Construction of the world’s first graphene concrete slab has been completed today at the Southern Quarter gym, which will be run by military veterans, in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

Use of the material – called Concretene – is the result of a collaboration between the University of Manchester and contractor Nationwide Engineering.

According to the university, addition of tiny amounts of graphene (see box) strengthens Concretene by around 30% compared to standard concrete, meaning significantly less is needed to achieve the equivalent structural performance, reducing carbon footprint and costs.

The additional strength also reduces the need for steel reinforcement, saving material and time on site and further promoting the green credentials of this building method.

Nationwide has estimated that 5% higher costs of the Concretene material will be offset by the 10 to 20% lower material volume needed compared to a standard RC30 concrete.

Nationwide co-founder and managing director Alex McDermott described the graphene concrete as “game changing” and was thrilled to be using it on a commercial project.

McDermott added: “Together with our partners at the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre and structural engineers HBPW Consulting, we are rapidly evolving our knowledge and experience and are positioned for wider industry deployment through our construction frameworks, becoming the go-to company for graphene-enhanced concrete.”

Today’s 495m2 pour to complete the floor slab at the new gym facility follows on from an initial pour earlier this month. Nationwide will continue to monitor the floor slab as its work to construct and fit out the building continues and the firm describes it as being effectively a “living laboratory”.

Graphene is 200 times stronger than steel

Conventional concrete curing occurs through hydration and gelation as a result of chemical reactions. Graphene acts as a mechanical support and as a catalyst surface for the initial hydration reaction, leading to better bonding at microscopic scale and giving the finished product improved strength, durability and corrosion resistance.

Graphene is a one atom thick layer of carbon atoms that are arranged in a hexagonal pattern. It is the thinnest known material and is around 200 times stronger than steel.

The difference in Concretene comes from the formulation but it can be used the same as conventional concrete so no new training or equipment is need for batching or pouring.

Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre application manager Craig Dawson said: “We have produced a graphene-based additive mixture that is non-disruptive at the point of use. That means we can dose our additive directly at the batching plant where the concrete is being produced as part of their existing system, so there’s no change to production or to the construction guys laying the floor.

“We have been able to do this via thorough investigation, alongside our university colleagues from the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, of the materials we are using and we can tailor this approach to use any supplier’s graphene, so we are not beholden to a single supplier.”

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Tagged with: Concrete Graphene Low carbon

Hopefully this new, welcome development does not also introduce a new COSHH hazard.

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