Article

Utilization of discarded face masks in combination with recycled concrete aggregate and silica fume for sustainable civil construction projects

Fahad AminDepartment of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, PakistanMuhammad Faisal JavedDepartment of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, PakistanImtiaz AhmadDepartment of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, PakistanOsama AsadDepartment of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, PakistanNangyal KhanDepartment of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, PakistanAbdul Basit Majeed KhanDepartment of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, PakistanShahid AliDepartment of Electronics Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. [email protected]Sherzod AbdullaevEngineering School, Central Asian University, Central Asian University, Tashkent, UzbekistanFuad A. AwwadDepartment of Quantitative Analysis, College of Business Administration, King Saud University, P.O. Box 71115, 11587, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaEmad A. A. IsmailDepartment of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan

Scientific Reportsjournal2024en

ABI

Abstract

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not only had a severe impact on global health but also poses a threat to the environment. This research aims to explore an innovative approach to address the issue of increased waste generated by the pandemic. Specifically, the study investigates the utilization of discarded face masks in combination with recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and Silica Fume (SFM) in civil construction projects. The disposable face masks were processed by removing the ear loops and nose strips, and then cutting them into small fibers measuring 20 mm in length, 5 mm in width, and 0.46 mm in thickness, resulting in an aspect ratio of 24. Various proportions of SFM and RCA were incorporated into the concrete mix, with a focus on evaluating the compressive strength, split tensile strength, and durability of the resulting material. The findings indicate that the addition of SFM led to improvements in both compressive and split tensile strength, while no significant impact on durability was observed.

Topics

Recycled Aggregate Concrete Performance Innovative concrete reinforcement materials Innovations in Concrete and Construction Materials

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50946-z

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