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. 2021 Oct 20:320:128772.
doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128772. Epub 2021 Aug 25.

Assessment of the reuse of Covid-19 healthy personal protective materials in enhancing geotechnical properties of Najran's soil for road construction: Numerical and experimental study

Gamil M S Abdullah  1 , Ahmed Abd El Aal  1   2
Affiliations

Assessment of the reuse of Covid-19 healthy personal protective materials in enhancing geotechnical properties of Najran's soil for road construction: Numerical and experimental study

Gamil M S Abdullah et al. J Clean Prod. .

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused a global health crisis, but it has also had significant environmental and human consequences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this study focused on emerging challenges in managing healthy personal protective materials (HPPM) in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, using silty sand (SM) soil as an example since it covers large areas in KSA and in the whole world. The main objective of this paper is to find a novel way to minimize pandemic-related waste by using HPPM as waste materials in road construction. For the first time, a series of experiments was conducted on a mixture of different percentages of shredded HPPM (0, 0.5, 1 and 2%) added to the silty sand (SM) soil for road applications, including soil classification according to the USCS, modified compaction, UCS, UPV, and CBR. In addition, a numerical simulation was performed using geotechnical-based software Plaxis 3D to study the performance of the soil-HPPM mix as a subbase layer in the paving structure under heavy traffic loading. The modified compaction test results show that there is an increase in the optimum moisture content with increasing the HPPM contents from 0.5% to 1% and 2%. However, a reduction in the maximum dry density is observed. The values of dry density and water content at 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% pf HPPM are 2.045, 1.98, 1.86 and 1.8 g/cm3 and 7.65% 8%, 8.5% and 9.5%, respectively. The soaked CBR values at 0, 0.5, 1 and 2% HPPM are 23, 30, 8, 2% with the maximum value attained with the addition of 0.5% HPPM. The results of UCS were with the same percentages of HPPM 430, 450, 430 and 415 kPa, respectively, with the maximum value attained with 0.5% HPPM addition as well. In contrast, the values of UVP at 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% are 978.5, 680.3, 489.4 and 323.6 m/s, respectively, confirming the trends obtained by modified compaction test results. The simulation results confirm this conclusion that the soil-HPPM mix show a superior performance when used as a subbase layer and reduced vertical displacement by a percentage of 11% compared to the normal subbase material. By eliminating HPPM especially facemasks from the landfill lifecycle, incorporating them into high quality construction material production has the potential to deliver significant environmental benefits.

Keywords: Covid-19; Geotechnical properties; HPPM Healthy personal protective materials, SM Silty sand; Healthy personal protective materials; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Numerical simulation; SEM Scanning electron microscope, XRD X-ray diffraction; UPV Ultrasonic plus wave, CBR California bearing ratio; USCS Unified soil classification system, UCS Unconfined compression strength; Waste management.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors whose names are listed immediately below certify that they have NO affi liations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any fi nancial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-fi nancial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Tests and methods in the present study.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Soil grain size distribution.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Microstructure of HPPM a) XRD patterns of cross-sectional shaped polypropylene fibers b) SEM.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Relationship between moisture content and dry density of soil-HPPM mixes.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Effect of addition HPPM on the optimum moisture content and maximum dry density.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Effects of the addition of HPPM on Ultrasonic pulse velocity, a) Ultrasonic pulse velocity test, b) Ultrasonic pulse velocity results, c) The relationship between the UPV and HPPM percentage.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Effect of addition HPPM on the soaked CBR value.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Bridge and reinforcement action of the inclusion of 0.5% of HPPM in Soaked CBR.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Effect of HPPM addition on UCS.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
a) Test instrument b) Reinforcement action of HPPM in blended samples c) bridging.
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Finite element model geometry.
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Finite element generated mesh.
Fig. 13
Fig. 13
Deformed mesh.
Fig. 14
Fig. 14
Total displacement of pavement structure with the normal subbase.
Fig. 15
Fig. 15
Total displacement of the pavement structure with soil-HPPM subbase.
Fig. 16
Fig. 16
Discarded used HPPM mainly face masks in public spaces in Victoria during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fig. 17
Fig. 17
SEM images of sandy soil with HPPM (a, b, c, and d) cylinders with different percentage of HPPM, 0.5%, 1%, 2% of HPPM fibers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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