Brief
Discover how SAIT students are pioneering a graphene-infused concrete mix, offering a sustainable solution to Calgary’s sidewalk deterioration problem.
Insight
Students from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in the Civil Engineering Technology program have developed a groundbreaking concrete mix,
integrating graphene to address the challenges of sidewalk deterioration caused by freeze-thaw cycles in Calgary. The initiative, spearheaded by Derrick Leung and his classmates Tony Ly, Pinyo Sirisettanan, and Chi Kin Wong, aims to enhance the durability and flexibility of concrete, leveraging graphene’s superior properties of strength, flexibility, and high resistance.
Through meticulous research and laboratory tests, they discovered that incorporating graphene not only improves concrete’s strength but also contributes to sustainability by potentially reducing cement usage. Their findings suggest significant cost savings and a reduction in the city’s carbon footprint could be achieved with this innovative concrete mix.
Collaborating with industry partners and the City of Calgary, the team’s work emphasizes the potential for widespread application and substantial public fund savings through reduced sidewalk repair and replacement costs. Currently, Calgary spends between $12 million and $15 million annually on sidewalk infrastructure, highlighting the financial and environmental impact of the project.
Despite the city’s ongoing evaluation of this initiative’s viability and cost-effectiveness, the adoption of graphene in concrete mixes could align with broader industry movements towards sustainable materials that minimize environmental impacts without compromising performance. The project, symbolizing a step forward in urban infrastructure development, awaits further commercial exploration and potential implementation.
Highlight
- Through meticulous research and laboratory tests, they discovered that incorporating graphene not only improves concrete’s strength but also contributes to sustainability by potentially reducing cement usage.
- Their findings suggest significant cost savings and a reduction in the city’s carbon footprint could be achieved with this innovative concrete mix.
- Currently, Calgary spends between $12 million and $15 million annually on sidewalk infrastructure, highlighting the financial and environmental impact of the project.
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