ANALYSIS OF POLYPROPYLENE AUGMENTED SOIL AS AN ALTERNATIVE LANDFILL LINING MATERIAL

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an international health crisis. It has also threatened the environment by creating new kinds of waste. Increased quantity of surgical facemask, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other medical supplies are evident. These wastes are found to be non-biodegradable. Hence their disposal is a tedious task. If not disposed properly, they may enter the food chain and cause the threat to life on earth. Multidisciplinary collaborative techniques are essential and necessary to reduce the environmental hazard associated with the disposal of used PPE and one-time use masks. This research work explores an innovative way to reduce pandemic-generated. Thesis proposes an alternative use of shredded surgical facemasks in construction of landfill liner. Here, soil samples with and without polypropylene augmentation were tested for moisture content, Atterberg’s limits, specific gravity, maximum dry density, Proctor compaction, and direct shear. The proportion of mask chips for soil augmentation was 0.5%, 1% and, 1. 5% by weight of soi. To test the effect of the length of mask chips, various strip length i.e., 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm were cut and mixed. The experimental results show that silty soil mixed with three different percentages of surgical facemask satisfied the stiffness, Permeability, and strength requirements for landfill liner. This study explains the effects of variation in width and percentage by weight of shredded facemasks on engineering properties such as shear strength, brittleness, permeability, and bearing capacity. Cost-effectiveness of using facemask as a reinforcing material instead of polypropylene fiber should be studied.The hydraulic conductivity of the heavily compacted ground is measured after the soil attains a saturation state. It is observed that with increasing shredded facemask content in the mixture, the hydraulic conductivity of the soil decreases. This study gives a new innovative information in the use of one-time facemasks use in the civil engineering field. And also, help to make better quality of landfill liners and landfill covers.