Aluminosis testing
in Barcelona
Aluminosis is Barcelona's hidden structural defect: high-alumina cement (HAC) used in concrete floor beams between 1950 and 1975. We test for it with a lab analysis and a signed technical note — fixed price, guaranteed deadline.
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The defect you cannot see from a viewing
Thousands of Barcelona buildings raised between 1950 and 1975 used precast concrete beams made with high-alumina cement — the same material behind the UK's HAC scare of the 1970s. Over decades, with humidity, the cement converts chemically and loses strength. You cannot see it during a viewing, and the building year alone only tells you the risk.
The only reliable answer is physical: extract a small core from a beam and analyse it in a certified laboratory. That is exactly what this test does — and in 2 out of 3 of our tests, the answer is reassuring: no aluminous cement found.
1,000+ tests done. Your ceiling won't surprise us.
From same day to seven days
Site visit & sampling
A surveyor visits within 48 h, locates the beam nerve with detection tools and extracts an undisturbed sample without damaging the structure.
Preliminary technical note
Pay for the visit at the time of the survey and you know the same day: we photograph the sample, classify it with the model we published with the UPC — over 90 % accuracy — and hand you the signed preliminary technical note with the result and the images. It is an advance, not a substitute: the sample still goes to the laboratory.
Laboratory & final note
Certified laboratory analysis by the oxine method. You receive the full lab certificate and, on top of it, the final technical note signed by a licensed technical architect — valid for purchases, banks and homeowner communities.
Fixed price, guaranteed deadline
Aluminosis test
Core sample, certified lab analysis and a signed technical note. No hidden extras — travel within metropolitan Barcelona included.
| Standard test1 sample · signed technical note included | €245 |
|---|---|
| Extra sampleper additional point | +€110 |
| Urgenttechnical note in 48–72 h, guaranteed | ask us |
Check your building's risk in two minutes
Before paying for a core sample it helps to know whether your building is even a candidate. We publish a free online aluminosis risk test: enter the address and year of construction and it returns an indicative risk assessment.
It does not replace the lab test — only the laboratory gives certainty — but it tells you whether you need one. This is the basis it works from, by construction period:
| Construction period | Estimated risk |
|---|---|
| Up to 1920The material was patented in 1902 and its use was marginal. | Practically nil |
| 1921 – 1945Occasional use, mainly where sulphates were present. | 5 – 10 % |
| 1946 – 1960Post-war years: fast setting was prized and use began to spread. | 25 – 40 % |
| 1961 – 1970The critical decade. Massive use in precast joists. | 50 – 60 % |
| 1971 – 1977The first known failures appeared and the market pulled back. | 20 – 30 % |
| 1978 – 1980The EP-77 and EH-80 codes all but stopped it. | Under 10 % |
| From 1981Banned in structure; only leftovers from old stock. | Residual |
What clients ask us most
Can I know the result on the day of the visit?
Yes. When the visit is paid at the time, we photograph the freshly extracted sample and classify it with the model we developed with the UPC and published in Springer: you get the signed preliminary technical note with the result and the test images. Accuracy is above 90 % and the threshold is set so an affected sample is not missed. It is an advance, not a shortcut — the sample still goes to the certified laboratory and the final result comes in the final technical note.
I'm buying a flat from the 1960s. Do I need this?
If the building is from 1950–1975 and there is no recent structural documentation, yes — it is the single most important check in that age range, and the one a standard survey does not include. We can combine it with a full pre-purchase survey.
What if the test is positive?
A positive is not a condemned building: it means the degree and location are now known. The technical note states what follows — monitoring, further sampling or reinforcement — and it becomes your negotiation evidence on price.
Do you work in English?
Yes — WhatsApp, visits and explanations in English. The signed technical note follows the Spanish technical standard (that is what banks and notaries expect), and we walk you through it.
How fast can you do it?
Visit within 48 h, signed technical note within 7 days — guaranteed in writing. Urgent service in 48–72 h if your deadline is tight.
Can you test before I sign the deposit contract (arras)?
Yes, and that is the right moment. We only need the seller's permission and access; the visit takes about an hour and leaves a fist-sized opening. Making it good afterwards is not our trade — we are surveyors, not builders — but it is a minor job for any local builder (as a rough guide, 50-100 EUR) and we give you written instructions for it. If the purchase goes ahead it is usually done after completion, with the move or the first works; if it falls through, the usual commitment is that whoever ordered the test restores the ceiling. Tell us your deadline and we prioritise the report.
Mid-purchase and short on time?
Send us the address on WhatsApp — we tell you today whether the building profile calls for a test.