Field Evaluation of a Leachate Collection System Constructed with Scrap Tires
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 8
Abstract
Landfilling costs and the potential uses of scrap tires have prompted researchers to investigate beneficial reuses. One important application is the use of tire chips as a leachate collection material in municipal solid waste landfills. Laboratory and field studies were conducted to investigate the performance of tire chips as a drainage medium in landfills. The laboratory portion of the program included a series of hydraulic conductivity and compressibility tests. Two field test cells, one with tire chips and another with gravel as the control, were constructed. The tire-chip cell was instrumented with flowmeters, thermistors, and gas collection devices to evaluate the hydraulic performance as well as the potential for spontaneous combustion. Leachate collected from the two cells was analyzed to determine if tire chips would potentially contaminate the groundwater. The results indicated that adequate drainage conditions were present within the tire-chip layer. The presence of insignificant quantities of carbon monoxide, and the lack of oxygen, and recorded low temperatures suggested that a combustion hazard was not present. The field leachate data indicated that tire chips can be safely used as part of a landfill leachate collection layer, even though it may not be suitable to place them near drinking water sources.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would to like extend their appreciation to Mr. Gary Love of the Garrett County Landfill for his help and supervision during the field work and suggestions for improvement of the manuscript. Dr. Richard McCuen is thanked for reviewing an initial draft of this paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 8 • August 2006
Pages: 990 - 1000
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 4, 2005
Accepted: Feb 4, 2006
Published online: Aug 1, 2006
Published in print: Aug 2006
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