Concrete blocks can be made more resistant with the addition of fibers from the sisal plant (Agave sisalana), commonly used to make rope and twine, according to research results from the São Carlos School of Engineering at the University of São Paulo. The plant fibers make structures more flexible and safer. “The greater flexibility increases safety, because structures become deformed before collapsing,” engineer Indara Soto Izquierdo, the coordinator of the research project, told Tierramérica.

“The construction industry consumes a great deal of natural resources, so developing alternative materials can contribute to the sustainability of the sector,” she said.

“Sisal grows abundantly in northeastern Brazil, and the sale of sisal fibers to the rope and twine industry is the economic mainstay of many communities in the region,” she added. Given that the northeast is the poorest region of Brazil, the use of sisal fibers in construction could offer an additional source of income for poor communities, she explained.