Graphene Enhanced Concrete for a Resilient Recovery

Graphene is the world’s thinnest material, but its super-strength – 200 times that of steel – could hold the key to revolutionising the construction industry.

Adding tiny amounts of graphene can make concrete stronger and less likely to crack. “It means you don’t need to use as much concrete to get the same performance,” says Alex McDermott, co-founder and director of Nationwide Engineering. “This reduces costs but also, more importantly, carbon footprint. Concrete is a material we can’t live without, but if it were a country, it would be the third largest carbon emitter in the world.”

Nationwide Engineering worked with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at the University of Manchester to develop a graphene-enhanced concrete, ‘Concretene’. Graphene acts as a catalyst for the reaction between cement and water in a concrete mix, leading to better bonding at a microscopic scale and improved strength, durability and corrosion resistance.

“The difficulty is that graphene doesn’t like water, and concrete contains a lot of water, so we had to develop a formulation that enabled a homogenous dispersal of graphene through the concrete,” says McDermott.

“As well as using less cement, the strength of the Concretene means there is less need for steel reinforcements within the slab, too, which also provides carbon and cost savings.”

Following the successful creation of Concretene in a lab, the company used funding from the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge to scale production and conduct real-world tests on a construction site for a new gym in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

As well as providing a demonstrator, the gym floor acts as a “living lab”, gathering and evaluating data on strength and performance, says McDermott. “The floor slab has 30% less volume than if conventional concrete had been used. As well as using less cement, the strength of the Concretene means there is less need for steel reinforcements within the slab, which also provides carbon and cost savings,” says McDermott. “Importantly, it shows the construction industry that Concretene can be used as part of existing production systems, with existing machinery and with no change for the people laying the floors.”

Tests revealed that additional graphene also accelerates the speed at which concrete sets are ready for use within 24 hours compared with up to 28 days for traditional concrete to reach its full strength. “A rapid cure is of particular interest to the pre-cast industry because it enables products to progress more quickly through factory production, saving time and money,” adds McDermott.

The combination of environmental, economic, and practical benefits means Nationwide Engineering currently has interest from more than 40 industry clients, including Network Rail, Environment Agency, and Manchester Airport, and has secured funding to develop the product further.

“At the moment, Concretene is only produced in Manchester, but we want to see it licensed for production globally so that carbon benefits can be maximised,” says McDermott. “We have a product with the potential to save more CO₂ than a small country. It really is a game changer.”

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