Cast’s Dimitar Dimov has received extensive coverage in the last few days in national, construction and academic press. His recent work at the University of Exeter as part of his PhD studies investigated the potential for nanotechnology in building materials. His specific focus was on graphene-concrete composites and his findings suggest that there are real step-change improvements that can be harnessed in material efficiency, strength, and embedded carbon. This highlights the possibilities of how our industry can combine progression in material science with industrialisation in processes, both on and offsite.
Dimov, who is a consultant in the Cast special projects team that focuses on industry research and insights, as well as data-led technology applications, commented on the importance of material science. He said, “Ever since I came up with the idea of reinforcing concrete with graphene 4 years ago, my goal was always crystal clear – I wanted to create a material which will contribute to the more environmentally friendly construction industry. Cement and concrete manufacturing accounts for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions, so it is imperative for us, not only as scientists but as a community, to come up with alternatives for minimising this effect”.
Dimov also added, “With a 140% increase in compressive strength, this novel graphene-concrete can be used to reduce the volume of material used. Graphene is a two-dimensional nanomaterial, derived from graphite – it is one of the most abundant materials worldwide and the production technique that we developed is industrially scalable. This ground-breaking research is important as it can be applied to large-scale manufacturing and construction. The industry has to be modernised by incorporating not only off-site manufacturing but innovative new materials as well.”
For more information on this topic, follow the below links:
The Guardian – Graphene ‘a game-changer’ in making building with concrete greener
Construction Enquirer – Graphene concrete game-changer for industry
Science Daily – Scientists create innovative new ‘green’ concrete using graphene
