Settlement in municipal solid waste landfills: I. Field scale experiments

El-Fadel, Mutasem and Rashed, Hana (1998) Settlement in municipal solid waste landfills: I. Field scale experiments. The Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management, 25 (2), 89-98.

Abstract

The biodegradation of organic matter in MSW landfills increases the void ratio and weakens the structural strength of the refuse within a landfill leading to a substantial loss of volume and settlement. Development of completed landfill sites which is highly desirable particularly in land-limited locations, is invariably hindered by these settlements. Estimating long term landfill settlements becomes an integral part towards final site closure and ultimate usage. The rate and magnitude of these settlements depend primarily on refuse composition and operational-management practices which affect bio-degradation and stabliization processes within landfills.

Field scale experiments were conducted to measure refuse settlements rates under different operational management practices including leachate recirculation, addition of water, buffer and microbial seed. The effect of these practices on settlement rates and magnitudes is evaluated. The field test data are used to calibrate mathematical models that are traditionally used in soil consolidation. The models can be applied to simulate landfill settlement rates and correlate these rates to refuse biodegradation and stabilization processes within landfills. The present research work is presented in series of two papers:
I. field scale experiments
II. mathematical modeling of settlement behaviour.

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