Professor Debra Laefer from NYU’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP), in collaboration with Professor Aoife Gowen and Zohreh Zahiri from the University College Dublin, recently demonstrated for the first time the ability to use hyperspectral imaging to characterize differing strengths within a single type of construction material. With proper post-processing of the data, hyperspectral imaging can automatically and reliably detect weak from strong hardened concrete and normally fired bricks. All of this is done without any destructive testing or direct contact with the materials. The concrete results were just published in Construction and Building Materials.