UAI academic explores the use of pig hair as reinforcement for construction

Natural fibers give mortars and concretes crack control similar to that of commercial polypropylene fibers during the first few months that are critical for the material as it matures. After one year, the natural fibers completely degrade without affecting the mechanical resistance of the concrete or its durability. The recovery of pig hair from the food industry for the construction industry represents a contribution to the circular economy. According to the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC), if the annual production of concrete in Chile were reinforced with recycled pig hair, almost 70% of the pig hair waste deposited in landfills every year could be valued. .

Andrea Riquelme, Journalist.- Thanks to an initiation Fondecyt during the last 3 years, and after another 4 years of research together with a group of researchers on the use of natural fibers as concrete reinforcement in construction, Federico Antico, doctor in civil engineering and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences of the Adolfo Ibáñez University (UAI), Viña del Mar Campusis studying how natural fibers can contribute to the internal moisture of concrete and benefit the hydration of the cementitious materials that make up the concrete.

Around the year 2016, the researcher began to work with the waste of pig hair from the food industry, a considerable problem given the high national and international production. In Europe alone, 890,000 tons of pig waste are produced per year, with associated management costs reaching 20.7 million euros per year. In Chile, only one of its main producers disposes of more than 100 tons of pig hair in landfills annually and has invested millions of dollars in recent years to improve processes and construction of infrastructure for the treatment of its residues derived from the production of meat.

“Mixtures with a low water/cement ratio with the addition of recycled natural fibers from the Chilean food industry improve their fracture toughness and could function as water reservoirs for internal curing and thus increase the degree of hydration of the cement,” as well Antico pointed it out. For the academic, the use of waste from the food industry is not limited to animal hair, in fact, there are vegetable components such as jute, which has also shown similar mechanical results in tests on mortars, delaying the formation of cracks and prolonging their life. useful.

«Perhaps using animal waste sounds strong to some, but the truth is that the food industry continues to grow and construction can take advantage of this environmental liability, replacing synthetic or plastic fibers that hinder the recycling process of concrete at its end of life. life. It is therefore a good challenge for innovation hubs, when it comes to setting challenges that allow the reuse of natural waste from various industries, as an input for others,” concluded Antico.

Within the Fondecyt project, the optimal conditions, the limits of use and the properties of natural fibers are being studied to provide internal curing to mixtures with a low water/cement ratio to maximize their mechanical resistance, fracture toughness and durability.

According to data from the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC), if the annual production of concrete in Chile were reinforced with recycled pig hair, almost 70% of the pig hair waste deposited in landfills every year could be valued. , improving resistance, and also providing a contribution to the internal curing of the cementitious material that makes up these construction materials. The plan is to contribute to a dynamic construction industry that allows the use of this type of natural fibers supported by in-depth scientific studies and thus have a sustainable competitor to industrialized polymeric fibers.