Graphene Concrete 30% Stronger in Commercial Project

This is a modest improvement so far.  Understand that nanotube fibers would be like reinforcing hair tightly bound to the concrete molecules.  The actual content can be under one percent.

The result would be a super strong concrete construct that can thus be super light.  think thin walled beams of concrete instead of monolithic beams we use today.  It would be and would need to be imnmune to crack fracturing.

My take home is that a ten fold increase is plausible and this will take over half of the mass out of modern building


Graphene Concrete 30% Stronger in Commercial Project

September 16, 2021 by Brian Wang

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2021/09/graphene-concrete-30-stronger-in-commercial-project.html

In May, 2021, UK construction company Nationwide Engineering laid the world’s first graphene-enhanced concrete slab engineered for sustainability in a commercial setting.

The new Southern Quarter gym in Amesbury’s Solstice Park opened in summer 2021. This is a joint venture between Nationwide Engineering and The University of Manchester.

The addition of tiny amounts of graphene reportedly strengthens Nationwide Engineering’s new product, Concretene, by around 30% compared to standard concrete, meaning significantly less material 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 Engineering estimates that an additional cost of 5% for Concretene will be offset by the reduction in material to deliver an overall saving of 10-20% over standard RC30 concrete.

To make Concretene, liquid concrete sets into its solid form through chemical reactions known as hydration and gelation, where the water and cement in the mixture react to form a paste that dries and hardens over time. Graphene makes a difference by acting 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.