Nationwide Engineering has delivered a world-first for sustainable construction with its graphene concrete material called 'Concretene'.
Just a couple of miles east of the ancient monument of Stonehenge, the new Southern Quarter gym in Amesbury’s Solstice Park – owned and run by military veterans and due to open in mid 2021 – is the venue for this innovative feat of building work, made possible by a joint venture between Nationwide Engineering and The University of Manchester.
Production of cement for concrete in the building industry is one of the leading causes of global carbon dioxide emissions. Remarkably, if concrete were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world behind only China and the US1, producing around 8% of global CO2 emissions.
The addition of tiny amounts of graphene – a so-called ‘2D material’ made of a single layer of carbon atoms – strengthens Nationwide Engineering’s new product, Concretene, by around 30% compared to standard concrete, meaning significantly less 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.
Nationwide Engineering Group is a construction-focused service provider with dedicated integrated companies for Building, Rail, Air, Energy, Professional Services and Health and Safety Training.