Evaluation of Hot Mix Asphalt properties using Non-Woven Fabric Mask Waste as Bitumen replacement

Abstract

In the daily lives of social beings, transportation infrastructure is crucial as it not only connects different parts of a society but also plays a major role in the economy of a country. Transportation infrastructure requires large quantities of construction materials, any reduction in material percentages and replacement of material have a greater impact on the construction cost of infrastructure. Many countries have shifted towards green construction in which they replace aggregate or bitumen with waste materials to enhance the performance of asphalt mix and to combat the pollution caused by the waste material. There are two plastic roads constructed in Pakistan recently as Pakistan is started to realize the potential of using replacement of waste materials in pavements. Unfortunately, the world has recently experienced a significant increase in plastic waste due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The transfer of millions of public protective equipment (PPE) in the form of masks has contributed to plastic waste and caused damage to the ecosystem. N95 and surgical face masks contain about 11g of polypropylene and 4.5 grams of other plastic derivatives such as polystyrene, polyethylene etc. Given the world population of 7.8 billion people in 2021, if we suppose that one out of every five individuals wear face mask daily, approximately 6240 tons of PP is introduced to the environment only through the masks. This unchecked disposal of polypropylene in the environment can cause more weight of masks than fish in oceans by 2050, according to world health organization. Face masks have become an environmental problem since they take a long time to decompose and remain in the environment as micro plastic waste. This research study is done to utilize face masks waste in asphalt mix and analyze the performance of asphalt mix samples containing face mask fibers. Rutting resistance and moisture susceptibility are the two asphalt performance parameters studied in this research. Face masks are used as a bitumen replacement as they melt at 110 C and become semi liquid at 150 C, the mixing temperature of asphalt mix. Therefore, face masks can act as binding agent in asphalt mixture. Moreover, the use of face masks in pavements not only enhances the properties of it but a significant amount of face masks waste is eliminated from the environment.