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Using sheep wool to reinforce concrete scoops

Writer's picture: StaffStaff

Aoife Fadian and Jessica O’Connor both in 4th year and aged 15 and 16 respectively, from Ursuline College in Sligo, won the prize for Runner-Up Group, with their project, ‘Sheep Strength’: Using wool to reinforce concrete. Their project involved testing the feasibility of mixing sheep wool with concrete as a more sustainable strengthening agent instead of polypropylene.

Barry Kennedy, Chair of the Technology Group Judges, said, “Aoife and Jessica carried out this excellent research project into the use of wool fibres, as a sustainable and renewable resource to strengthen concrete. Such use could potentially replace the current materials such as polypropylene fibres which are in use today. The students used extensive and rigorous testing techniques such as compression, tensile, drop, extreme heat, and freeze thaw. Their results have shown very positive potential for the use of wool in concrete. They demonstrated great skill, knowledge and hard work in investigating this more sustainable solution which could make valuable use of this renewable resource within Ireland.”

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