Triaxial drained behaviour of disposable face mask fibre reinforced sand

The widespread usage of disposable face masks (DFM) during the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated waste management challenges, prompting an investigation into their potential reuse as a soil reinforcement material. Previous researchers have investigated the effect of mask fibres on pavement subbases and the environmental problems caused by these fibres. This study examines the mechanical properties of sandy soil enhanced with shredded and layered DFM under triaxial testing conditions, focusing on key parameters like shear resistance, elastic modulus, stress-strain characteristics, axial resistance, failure envelope, and brittleness index. Results show that adding DFM significantly improves soil cohesion, friction angle, shear strength, and peak deviatoric stress, especially at higher fibre contents and relative densities. However, increased DFM fibre content was associated with reduced elastic modulus, which stabilised in specimens with layered DFM, suggesting complex interactions between DFM content and soil mechanics. Concerns include potential void formation leading to asymmetric settlement and environmental issues on non-biodegradable fibre integration in soil. These findings highlight the need for meticulous mixture preparation, large-scale studies, and environmental assessments to evaluate the impact of using DFM in soil reinforcement, particularly for road construction and slope stabilisation. This research provides crucial insights into the potential of DFM for soil reinforcement.