Ground-breaking construction technology – believed to be the first of its type in the world – has successfully delivered a ‘crackless’ graphene enhanced concrete slab featuring zero fabric reinforcement, fibres, saw cuts or construction joints.
A few weeks ago directors from supply chain partner, Nationwide Engineering, along with HBPW’s Senior Partner, Paul Withers, poured a laser controlled floor at the new Southern Quarter gym in Amesbury’s Solstice Park, hoping for success but not quite knowing what would happen.
But it has been heralded a total success. In a three-way statement Nationwide Engineering joint MDs, Robin Hibberd and Alex McDermott, along with Paul Withers said: “There are no cracks, just a pristine large pour floor slab in one piece measuring 40m x 20m. The only additive was Graphene.
“This is a magnificent result that the world has been watching. Everyone from Highways England and Network Rail through to Tier One contractors and engineering teams in the US and Brazil, have been awaiting the outcome.
“The ramifications are huge because the concrete floor – which only featured graphene, an allotrope of carbon, as its sole additive – had zero reinforcements, no steel fibres or stress relieving saw cuts, and it was poured in one large bay.
“There are any number of ‘strengthening’ methods that could have been used from fixed bar or fabric reinforcement to polypropylene fibres so, to have removed the need for any of these is truly ground-breaking and most likely a world first. We cannot understate the size of this breakthrough. The opportunities are almost endless.”
Paul added: “Had we used conventional technology, the floor would have been reinforced and sawn up into small ‘bays’ to reduce the thermal shrinkage stresses. However, by using ‘concretene’ – the name for our special product – we not only removed the need for extensive ‘additives’ but were even able to reduce the slab thickness by 25% and, therefore, the carbon footprint.”
Subsequent observation of the slab also indicated an enhanced rate set.
“We couldn’t have hoped for a better result,” he concluded. “However, we remain mindful that because of Covid, the pouring of the graphene reinforced floor slab preceded any extensive laboratory testing to establish the mechanical properties of graphene concrete.
“Having now successfully applied the technology, all partners, including The University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), will now spend the next 12 months carrying out extensive laboratory testing to establish the strength parameters of graphene concrete before the material is applied to the wider construction sector.”