cater to the following categories:

• Engineers

• Technicians

The program is intended to cover the following axis:

• Lectures axis

• Courses axis

• Workshops axis

• Topics(essays) in periodicals.

Duration of program:

The program was designed to take one whole year on the basis of ten points starting from January 2005 to the following year( 2006).

Approved points:

The point system is to be adopted when assessting the scored hours of continued technical prmotion. Scoring is carried out as follows:

1- Lecturers from laboratory:

2- Participants from laboratory:

Awards and incentives:

Central Laboratories and Calibration Department

General :

Amid the economic boom and urban rise taking place in the State of Qatar in the recent years there needed to be a growing concern as how to fulfill the requirements of such a surge in terms of scientific laboratories that cater to the various urban development projects, apply the quality regulations on engineering materials, control these materials from source prior to supply and fitting, control the production of concrete, asphalt, aggregates, sand and the like, and also issue marks and certificates approving products for use as long as they prove conforming with the applicable standards.
Accordingly, the parties interested in this regard started considering the establishing of the Material and Central Laboratory Section in the 1960s. It has been the first such facility in the State to provide technical and consultancy services to consultants, companies and governmental bodies, and work on conducting researches of materials and products while focusing, particularly, on construction materials used in the State-owned projects.
The Material and Central Laboratory Section, additionally, provides, consultancy and advice on technical matters and reviews standards applicable to the State-owned projects particularly. The Material Laboratory was subject to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture before QGOSM was in place in 2002. Thereafter, the Material Central Laboratory was integrated with the Gold and Weighing Machines Laboratories which were subject to what was once 'Standards and Metrology Department of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce' then have become units of the Central Laboratories and Calbration Department.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Central Laboratories and Calbration Department
Sections of the Central Laboratories and Calibration Department
The Department consists of technical laboratories (labs.) and integrant administrative units as follows:

A- Administrative Affairs Unit

1- Reception (front desk)
1- Secretariat.
3- Computer.
2- Archives.
5- Transport.
6- Store.

B- Technical Labs.:

1- Asphalt Lab
2- Soil and aggregates Lab
3- Construction and Building Lab
4- Chemistry Lab
5- Gold Lab
6- Weighing Machines, Measures and Dry Measures Lab
7- Measuring and Calibration Unit
8- Road Quality Control Unit

Administrative Affairs Unit:
Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work towards providing administrative services for the various Labs.and Units of Department Circulate, authenticate and follow up of test findings, inc-oming and out-going mail, and the Department's reports.

• Provide secretariat and library services including technical referenc-books , manuals, standards, catalogues, projectors and stationery.

• Coordinate matters of staff members in compliance with applicable rules and regulations of personnel affairs.

• Assign a technician for customers, and for control and authentication of paperwork archives.

• Follow up purchasing orders and agreements and ensure the supply of agreed materials and services.

• Arrange contacts with organizations and institutes deemed to be of similar activities with a view to exchanging information and expertise through the Head of Department.

• Draft and review monthly and annual reports and develop proposals and future plans aiming to increasing the efficiency of the Unit.

• Draft financial reports, closing accounts and lay down draft budgets of the Department.

• Follow up and coordinate the training of university students and newly appointed engineers as well as some employees of companies operating in the State.

• Conclude agreements with specialized companies for the maintenance of testing equipment.

II. Technical Labs:

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Test specimens of soil used by companies in implementing the various projects of the State.

• Collect samples from various locations in the State and carry out experiments thereon to determine whether or not they can be used in projects and to identify the soil in Qatar.

• Test the foundation (buildings).

• Carry out Lab tests and analysis on building materials such as cement, aggregates, sand, water, paints and insulators with a view to verify their conformity with the approved standards.

• Conduct physical and engineering tests on items intended for constructional purposes.
  Carry out tests of specific gravity and volume gradation of samples.

• Carry out tests on various concrete materials used in projects of the State and render services to the private- sector and various organizations.

• Conduct physical and mechanical tests on construction materials, units and products to verify their conformity with the approved standards.

• Perform suitable tests on all asphalt mixes prior to approval and issue conformity certificates thereto.

• Ensure that all testing and measuring machines and equipment in use are serviced, calibrated and kept operational in coordination with the calibration and Maintenance Unit.

• Ensure maintenance of all machines and equipment.
  Calibrate all machines and equipment.

• Verify conformity of equipment with approved standards.

• Supervise the equipment of suppliers.

Asphalt Lab:

This Section carries out all necessary tests on asphalt mixes, verifies their conformity with the approved standards and then issues conformity certificates to factories and projects.

Asphalt Tests Conducted by the Lab:

1. Binder Content %

2. Density (t/n3)

3. Stability (KN)

4. Flow (mm)

5. Stiffness (KN/mm)

6. Voids in mix (%)

7. Voids in mineral Agg (%)

8. Voids filled with Bitumen (%)

9. Relative Density of mixed Agg (N/A)

10. Retained Stability %

11. Filler / Bitumen Ratio

12. Viscosity Test by using the Viscosity appliance.

Gold Lab :

This Section examines and hallmarks gold and other precious stones. It consists of the following Sub-units:

1. Collection and Delivery

2. Sampling Unit

3. Releasing Unit

Sensitive Balance of the Releasing Unit

1. Furnace and Acid Unit

2. Hallmark Unit

Chemistry Lab:

This Lab uses the latest scientific methods to carry out chemical tests and analysis on samples of building materials and constructional products such as aggregates, sand, concrete, cement, water and other materials.

The Lab's state-of-the-art equipment includes:

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrametry Machine

This machine is one of the most sophisticated machines of the Unit. It determines the ratios of the elements contained in a substance in a record time.

X-Ray Diffrectometry Machine

This machine is one of the advanced machines of the Lab.It identifies the compounds composing a material and is used for scientific researches.

Weighing Machines, Dry Measurs and Measures Lab:

TheWeighing Machines Lab calibrates and hallmarks various types and forms of weighing machines and weights. It receives balances and weights for calibration to verify their integrity, validity and conformity with the legal standards. Then it proceeds with the hallmarking process. balances and weights are calibrated on a regular basis against given fees stated by QGOSM. Calibration and hallmarking may be done at the location of the demanding party if they so wish and as long as the machines are immobile or too difficult to shift. In such a case the customer bears the costs incurred by the shiftting and inspection in situ of machinery.

In addition, the Section calibrates and hallmarks petrol stations. The staff of the Section proceed to petrol stations located across the State for verifying integrity and conformity with the legal standards. They perform calibration and hallmarking, on a regular basis, using special calibers ( i.e. metal dry measures).

The staff of the Section hallmark, additionally, taxicab meters. To do so, taxi motorists report to the Section along with calibration permit issued by the authorized company and the staff of the Section carry out the hallmarking process.

The Section also hallmarks meters of all types and forms, where needed.

The person in-charge inspects measures, dry measures and weighing machines that are retained by the Customs or by the Post authorities and of verifys their conformity with the approved legal standards, prior to their release.

Construction and Building Lab

This Lab controls the quality of building materials used in projects of the State by submitting them to suitable tests for verifying their conformity with the applicable standards.

The Construction and Building Lab is subdivided into three main sections:

1- Cement Testing Section
2- Concrete Testing Section
3- Miscellaneous Materials and Insulators Testing Section

1st Cement Section:

Carries out physical tests on cements, including:

1- Suspicion Time Test (Stiffness)
2- Cement Consistency Determination Test
3- Volume Soundness Test
4- Compaction and Cement Test

2nd . Ready- Mix Concrete Testing Section:

This Section receives several kinds of samples, including:

1- Blocks of all types
2- Pausing Blocks
3- Concrete Cubes ( i.e Slaps, kerb, Edging, Channel)
4- Tiles of all types and other materials.

3rd . Material and Thermal Insulators Testing Section:

The activity of this section covers a variety of materials such as:
1- Polystyrene
2- Polyethylene
3- Water proofing membranes
4- Traffic Sign Boards
5- Paints
6- Vehicle registration plates as well as other materials.

Soil and Aggregates Lab:

It is subdivided into two sections:

1- Soil Section:

The Soil Section is an key unit in the Department. It conducts physical and mechanical studies both in the laboratory and during field visits to the sites of the various projects. It uses modern technologies and conducts consultancy studies on projects in order to identify the type of soil and determines its fitness for engineering use.

The tests performed by the Soil Section include:

1- Wet Sieve Analysis
2- Atterberg Limits
3- Lab Compaction
4- California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
5- In situ Density Test using Nuclear Gauge
6- Plat Bearing Test
7- CBR Puncture Test
8- Calibration of Nuclear Gauge
9- Other Tests

2- Aggregates Section:

Definition of aggregates:
Rocky materials broken into different sizes which are gathered from quarries in their natural state or produced by crushing the natural rocks. There are two types of aggregates:

1.Fine aggregates

2.coarse aggregates

The various types of (aggregates) samples are received from crushing plants or companies using the material in projects of the State. Tests and studies are conducted on such samples to determine their validity for use in these projects. The Section utilizes the modern scientific methods of testing with due reference to the locally and internationally approved standards.

Testing
Testing operations are done by collecting samples so as to carry out suitable examinations and tests and compare findings and results to the locally and internationally approved standards.

The tests applied in this Section include:

1- Sieve Analysis
2- Flakiness Index
3- Elongation Index
4- Bulk Density (Loose and Rodded)
5- Specific Gravity
6- A.C.V.
7- 10% Fines
8- A.I.V.
9- Loss Angles Abrasion
10- Soundness
11- Immersed Rotational (I.R.T.)
12- Moisture Content
13- Clay Slit Dust Content
14- Other tests

Measuring and Calibration Unit:

The Measuring and Calibration Unit is concerned with measuring and Calibrating equipment and machines in use to determine their efficiency by conducting suitable tests. Additionally, the Unit calibrates all equipment of the Department and the equipment used by the outside parties.

Some Measuring and Calibration Equipment

Types of Calibration:

1- Local Calibrations:

• Weighing Machine (Balance)
• Weights
• Load Ring
• Thermometer
• Electronic Oven
• Concrete Test Hammer
• Soil Compactor
• Bituminous Compactor
• Tats Sieves

2- External Calibrations:
• Compression Machine

Road Quality Control Unit:
The Road Quality Control Unit was established in 2002. Its main task is to assume quality control- related duties of various road projects of the State.
Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QGOSM) issues quality certificates exlusively for the completed projects of main roads. (Base Course + Wering Course) after having evaluated the results of the tests done on asphalt layers and after the following have been fulfilled:
1- ِCompletion of all contracted civil works and handing the same over to the Road Department. Then the completed project file is sent along with its enclosures and relevant papers to Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology. The key enclosures required are:

• Detailed maps showing all streets included in the project.
• Type of asphalt layers used and their thickness.
• Name of provider of every asphalt mix.
• Date of casting every asphalt mix.
• All results of tests done on the asphalt layers of the project.

2- QGOSM assess all results of tests done on the asphalt layers of the project and determine their conformity with the approved standards.
3- Viewing the project in situ for realizing its existence as per the maps enclosed in the project file.
4- Technical acceptance of the whole project by the Road Department.