The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at The University of Manchester was the venue for the latest piece of pioneering work in using advanced materials in construction to promote sustainability in the sector.
Nationwide Engineering, Tier 2 partners of the GEIC, relaid parking bays on the service road adjacent to the Centre on Thursday 2 September, using its graphene-enhanced Concretene product as a ‘living lab’ to test performance in exterior conditions.
Graphene provides sustainability benefits by producing denser, stronger concrete, which allows for the removal of approximately 30% of the volume of material used and removal of all steel reinforcement from the floor slab, while achieving comparable or improved performance to standard concrete. This enables reductions both in carbon footprint and in cost for users.
These tests will help towards the development of standards and certification for Concretene to enable roll-out to the wider building industry supply chain.
In May, Nationwide Engineering undertook the first pour of Concretene in a commercial setting at the Southern Quarter gym in Amesbury, Wiltshire.
“Now we are exploring the use of Concretene in road and pavement design to provide a concrete with a higher wear resistance, lower water porosity to prevent frost and salt damage and an increased wear resistance," said Rob Hibberd, director of Nationwide Engineering. "This will provide a longer life-span to the road and require less maintenance.”