Once enough cars have sped over these fissures, chunks begin breaking off to create those infamous potholes that pop tires and ruin shocks. Asphalt is typically made from a mixture of stone aggregates held together with viscous, petroleum-based substance called bitumen. In 2022, Essex County announced plans to test asphalt combined with graphene to form a paving material called Gipave. The graphene-enhanced asphalt performed 10 percent better in stiffness tests, as well as 20 percent better when it came to water sensitivity. Then again, simply starting to fill existing potholes with the graphene-strengthened asphalt would be a promising start.