Estimation of Maximum Liquid Depth in Layered Drainage Blankets over Landfill Barriers
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 1
Abstract
Based on an extended form of the Dupuit assumption, this technical note proposes a computational solution for calculating the maximum liquid depth in layered porous media (e.g., geosynthetic and/or soil drainage blankets of landfills) under free discharge condition. The liquid profile and the location of for either homogeneous media or layered media can be provided from the approach presented in this technical note. In comparison with the results obtained by application of other methods, the presented approach is verified. Most approaches other than the presented method may lead to considerable error, especially when applied to the drainage system, which consists of a drainage geocomposite overlain by a sand layer with low hydraulic conductivity. The variations of in two-layered drainage media with varying geometrical parameters and varying hydraulic properties are studied by a parametric analysis. The results demonstrate for a medium consisting of two sand layers, if the hydraulic conductivity of the upper layer is smaller than that of the lower layer and the maximum liquid thickness above the barrier exceeds the thickness of the lower layer, is very sensitive to the hydraulic conductivity of the upper layer. For a medium consisting of a drainage geocomposite overlain by a sand layer, is significantly influenced by inflow rate, transmissivity of the geocomposite, and the hydraulic conductivity of the sand when they are not extraordinarily low, and is much more sensitive to the slope of the drainage layer compared with the system consisting of two sand layers. It is of great advantage to increase the inclination when geocomposites are applied as drainage material.
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Acknowledgments
The writers wish to thank the China National Natural Science Foundation (Project Nos. NNSFC50538080, NNSFC50425825, and NNSFC50508039) for their support. The writers express great appreciation to all anonymous reviewers of the Journal of Environmental Engineering, whose assistance led to significant improvement of the paper. Furthermore, the writers gratefully acknowledge Dr. Erwin Gartung for his assistance in the preparation of the English version of this manuscript.
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© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 1, 2006
Accepted: May 25, 2007
Published online: Jan 1, 2008
Published in print: Jan 2008
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