Highways England is running trials to establish how graphene can be used to extend the operational life of infrastructure on its network.
The government-owned company is working with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at The University of Manchester and Pavement Testing Services (PTS) to find out how the material can be used in four different areas; bitumen, asphalt, steel safety barriers and road markings.
Highways England currently uses a specialist machine called a Cold In-Situ Recycler, which breaks up the existing road surface, mixes it with bitumen and then re-lays the road in a single operation.
In August, planned recycling works using this machine on the A1 in the North East will see graphene added to the bitumen to increase the durability of the product and extend the life of the carriageway.
Graphene is the name for a single sheet of carbon atoms, arranged in a honeycomb pattern. It is the building block of graphite — pencil lead — and is a very strong, conductive and flexible material that can be used in a wide range of applications.
Highways England said that if the trials are successful, use of the material could see key road features extended by a number of years.
Graeme Watt, asset needs manager in Yorkshire and the North East, said: ‘We are constantly striving to improve the journeys of our customers and graphene has real potential to do that.
‘Its benefits are industry-changing. It’s stronger than steel and adding it to other materials can turn them into super materials. From what we’ve seen so far, it could make some of our assets last significantly longer and be used in maintenance to prevent the failure of existing assets.’
He added: ‘Laboratory trials have been a success and on-site trials later this summer will be a world first use of graphene in road production, which enforces our commitment to innovation and helps to push the industry towards more carbon-friendly maintenance with longer-lasting solutions which we all benefit from.
‘As an industry, asset failure has become a way of life and is accepted. We want to challenge that acceptance, extend the life of assets and make their lifecycle more predictable. The research with the GEIC is a great example of how we are making that happen and we are looking forward to seeing the results on our network.’
Previous trials have been seen in Italy and on local roads in Oxfordshire.
Highways England is also working with the GEIC to extend the life of existing surfacing materials, using graphene to reduce the ageing effects caused by ultraviolet light to further extend the life and durability of its roads.
Research will also examine whether the life of steel safety barriers can be extended with a protective coating of graphene and whether white lines can be made to last as long as the road surface.
James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester, said: ‘We are excited to be working with Highways England and their supply chain to see how we can use graphene and 2D materials to enhance the road network with a number of potential future products and applications.
‘The partnership with Highways England as a growing Tier 2 partner of the GEIC into a number of key projects and demonstrator activities can help accelerate and de-risk some key developments for future road infrastructure and in support of the sustainability challenges and drive towards net zero.’
