Secrets of the concrete rafts

2011/05/03 Kortabitarte Egiguren, Irati - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Ingeniaritza
• Zoologia

An ant is capable of floating in the water in a few minutes. But a group of ants can be kept floating for months. Engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have analysed the "rafts" that form fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) against floods. The ants, joined together, trap small air bubbles that serve to float and breathe. With these bubbles trapped the group has lower density than water, so it floats pushing down the researchers. In these cases, the ants contract the muscles and the balsa compresses, losing some flotability. However, the group of ants is still waterproof and low density.

Image: Image: Georgia Institute of Technology