(credit gov.uk)
Graphene metal will be used by National Highways in attempt to prolong the road’s lifespan.
Three miles of the road will be resurfaced throughout September and October and the dual carriageway will be closed.
Graeme Watt, National Highways Asset Needs Manager: “Laboratory trials have been a success and the on-site trials in Northumberland will be a world first use of graphene in road production.
“Graphene’s benefits are industry-changing. It’s stronger than steel and adding it to other materials can turn them into super materials.
“Laboratory trials have been a success and the on-site trials in Northumberland will be a world first use of graphene in road production.
“From what we’ve seen so far, it could make some of our assets last significantly longer.”
Highways England have partnered with University of Manchester to ‘extends a roads life, increase network performance to an industry-changing level and improve the road-user experience’.
Highways England have said: “We are using an innovative and more environmentally friendly method called cold repaving.
“This re-uses material dug out of the existing surface, mixes it with graphene and other materials giving a new road surface which makes journeys smoother and safer.”
According to the BBC, graphene is single layer of graphite with strong bonds between each atom that makes it over one hundred times stronger than steel.
It is a material already used in the production of smartphones, sports equipment and supercars.
Dr Craig Dawson from Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre said: “We’re hoping to exploit the range of multi functions that graphene offers as an addictive, and you can use less material to do the same job.
“Highways England were impressed with what Manchester was trying to do with graphene as well as having an interest in what graphene can potentially do in road surfaces.
“They [Highways England] are a good role model for other similar organisations. Their emphasis is to produce a product that performs well, and costs are acceptable.
“Graphene can help to improve safety and the rolling resistance of the road surfaces, which will positively affect stopping distance.”