Chapter 9
Final Covers for Landfills and Waste Piles
Publication: Geoenvironmental Engineering: Site and Contaminant Characterization, Containment Facilities, Solid Waste Materials, and Contaminated Ground Interventions
Abstract
The functions of landfill cover include providing an aesthetically pleasing surface and serving as a final surface or foundation on which end use may occur. In municipal solid waste landfills, the primary landfill gas constituents are methane and carbon dioxide. Resistive composite covers typically consist of a geomembrane overlying a low-saturated hydraulic conductivity barrier layer containing soil. This chapter describes the additional technical design, construction, and operational issues for the final covers. The impact of waste settlement on the performance of the cover system barrier layer and other layers, as well as the infrastructure components, is a common concern for all types of final covers. The collection, control, and regulation of landfill gas is important to limit environmental, climate, human health impacts, and nuisance issues. Vegetation on landfill covers can be actively or passively managed. Many cover systems are required to be mowed to facilitate inspection and for aesthetic purposes.
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Geoenvironmental Engineering: Site and Contaminant Characterization, Containment Facilities, Solid Waste Materials, and Contaminated Ground Interventions
Pages: 183 - 220
Editor: Dimitrios Zekkos, Ph.D., P.E.
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8549-1
ISBN (Print): 978-0-7844-1623-5
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© 2024 by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Jul 8, 2024
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