Wool Strengthens Bricks.

**EHCAlum** · 6th October 10, 04:48 AM

From CNN,

Adding wool and seaweed extract to clay used for bricks in Scotland makes bricks stronger by 37%.

"The bricks aren’t going to force anyone to give up their kilts or sweaters. Scotland’s sheep farmers produce more wool than its textile industry can use, the researchers say."

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/05...ougher/?hpt=T2

**be da veva** · 6th October 10, 06:22 AM

Does that mean we'll have to start calling the kilt a Bunker instead of a Tank???

**cavscout** · 6th October 10, 06:25 AM

Would you like your house pleated to the sett or the stripe?

**Tobus** · 6th October 10, 06:29 AM

As an engineer, I'm fascinated by this. It reminds me of my university days, many of which were spent in the laboratory, adding various substances to concrete mixtures and crushing them.

I could see wool fibers adding strength to bricks by helping maintain the tensile strength and/or stability of the brick, which would keep it together longer under crushing loads. The failure mode of brick is usually going to be spalling and cracking, after which it completely disintegrates. If the wool fibers can help the brick stay together, it will have more strength. And I'm guessing the seaweed provides some additional chemical adhesion properties in the clay.

The real question is... will wool bricks make a house warmer?

**EHCAlum** · 6th October 10, 06:37 AM

Originally Posted by cavscout

Would you like your house pleated to the sett or the stripe?

To the sett please.

Bricks are naturally good insulators. If the wool and seaweed increase the density of the brick, I would assume that there is a corresponding thermal regulation increase as well. Maybe by only a degree or so, but something.

**Spc. Scott** · 6th October 10, 07:53 AM

It makes sense to me. When I used to work in materials testing we used to see a lot of fiber reinforced concrete come through the lab.

I never really got to test the FRC against the same batch of concrete w/o fiber to see the difference in strength but I can say the break pattern is totally changed with the fiber.