Membership of the Group is drawn from both Industrial and Academic fields. The principle objective of the APPLIED PETROGRAPHY GROUP (APG) is to promote competence in providing applied petrographic information of use and value to a wide professional audience. It also serves as a forum for visitors to the UK to meet with their colleagues and discuss issues of common interest.
The quality, sustainability, durability and the repair and maintenance of structures are of paramount concern in civil engineering today. Consequently, a careful scientific evaluation of construction materials of all kinds has become an essential requirement of the industry. The majority of investigations undertaken by Group members are concerned with material identification, specification compliance, standard testing, forensic investigation and the diagnosis of failure of non-metallic industrial and constructional materials of all kinds. Members make use a range of sophisticated modern petrographic techniques which centre on optical and electron microscopy to evaluate such materials as, aggregate, concrete, mortars, plasters, renders, grouts, stone, slate, refractories, ceramics, industrial wastes and dusts.
