Lab Test Request Form

On a typical construction project, hundreds of samples are tested across the project life — cubes, cement, sand, aggregate, steel, soil, water, paint, sealants, fire-stops. Each sample tested must be traceable: who collected it, when, from where, for what purpose, sent to which lab, when reported back, pass or fail.

Without a formal Lab Test Request Form (LTR), this traceability breaks down. The cube tested today — is it from yesterday's slab pour or 3 days ago? Was it collected by the QC engineer or the contractor? Which lab? NABL-accredited or not? When was the report received? Was the failed result actioned?

The LTR is the project's chain of custody for every test sample. It is: - A site requisition (formal instruction to lab to test) - A traceability document (links sample → source → result) - An audit document (PMC + client review test records before payment release) - A legal record (in case of failure investigation / arbitration)

Under NABL accreditation requirements + IS 17025:2017 (testing lab quality management), labs must have a formal test request before accepting any sample. The LTR is also the trigger for the lab's internal job number + report numbering.

Three sections:

A. Sample details: - Project name + project code - Sample ID / serial number (project-internal numbering, e.g., CYL-2026-145 for cube #145) - Sample type — concrete cube / soil / aggregate / cement / steel / water / sealant / mortar / etc. - Source details: - For cubes: pour reference, member ID (Column C-15 / Slab S-4), grade, casting date, casting time - For soil: bore hole no., depth, classification, sampling method (UDS / SPT / disturbed) - For aggregate: stockpile + supplier + GRN reference - For steel: heat number + size + length + supplier - Sampling date + time - Sampled by (name + designation) - Witnessed by (PMC / consultant if required) - Photo of sample (with sample ID visible)

B. Tests requested: - Test list by code: - Concrete: compressive strength (IS 516), slump (IS 1199), density, water permeability - Soil: gradation (IS 2720 Pt 4), Atterberg (IS 2720 Pt 5), Proctor (IS 2720 Pt 7/8), CBR (IS 2720 Pt 16), shear (IS 2720 Pt 13), consolidation (IS 2720 Pt 15), permeability (IS 2720 Pt 17) - Aggregate: gradation (IS 2386 Pt 1), specific gravity (Pt 3), impact value (Pt 4), abrasion (Pt 4), water absorption, flakiness + elongation - Cement: fineness, soundness, setting time, strength (IS 4031) - Steel: tensile + bend (IS 1786 / IS 1608) - Water: pH, chlorides, sulphates, organic matter (IS 3025) - Standard reference for each test (IS / IRC / ASTM / EN) - Urgency level — normal (3-5 days), urgent (24-48 hrs), immediate (same day, charged premium) - Acceptance criteria — per drawing / spec / code

C. Lab info + results: - Lab name + address - NABL accreditation number + scope (verify lab is accredited for the specific test) - Job number assigned by lab - Test conducted dates - Results page-by-page - Pass / Fail per acceptance criteria - Recommendations (if fail — re-test, additional samples, structural review) - Authorised signatory + lab seal + NABL stamp

1. Non-NABL lab used — cheaper but results not legally valid; structural consultant rejects; tests must be redone.

2. Sample tampered in transit — no tamper-evident seal; lab reports normal result; site cube was actually mislabelled.

3. Sample ID generic — "slab cube #5" — but 12 slabs poured that week; can't trace back which pour failed.

4. Source location unclear — soil sample taken but bore hole + depth not recorded; can't tell which stratum failed bearing capacity.

5. Lab scope of accreditation not checked — lab is NABL but only for water tests; doing concrete cubes outside scope; report not valid.

6. Result lost / not received — sample sent but no LTR copy retained on site; lab doesn't follow up; project moves on; failure discovered post-handover.

7. Failed result not actioned — cube fails at 28 days; LTR shows result but no follow-up (RNDT, structural review, accept / reject decision); audit gap.

8. Sample storage wrong before test — cube not cured per IS 516 (water tank, 25±2°C); transport without curing damages cubes; results invalid.

9. Wrong test specified — should be 7-day + 28-day cube; only 28-day specified; can't get early indication of strength trend.

10. Multiple labs without standard format — different LTR formats per lab; data not consolidatable; project quality dashboard incomplete.

Companion formats: - Material Test Report (FMT-STR-005) — incoming material MTC - CBR Test Sheet (FMT-GEO-004) — sample test record - Cube Test Register — concrete strength tracking - Daily Concrete Pour Register (FMT-SIT-015) — cube sample source - NCR Register — for failed test follow-up

Codes + standards: - IS / ISO 17025:2017 — General requirements for testing + calibration labs - NABL Documents — Accreditation Body publications (NABL 100 / 101 / 102 / etc.) - IS 2720 — Methods of test for soils (38 parts) - IS 2386 — Methods of test for aggregates (8 parts) - IS 4031 — Methods of test for cement (15 parts) - IS 516 — Methods of tests for strength of concrete - IS 1199 — Methods of sampling + analysis of concrete - IS 3025 — Methods of sampling + test (physical + chemical) for water + wastewater (50+ parts) - IS 1608 — Tensile testing of metallic materials