IT IS more commonly use to make walls or hold up high-rise hotels.
But cement could soon become a war zone essential following new research by engineers at Leeds University.
Work is under way at the univeristy's School of Civil Engineering on a £100,000 project which involves using cement to make bullet-proof ves
ts.
They will be be made from ultra-strong cement with recycled carbon filters and will be aimed at protecting non-military personnel who find themselves amid gunfire.
Bullet-proof vests are currently made from alumina but Dr Philip Purnell, who is leading the reseach team, thinks cement can become a cheaper alternative.
He said: "It should be good enough for people like security guards, reporters and aid workers who are worried about the odd pot shot being taken at them.
"The fact is many of the armoured vests sold today are over-engineered for the threats they face.
"Cement-based body armour would not only create a whole new market but it would also take some of the pressure off the demand for hi-spec alumina models so that people like soldiers, who really need this kit, can get it."
Dr Purnell wants a team of engineers, scientists and researchers to help with the project, Cementing the Future, which he believes will uncover other uses for the material.
He hopes to find more ways of using cement and has already cited other areas such as medicine and refrigeration.
"The bullet-proof vest is a small part of a much wider project. Cement is already used in waste disposal, by dentists and by spinal surgeons," he said.
But Dr Purnell warned that the £100,000 grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is only enough to get the project up and running.
He said: "That investment is to build a network of scientists who are looking to find new ways of using cement."
Early impact tests were carried out on the material before the research leader moved to Leeds six months ago from Warwick Univeristy.
And Dr Purnell remains cautious about the success of the project but believes it could cut the cost of body armour by up to 90 per cent.
British soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan had a well-publicised lack of equipment and it is hoped the cement vest may ease the shortage of enhanced combat body armour for UK troops.
