To make the concrete, a team from Britain's University of Exeter devised a technique of suspending flakes of graphene in water, then mixing that water with traditional concrete ingredients such as cement and aggregate. The process is reportedly inexpensive, and compatible with modern, large-scale manufacturing requirements.

When tested, the graphene-enhanced concrete was found to have a 146-percent increase in compressive strength as compared to regular concrete, a 79.5-percent increase in flexural strength, and a decrease in water permeability of almost 400 percent. The material meets British and European standards for construction.