Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Mask-Improved Calcareous Sand
Due to the widespread prevalence of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and H1N1, the use of disposable masks has increased significantly. Consequently, the environmental issues arising from their accumulation have become increasingly severe. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the potentia...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| author | Longwen Zhang Zhuoyi Sun Baohua Liu Zongtang Zhang Junqi Zhang |
| author_facet | Longwen Zhang Zhuoyi Sun Baohua Liu Zongtang Zhang Junqi Zhang |
| author_sort | Longwen Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Due to the widespread prevalence of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and H1N1, the use of disposable masks has increased significantly. Consequently, the environmental issues arising from their accumulation have become increasingly severe. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the potential of using masks as soil reinforcement materials. This study conducted triaxial and seepage tests on mask–calcareous sand mixtures with varying ratios to examine the effects of mask content on the strength, modulus, particle fragmentation, and permeability coefficient of calcareous sand, as well as the influence of different mask sizes on shear strength and shear dilation. The results demonstrate that with an increase in mask content, the peak stress ratio of the mask–calcareous sand mixture increases by 4% per level, and the internal friction angle rises by approximately 1.6% per level. Conversely, water permeability and shear swelling are reduced, and particle loss decreases by over 70%. The reinforcing effect of the mask is attributed to the high friction between the mask and the calcareous sand at the contact interface, which restricts the movement of soil particles during deformation, thereby enhancing the overall strength of the mixture. Among the three mask sizes, the smallest mask–calcareous sand mixture exhibited the greatest improvement in shear strength, and the shear shrinkage effect was more pronounced. This indicates that particle size also significantly influences the mechanical properties of the mixtures. The reinforcing effect of the mask on the soil results from the high friction at the interface between the mask and the calcareous sand. When the soil deforms, the mask enhances the overall strength of the mixture by restricting the movement of soil particles. Considering the impact of masks on the performance of calcareous sand, it can be concluded that the optimal mass content of masks is 0.3%. This study offers a new perspective on the reuse of discarded masks in civil engineering applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b628877b2fd54202b150b37e46d416a4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-b628877b2fd54202b150b37e46d416a42025-08-20T02:24:47ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-04-01159488810.3390/app15094888Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Mask-Improved Calcareous SandLongwen Zhang0Zhuoyi Sun1Baohua Liu2Zongtang Zhang3Junqi Zhang4College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaCollege of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaCollege of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411100, ChinaCollege of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaDue to the widespread prevalence of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and H1N1, the use of disposable masks has increased significantly. Consequently, the environmental issues arising from their accumulation have become increasingly severe. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the potential of using masks as soil reinforcement materials. This study conducted triaxial and seepage tests on mask–calcareous sand mixtures with varying ratios to examine the effects of mask content on the strength, modulus, particle fragmentation, and permeability coefficient of calcareous sand, as well as the influence of different mask sizes on shear strength and shear dilation. The results demonstrate that with an increase in mask content, the peak stress ratio of the mask–calcareous sand mixture increases by 4% per level, and the internal friction angle rises by approximately 1.6% per level. Conversely, water permeability and shear swelling are reduced, and particle loss decreases by over 70%. The reinforcing effect of the mask is attributed to the high friction between the mask and the calcareous sand at the contact interface, which restricts the movement of soil particles during deformation, thereby enhancing the overall strength of the mixture. Among the three mask sizes, the smallest mask–calcareous sand mixture exhibited the greatest improvement in shear strength, and the shear shrinkage effect was more pronounced. This indicates that particle size also significantly influences the mechanical properties of the mixtures. The reinforcing effect of the mask on the soil results from the high friction at the interface between the mask and the calcareous sand. When the soil deforms, the mask enhances the overall strength of the mixture by restricting the movement of soil particles. Considering the impact of masks on the performance of calcareous sand, it can be concluded that the optimal mass content of masks is 0.3%. This study offers a new perspective on the reuse of discarded masks in civil engineering applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/9/4888triaxial testparticle breakagevolumetric strainwaste maskcalcareous sandshear behaviors |
| spellingShingle | Longwen Zhang Zhuoyi Sun Baohua Liu Zongtang Zhang Junqi Zhang Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Mask-Improved Calcareous Sand Applied Sciences triaxial test particle breakage volumetric strain waste mask calcareous sand shear behaviors |
| title | Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Mask-Improved Calcareous Sand |
| title_full | Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Mask-Improved Calcareous Sand |
| title_fullStr | Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Mask-Improved Calcareous Sand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Mask-Improved Calcareous Sand |
| title_short | Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Mask-Improved Calcareous Sand |
| title_sort | experimental study on mechanical properties of mask improved calcareous sand |
| topic | triaxial test particle breakage volumetric strain waste mask calcareous sand shear behaviors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/9/4888 |
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