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Graphene-enhanced asphalt aims to extend the life of asphalt and reduce its carbon footprint
National Highways has rolled out a ground breaking trial of graphene-enhanced asphalt designed to extend the lifespan of pavements while reducing their carbon footprint.
The surface laid on a kilometre-long stretch of the A12 northbound between Hatfield Peverel and Witham in Essex last month contained 40 per cent reclaimed asphalt - the highest level ever used in the UK for asphalt with graphene-enhanced polymeric modifier, National Highways claimed.
According to the body charged with operating and maintaining England's motorways and major A roads, the low-carbon surface incorporated polymeric additive Gipave enhanced with graphene, which it said was between 100 and 300 times stronger than steel and acts as a reinforcement to the bitumen film that is used to surround aggregates in asphalt.
Previous studies have shown Gipave has improved stiffness and resistance to rutting compared to conventional asphalt while improving fatigue endurance. As such, the technology has been adopted internationally at the new San Giorgio bridge in Genoa, Treviso Airport runway, Edinburgh and Rome Fiumicino Airport taxiways, the A4 Turin-Milan and the A4 Brescia-Padua motorways in Northern Italy, as well as the Imola F1 circuit in San Marino.
Part of a National Highways research project under Specialist Professional and Technical Services (SPaTS2), the trial is the first time Gipave has been applied on the strategic road network in the UK and follows ongoing trials in Oxfordshire, Kent, Staffordshire, and Essex by local councils. The performance of the material on the A12 will be monitored over several years.
"We are constantly exploring new ways to improve our road network with a focus on three imperatives: safety, the customer and delivery," said Umesh Parajuli, project sponsor and senior pavement advisor at National Highways. "It's encouraging to move innovative road materials from the lab to the real world, as they promise more durability and efficiency, while maintaining road user safety and lowering carbon emissions.
"This trial of graphene-enhanced asphalt supports our 2040 net zero target for construction and maintenance and could provide significant whole-life benefits, improving the service life of both local and national networks."
The trial is being coordinated by an AtkinsRéalis-Jacobs joint venture as part of a National Highways research project, which the University of Nottingham and Jean Lefebvre UK will support through lab testing.
AtkinsRéalis will analyse the performance of the one-kilometre trial section including its carbon footprint and whole-life benefits, measuring against a control section of standard polymer-modified bitumen asphalt.
"The trial of graphene-enhanced asphalt marks a step towards more advanced road construction in the UK and builds on our work with National Highways to trial emerging technologies," said Michael Wright, technical director of transportation UK at AtkinsRéalis.
"We will closely analyse the performance of this innovative product, which could lead to significant improvements in road durability and reduce environmental impact through a new, sustainable circular economy."
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