Construction materials

Researchers from the University of Virginia, Virginia Transportation Research Council and Turkey's Istanbul Technical University have developed a more sustainable, printable cementitious composite. This new material combines graphene with limestone and calcined clay cement (LC2), and is said to offer enhanced strength and durability while significantly reducing carbon emissions.

"Our goal was to design a printable concrete that performs better and is more eco-friendly," said Osman Ozbulut, a professor at UVA's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "The addition of graphene to LC2 cement offers a unique opportunity to lower carbon emissions while maintaining the strength and flexibility required for 3D printed construction."

Concretene has received a £3 million (around USD$3.9 million) investment to advance its carbon-saving concrete technology. 

The funding will be used for product certification and preparation for market entry, enhancing their eco-friendly concrete alternatives. This investment seeks to leverage the unique properties of graphene to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

Versarien has shared updates on its progress across several key sectors and markets, reporting a growing pipeline of opportunities, rising from £1.6 million (over USD$2 million) in October 2023 to £4.7 million currently (over USD$6,100,000), with £1.6 million (over USD$2 million) in commercial opportunities and £3.1 million (over USD$4 million) in grants. The Company said it continued to focus on developing advanced materials, especially graphene, through manufacturing-light operations and technology licensing.

In the construction sector, the company said it had placed orders for equipment to enhance its in-house construction testing capabilities following a July fundraising. The equipment would support the development of graphene-based products, such as Cementene. Versarien said it had also signed its first significant 3D construction printing (3DCP) contract with Building For Humanity CIC for a project in Accrington, UK. The Company anticipated on-site activities to begin in 2025.

Versarien has announced that it has signed an agreement with Balfour Beatty Group to develop a range of low carbon, graphene-infused, 3D-printable mortars suitable for civil construction.

This will include formulating three types of mortar: one based on local materials, and two enhanced with Versarien's graphene admixture, Cementene. Additionally, efforts will focus on establishing a UK-based supply chain, involving identifying local suppliers, integrating the graphene admixture, implementing quality control protocols, and creating distribution channels and sales frameworks for both domestic and international markets.

Innovate UK has announced a £3.2 million (around USD$4.2 million) investment in seven projects to further advance the decarbonization of the domestic concrete industry. This funding forms part of the agency's broader effort to foster sustainable practices and reduce carbon emissions within the construction sector.

Among the recipients is Cemex UK Operations, that intends to use the investment to further the development of CoMLaG, a combination of micronized limestone and graphene, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

National Highways has reportedly launched a further graphene-enhanced asphalt trial, this time on a one-kilometer section of the A12 between Hatfield Peverel and Witham, east of England. The first trial came in August 2021, when graphene was added to bitumen on the A1 in the North East.

The latest project saw a new surface laid on the A12 northbound, containing 40% reclaimed asphalt - thought to be the highest level ever used in the UK for asphalt with graphene-enhanced polymeric modifier. The performance will be monitored over several years by AtkinsRéalis, which will look at its carbon footprint and whole-life benefits, measuring it against a control section of standard polymer-modified bitumen asphalt.

Today we have published the latest edition of our Graphene Construction Materials Market market report, a comprehensive guide to the world of graphene-enhanced construction materials. The edition, now updated to September 2024, includes over 10 updates, more than 5 new companies and more.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

• The advantages of using graphene in construction materials
• Companies involved in this industry
• Projects and trials underway today
• Research activities

The report package also provides:

• Datasheets and brochures from leading companies
• A look into how graphene can reduce carbon emissions
• A look into Chinese graphene construction materials projects
• Free updates for a year

This Graphene Construction Materials market report provides a great introduction to graphene materials used in the construction industry. It is a must-read guide for anyone interested in understanding the current market, mapping the companies involved and evaluating the future of the construction industry.

HydroGraph Clean Power recently announced the publication in the ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering journal of its joint findings with the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University (ASU).

The findings are said to validate the superior technical and commercial performance of HydroGraph’s pristine graphene, demonstrating its effectiveness in cement, with compressive strength improved by up to 70% in the early curing period and stabilizes after 28 days to a 15% increase. Tests also showed a reduction in Global Warming Potential (GWP), a measure used in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the impact of different greenhouse gases on global warming, of 10% to 15%.

Salgenx, developer of saltwater flow battery technology, has announced the expansion of its development of graphene and hard carbon-coated sand. Originally designed for use in advanced battery systems, Salgenx is now exploring a wide array of new applications for this innovative material, ranging from smart infrastructure to environmental sustainability.

The Company says that "the unique combination of graphene and hard carbon in a sand aggregate has the potential to transform the construction industry". By enhancing the electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and durability of concrete, Salgenx’s carbon-coated sand opens up new possibilities in building and infrastructure development.

Over a year ago, it was reported that First Graphene was working with a subsidiary of Mexican multi-national building materials company CEMEX, to trial graphene in railway sleepers cast using recycled aggregates. Now, it was announced that Cemex was granted funding from Innovate UK’s decarbonizing concrete fund for a research project into the use of graphene in concrete. The use of graphene within a concrete mix has the potential to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions by using less material whilst still achieving the same structural performance.

The grant was awarded as part of a consortium which Cemex will lead, working in partnership with Galliford Try, Sika, Northumbria Water and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at the University of Manchester, and totals around £400k.