LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — It might sound weird, but human hair might be able to help a problem across the country.
Research is underway at the University of Kentucky to study how human hair can be beneficial to much-needed repairs to structures and bridges.
"To me right now it's just that one fiber among all these fibers that you can use for anything that you want," said Issam Harik, a civil engineering professor at the University of Kentucky.
Harik has helped lead CatStrong, a group of students helping to research fiber reinforcements in buildings and bridges.
"Any construction project, you use everything," said Harik. "From plastics, to wood to steel to concrete so this would be one of those materials used in the construction process."
UK says human hair supports 30,000 pounds per square inch.
"Throughout history, we've been using fibers from plants and animals to build many structural components," Harik said.
Harik credits the students who have helped to lead this research. He admits the concept of human hair sounds a bit strange, but he knows it could be effective.
"It's inexpensive as a raw material for us," Harik said. "We can form any shape with it once we are done with our initial studies."
As for what's next, the research continues as far as testing and development.
