Study on the Strength Behavior of Clay Blended with Nonwoven Surgical Masks Fabrics

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it is declared by WHO to wear masks in public places. As per the guideline recieved from WHO in 2021, the people were instructed to wear 2 masks which surgical mask recommended to be more effective considering the situation in the second wave. Considering this scenario, for the next 8 to 12 months, we need to wear surgical masks compulsorily and need to dispose of them every alternate day. Considering the huge population in India, if this habit and the manner of wearing masks continue till the near future, the waste created with these masks will be voluminous. Thus, the need to recycle becomes obvious and need to address effectively. There are many techniques to recycle biomedical wastes. But if constructive recycling can be achieved it will help effectively in economic project execution in the civil construction industry. Thus, in this study, an attempt is made to use such nonwoven fabrics in soil improvement techniques. Thus, in this study, an attempt is made to use such nonwoven fabrics in soil strength improvement techniques. Before using the mask, it's well sanitized and then mixed with the clay soil. The different aspect ratios are selected for fabrics and several tests like Atterberg’s limit (LL,PL), permeability, Triaxial test (Undrained), consolidation test, and compaction test are carried out. The result so obtained with the clay with mask fabrics is compared with the test result of virgin clay. The study found that the accountable strength is achieved in the clay soil with some limitations.