Re-use of COVID-19 waste facemasks for modification of Nigeria’s naturally occurring bitumen for road construction
Nigeria currently imports bitumen for road construction despite the presence of a significant amount of naturally occurring bitumen (NOB) in Ondo state. The use of facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to environmental challenges due to their non-biodegradable and harmful nature. This stud...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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UJ Press
2024-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/3072 |
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| _version_ | 1841555210502144000 |
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| author | Bala Musa Kenneth Tutu Yaw Tuffour |
| author_facet | Bala Musa Kenneth Tutu Yaw Tuffour |
| author_sort | Bala Musa |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Nigeria currently imports bitumen for road construction despite the presence of a significant amount of naturally occurring bitumen (NOB) in Ondo state. The use of facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to environmental challenges due to their non-biodegradable and harmful nature. This study explores the potential of utilising waste facemasks in modifying NOB for road paving in Nigeria. The physiochemical properties of NOB were determined, and tests were conducted to assess its suitability for road construction. The results showed that the neat NOB had high penetration, low softening point, and high viscosity, making it unsuitable for road construction in Nigeria’s tropical region. However, the modified NOB, when blended with waste facemasks, exhibited reduced penetration and increased softening point, aligning with the AC-10 grade bitumen requirements. Further testing using the Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) is recommended to determine the rheological properties of the modified NOB. This study is the first of its kind to explore the use of waste facemasks in modifying naturally occurring bitumen for road construction. It proposes a novel solution that not only addresses the environmental issues associated with waste facemasks but also offers a sustainable alternative to imported bitumen. Future works include long-term performance studies, comparative evaluations, environmental impact assessments, and scaling-up studies to assess the feasibility and practicality of implementing this approach on a larger scale.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fa31bf8db753481894d3ad5b353985c9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2223-7852 2959-9652 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | UJ Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation |
| spelling | doaj-art-fa31bf8db753481894d3ad5b353985c92025-01-08T06:08:16ZengUJ PressJournal of Construction Project Management and Innovation2223-78522959-96522024-08-0114210.36615/jcpmi.v14i2.3072Re-use of COVID-19 waste facemasks for modification of Nigeria’s naturally occurring bitumen for road constructionBala Musa0Kenneth Tutu1Yaw Tuffour2Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Nigeria currently imports bitumen for road construction despite the presence of a significant amount of naturally occurring bitumen (NOB) in Ondo state. The use of facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to environmental challenges due to their non-biodegradable and harmful nature. This study explores the potential of utilising waste facemasks in modifying NOB for road paving in Nigeria. The physiochemical properties of NOB were determined, and tests were conducted to assess its suitability for road construction. The results showed that the neat NOB had high penetration, low softening point, and high viscosity, making it unsuitable for road construction in Nigeria’s tropical region. However, the modified NOB, when blended with waste facemasks, exhibited reduced penetration and increased softening point, aligning with the AC-10 grade bitumen requirements. Further testing using the Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) is recommended to determine the rheological properties of the modified NOB. This study is the first of its kind to explore the use of waste facemasks in modifying naturally occurring bitumen for road construction. It proposes a novel solution that not only addresses the environmental issues associated with waste facemasks but also offers a sustainable alternative to imported bitumen. Future works include long-term performance studies, comparative evaluations, environmental impact assessments, and scaling-up studies to assess the feasibility and practicality of implementing this approach on a larger scale. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/3072AsphaltBinderConstructionNaturally-occurring bitumenRoadWaste- facemasks |
| spellingShingle | Bala Musa Kenneth Tutu Yaw Tuffour Re-use of COVID-19 waste facemasks for modification of Nigeria’s naturally occurring bitumen for road construction Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation Asphalt Binder Construction Naturally-occurring bitumen Road Waste- facemasks |
| title | Re-use of COVID-19 waste facemasks for modification of Nigeria’s naturally occurring bitumen for road construction |
| title_full | Re-use of COVID-19 waste facemasks for modification of Nigeria’s naturally occurring bitumen for road construction |
| title_fullStr | Re-use of COVID-19 waste facemasks for modification of Nigeria’s naturally occurring bitumen for road construction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Re-use of COVID-19 waste facemasks for modification of Nigeria’s naturally occurring bitumen for road construction |
| title_short | Re-use of COVID-19 waste facemasks for modification of Nigeria’s naturally occurring bitumen for road construction |
| title_sort | re use of covid 19 waste facemasks for modification of nigeria s naturally occurring bitumen for road construction |
| topic | Asphalt Binder Construction Naturally-occurring bitumen Road Waste- facemasks |
| url | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/3072 |
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