For the first time in the world, constructors used asphalt mixture in the British county of Northumberland during the repair of the highway, New Atlas reports. According to experts, the graphene additive will increase the average service life of the road surface to 14 years. This will double the durability of the coating.
This is the world’s first large-scale use of graphene in road construction. From this mixture, British road workers will build a section 4.8 kilometers long. It will be prepared directly on the construction site instead of being transported from the manufacturer’s plant, which will significantly reduce the time of repair work.
The graphene additive Eco Pave was created by the Italian companies Directa Plus and Iterchimica in 2017. Graphene protects the coating from softening at high temperatures and from cracking at low temperatures and increases the elasticity and strength of asphalt.
The manufacturer states that the asphalt is fully recyclable. For example, it can be crushed, melted, and used to build new roads.
Earlier experts from the University of Manchester and Nationwide Engineering constructed the floor with graphene in the British city of Amesbury during the construction of a gym for the first time in the world.
Graphene is one of the lightest and most robust materials in the world. It is 30% stronger than concrete but has a smaller carbon footprint. Its production is about 5% more expensive. At the same time, it is needed less, so the consumer can save 10-20% as a result. If this technology is widely used, it will help reduce global carbon emissions by 2%.
