CAIRO: Most gardeners usually get frustrated with their weed problem. They slash them, cut them, or chemically poison them. It is literally a weed holocaust. However, after the discovery that Dr. Safwan Khedr and his student Karim Abdel Warith with Tharwat Aguib made about local giant milkweeds, planting weeds may one day form an essential component of Egypt’s agricultural sector rather than a normal everyday nuisance! Giant milkweeds, Calotropis procera, contains a sticky, milky substance that could potentially replace the asphalt which is used to stick the small aggregates that makeup road concrete. Dr.Khedr, a construction engineering professor at the American University in Cairo, Tharwat Aguib, a research associate, and Abdel Warith, currently a Phd student at Purdue University, have coined a new term for the milky substance, Agmin. Agmin was used by traditional Nubian dentists for tooth fillings. It’s sticky and soft It has physical properties compatible to those of asphalt and can possibly be more environmentally friendly. “It’s sticky, it’s malleable….It’s asphalt,†said Abdel Warith. Dr. Khedr, Abdel Warith, and Aguib have tested the substance for rutting, a measurement used among construction engineers to indicate the rate of pavement degradation over time. The weight of the cars and extreme temperature conditions eventually eat away at the pavement that makes up the road causing it to crack or break. Cracks or small potholes in the road can inflict significant damage on the wheels of the car and potentially cause accidents. Based on the tests, Dr. Khedr, Aguib and Abdel Warith found agmin-based pavement mix hardens while the temperature increases, thus eliminating any concern for major rutting damage. In contrast, asphalt-based pavement softens in high temperature conditions increasing the likeliness of major road damage. It is also believed that asphalt has contributed to climate change because of the harmful emissions that are released as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels. Some countries are testing bioasphalts as another possible alternative. Yet, what Dr. Khedr, Aguib, and Abdel Warith are working on is a complete replacement of asphalt which is expected to save 25 percent-40 percent of the cost of road construction. But Dr. Khedr and Abdel Warith still think agmin is in need of more testing. So for the time being, the duos are telling the construction contractors to hold their horses.â€We are only recommending it for the base [of the roads],†said Dr. Khedr. Gardeners may want to think again before whacking their weeds! **This article is published with the permission of EcoOptionsEgypt.com BM
