Innovative solutions on ductility and bearing capacity: Strengthening flexural performance of reinforced concrete beams with recycled face mask fibers

This study investigates the effects of fibers derived from disposable face masks on the flexural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mask fibers were compared with commonly used synthetic fibers such as glass, basalt and polypropylene to evaluate structural elements' bearing capacity, ductility and energy absorption capacities. In the experimental study, five different BA beams were investigated by applying a four-point bending test, and the experimental test results were verified using finite element analysis (FEA) with ABAQUS software. The test results show that the fibers obtained from the mask increase the bearing capacity by 6 %, improve the ductile behavior of the beams, and increase the energy absorption capacity up to 80 % after the load-carrying capacity reaches its maximum. An increase of up to 40 % in energy absorption capacity was observed. This demonstrates that mask fibers enable reinforced concrete beams to absorb more energy under deformation. It was also found that the fibers obtained from the mask exhibited similar performance with polypropylene fibers. Still, the effect of glass and basalt fibers on the bearing capacity was higher. The study results show that mask waste can be used in reinforced concrete elements as a sustainable and innovative building material. Both experimental and finite element results prove that mask fibers improve the flexural performance of reinforced concrete beams and contribute to environmental sustainability. Reusing mask waste in the construction industry has significant environmental and economic potential.