Effects of Compression and Decomposition on Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Municipal Solid Waste in Bioreactor Landfills
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145, Issue 4
Abstract
Laboratory and field-scale tests were conducted to determine the saturated hydraulic conductivity () of fresh and degraded municipal solid waste (MSW) at multiple dry unit weights and void ratios (). Field-scale was obtained from numerical inversion of data from the Deer Track Bioreactor Experiment (DTBE). Reasonable prediction of field- can be achieved from large-scale laboratory tests if laboratory specimens are prepared from MSW with composition and dry unit weight similar to field conditions. In both the laboratory and field, of MSW decreased with increasing dry unit weight as the voids become smaller. At constant dry unit weight, more decomposed MSW had higher void ratio and . The relationship between and void ratio of MSW was consistent for a range of decomposition states, suggesting that void ratio is a better indicator of than dry unit weight. An empirical relationship between and void ratio was developed that predicted the measured of MSW in this study within one order of magnitude. At field scale, however, the effects of decomposition on of MSW are more complex because decomposition and settlement occur simultaneously and have opposite effects on void ratio, complicating prediction of .
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this study was provided by the University of Wisconsin-North Carolina State University bioreactor partnership, which was sponsored by the US National Science Foundation (Grant No. EEC-0538500) and a consortium of industrial partners (CH2MHill, Geosyntec Consultants, Republic Services, Veolia Environmental Services, Waste Connections, and Waste Management) through the National Science Foundation’s Partnerships for Innovation program. Appreciation is extended to Christopher Bareither and Lauren Meyer for their laboratory and technical support.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145 • Issue 4 • April 2019
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©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Mar 20, 2018
Accepted: Oct 4, 2018
Published online: Feb 15, 2019
Published in print: Apr 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Jul 15, 2019
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