Seismic Analysis of a Geosynthetic Liner System

Two-dimensional (2-D) non-linear time-domain analyses of the tensile forces and strains induced in the geosynthetic liner system of a solid waste landfill by seismic loading were conducted using a model that allows for relative displacement (slip) at the interfaces of the liner system. The analyses suggest that tensile strains and forces induced in the liner system by seismic loading will be within allowable values if the difference in interface friction angle between the top and bottom of the liner is relatively small. While the deformation at the crest of the side slope from the non-linear analyses were similar to the deformations calculated in a conventional 1-D decoupled analysis, the deformations at the toe of a canyon-type landfill calculated in the 2-D non-linear analysis was significantly greater than calculated in the 1-D decoupled analysis. The analyses reported herein were for two simplified landfill geometries and only employed one earthquake time history and one set of interface strengths. Additional analyses are required to determine if these results are representative of landfill response or are an artifact of the landfill geometry, interface strengths, and time history used in these analyses.