GNBS PROVIDES LEADING TESTING SERVICES TO MEET QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

Feb 15, 2026 Features / Columnists, News

(Kaieteur News) – Every day, businesses and consumers rely on products to perform safely and be durable, but how can they determine quality and durability? The simple answer is testing. Getting products tested in accordance with established national and international standards is one sure way to verify that they meet quality requirements and perform as desired.

At the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), testing is conducted in the Industrial Metrology and Testing Laboratories, where gold articles and construction materials, including concrete hollow blocks, concrete cubes, and concrete cylinders, are tested. Concrete structures are also tested by the GNBS.

For concrete hollow blocks, testing is conducted in accordance with GYS 215:2024 –Specification for Load-Bearing Masonry Concrete Units, applicable to 4″, 6″, and 8″ blocks. The blocks are assessed for compressive strength, moisture content, and absorption. Block makers may pursue certification under the GNBS Product Certification Scheme, while builders and homeowners can utilise the service to verify block quality prior to use. Similarly, concrete cubes, which are usually a representation of a specified mix of concrete, are tested for contractors and other operators in the building and construction sector.

The Bureau also conducts Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) to assess the integrity of existing concrete structures. In this service, are bound-hammer technology is used to evaluate the compressive strength up to 8,400 PSI in accordance with ASTM C805. NDT helps ensure that buildings meet safety expectations and supports the investigation of complaints related to substandard construction.

For the testing of gold and gold jewellery, the GNBS provides both destructive testing and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) to verify the quality of samples submitted which enhances confidence in the local gold industry. Testing determines the karat content or purity of gold and gold articles. Raw gold may be tested to confirm purity for jewellers, while non-destructive testing of finished jewellery is available to both jewellers and consumers.

Jewellers can take their products one step further and sign up to be certified to the national standard GYS 50:2022 – Specification for Gold Articles under the GNBS Product Certification Scheme. Certification demonstrates to customers that the business’s gold articles are of quality, as indicated by a National Standards Mark affixed to the items.

While the standard does not prescribe design requirements or apply to gold articles intended for industrial purposes—such as dentistry, electronics, official coins, or gold bars—it establishes requirements for the manufacturing, alloying, and testing of gold articles of 23, 22, 20, 18, 15, 14, 12, 10, and 9 karat gold. It also sets out requirements for marking and labelling.

Today, the Bureau can also provide testing for ethanol to determine the percentage of ethanol in liquids, testing for acids, including nitric, sulphuric, phosphoric, hydrochloric, and sodium hydroxide, and Brix to test the sugar content of aqueous solutions. The tests are all conducted in accordance with established standards.

The GNBS range of testing services will also be featured at the upcoming Guyana Energy Conference & Supply Chain Expo. Make sure you visit our booth and let our team answer your questions, offer demonstrations, and help you raise the standard of your products or business. For more information, you can also contact GNBS on 219-0062-66, WhatsApp us at 692-4627, or visit www.gnbsgy.org.

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concrete cubes, durability, GNBS, hollow blocks, Industrial Metrology and Testing, Laboratories

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GNBS PROVIDES LEADING TESTING SERVICES TO MEET QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

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