An earlier trial of the new road surface in Italy
Skanska is trialling a new type of asphalt containing a “graphene-enhanced super modifier” that its manufacturer claims will offer a better road surface as well as being completely recyclable.
The contractor will conduct the trial in Curbridge in Oxfordshire on a section of road for Oxfordshire County Council.
It will refurbish the two upper layers of a 750m-long section of road, comparing asphalt concrete containing the graphene super modifier developed by Directa Plus and its Italian-based partner Iterchimica to a traditional asphalt surface.
The graphene-enhanced super modifier is the result of a three-year research program with a patent filed in 2017. Directa Plus claimed it could “vastly improve” the quality of road surfaces, improving fatigue resistance by up to 250%. It also claimed that the asphalt is 100% recyclable, reducing the need for the extraction of new materials from quarries and first-use bitumen.
The trial will assess the service life, resistance to the passage of vehicles, resistance to deformation, and permanent plastic deformation of the two types of asphalt.
Giulio Cesareo, founder and CEO of Directa Plus, said: "This trial is an important step for Directa Plus and Iterchemica, in partnership, in proving the business and use case for the next generation of graphene enhanced road surfaces.
"This technology will allow governments to supply better quality roads for drivers and other road users, at better value for money, and in a more environmentally sustainable way.
"Working with leading companies such as Iterchemica to bring the benefits of G+ graphene enhanced products and materials to market is a key part of Directa Plus’ strategy across all our key industrial verticals."
