Test characteristics of materials or structures
Little of this can be handed to software today.
This happens in the physical world, so software agents do not touch it. Automation here means robotics and machinery, which is a different market from the one mapped on this site, on a much slower clock.
| How automatable | Barely automatable |
|---|---|
| Kind of work | Physical, manual and inspection work |
| Jobs that do it | 11 occupations |
| Tool categories that apply | None |
| O*NET activity | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (4.A.1.b.2) |
What this looks like on the job
Not our paraphrase. These are real task statements recorded against this activity, spread across the 11 occupations that perform it.
- Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.
- Investigate or test specific construction project materials to determine compliance to specifications or standards.
- Assess, sort, characterize, or pack known or unknown materials.
- Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
- Conduct materials test and analysis, using tools and equipment and applying engineering knowledge.
- Test machines, components, materials, or products to determine characteristics such as performance, strength, or response to stress.
- Identify defects in concrete or other building materials, using thermal or infrared testing.
- Test fabrics or oversee testing so that garment care labels can be created.
- Test new food products and equipment.
- Perform tests such as blower-door tests to locate air leaks.
- Determine amount of air leakage in buildings, using a blower door machine.
- Identify defects in solid materials, using ultrasonic testing techniques.
What we would actually use
Nothing in our landscape addresses this work. That is the honest answer rather than a padded list: this activity needs a person present, or a machine rather than a software agent.
Nothing on this site applies. Automation here is robotics and machinery, a different market on a much slower clock, and no software subscription moves it.
Chosen for the cheapest thing that does the job, not the best funded. Nothing on this site is sponsored, and the full landscape is there when you want to disagree with us.
How people actually do it
No workflow names this activity yet, but these automate the same kind of work, with the prompts to paste and what to keep for yourself.
Who does this work
11 occupations in the O*NET database perform this activity. Each one has a full breakdown of its other tasks.
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Civil Engineers
- Dietitians and Nutritionists
- Energy Auditors
- Environmental Engineers
- Fashion Designers
- Materials Engineers
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists
- Transportation Engineers
- Weatherization Installers and Technicians
Work that goes with it
O*NET groups these under “Test characteristics of materials or products”. In practice they tend to be done by the same person, in the same sitting.
Method. The activity, its taxonomy placement and the occupations that perform it come straight from the public-domain O*NET 30.3 database. The automatability band is ours: we map each of O*NET’s 41 generalized work activities to how much of its output current software can produce, assuming a person still reviews and owns the result. It is a coarse three-way judgment on purpose. A precise-looking percentage here would be invented.