Concrete and other reinforced materials can be made several times tougher by
using reinforcing wires or fibres shaped like the bones you see in cartoons. The
surrounding matrix grips the bumps on the ends much better than smooth wire,
just as people in a tug of war hold onto knots much better than a straight piece
of rope. By adding 2.5-centimetre bone-shaped wire segments to concrete,
Theodore Zhu of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico increased its
resistance to breakage by a factor of 94—an increase 3.7 times higher than
would be possible with straight filaments.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
Test moderators use AI-generated writing to judge literacy standards
News
Mind
THC in cannabis may reduce nightmares in people with PTSD
News
Environment
Fishers detonate a bomb every hour on one Indonesian coral reef
News
Environment
How bad is the UK drought and how long will it continue?
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles