Landfill Basics

BRAJESH KUMAR DUBEY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

1
 What is a Landfill?
• Concept fostered in early 20th century
• An area of land that has solid waste deposited
on it in such a quantity to noticeably change
the surface elevation.
Why to use a landfill?
 Potential Landfill Problems
• Landfill can present problems with respect to:
– Spread of disease Controlled by sanitary
– Odors landfill techniques
– Fires

Controlled by
– Contamination of groundwater modern landfill
design
– Gas emissions
 Sanitary Landfill
• Landfills may be: • Operate landfills in a
– Excavated and filled controlled safe fashion
– Fill existing depressions – Use cover soil
– Built up from the ground – Excavate cells
– A combination of above – Compact the waste
– Control access
 Modern Landfills are Engineered
Structures
• Designed to Contain Leachate and Minimize
Release of Pollutants from the Landfill
 Leachate
• Leachate is the liquid (or wastewater) that forms
when water (rainfall, groundwater) travels
through solid waste
• Leachate can migrate into underlying
groundwater, resulting in contamination
• Leachate can contain many different chemicals,
depending on what is in the solid waste
 Landfill Gas
• Landfill gas consists primarily of methane and
carbon dioxide

• Results from the anaerobic decomposition of

biodegradable solid wastes
 Typical Regulatory Requirements

• Location restrictions
– Airports
– Wetlands
– Fault lines
– Unstable areas
– Endangered species
 Typical Regulatory Requirements

• Liners -- Low permeability barrier layers

– Compacted soil (clay)
– Geomembranes (plastic)
– Composites of both
• Liner keep leachate from migrating out of
the landfill
• Leachate must be collected and removed
 Single Liner System
• One liner consisting of compacted soil or
geomembrane
 Composite Liner
• A single liner consisting of compacted soil and
geomembrane in intimate contact
 Double Liner
• A liner system with low permeability barrier
layers with a leak detection system layer in
between. The upper and lower components
are either compacted soil, geomembrane, or
composite.
Typical Subtitle D Liner
Single Composite Liner
2 ft drainage material
Designed to maintain
less than 1ft head on liner
60 mil HDPE
Geomembrane

2 ft compacted soil
K <= 10-7 cm/sec
Typical Subtitle C Liner
Double Liner
2 ft drainage material
Designed to maintain
less than 1ft head on liner
HDPE Geomembrane
Geonet
HDPE Geomembrane

3 ft compacted soil
K <= 10-7 cm/sec
Types of Geomembrane Materials
• HDPE
• PVC
• VLDPE
• PP
 What Controls Head on the Liner?
• Liner Slope
• Pipe Spacing
• LCS Hydraulic Conductivity
• Impingement Rate
What is a Geosynthetic Clay Liner?
• A manufactured product that contains a soil
component (dry bentonite) contained in a
fabric or affixed to a geomembrane.
Unloading Soil

Lecture 18 Land Disposal

Lecture 18 Land Disposal
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
 How do you Remove Leachate from the
Landfill?
• Drain as much as you can by gravity (liner
system and pipes)
• Pump from low points
– Penetration through the liner
– Pumps inside landfill
 Leachate Collection System
• If leachate flow is intercepted or impeded by a
liner, then it should be removed from the
landfill by use of a leachate collection system.
A leachate collection system is a high-
permeability layer designed to transmit
leachate from the liner.
 How is Leachate Removed
Drainage
Pipe

Liner is sloped ~ 2-8%

 What is a Geotextile?
• A geosynthetic textile that is used in many civil
engineering applications. It separates fine
granular materials from coarse granular
materials, plus it allows water to flow through.
 What is a Geonet?
• A synthetic (HDPE) material used for drainage
of liquids. It is a has transmissivity in the later
direction.
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
Unrolling drainage pipe in toe drain

Lecture 18 Land Disposal

Leachate is then sent to Treatment and/or Storage
Facility

Leachate
Storage
Landfill Treatment

Gravity Drainage Pump

Station
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
Lecture 18 Land Disposal
How do you Predict Leachate Generation?
• You must estimate how much leachate is
generated to design your landfill.
• HELP --
Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance
 HELP
P ET A Water Balance Model
R

Q
L
 Water Balance
P ET

P = precipitation volume
S ET = evapotranspiration
S = runoff
QL = leachate production
A = average surface area

[INPUTS] – [OUTPUTS] = CHANGE IN STORAGE

QL
[P] – [ET + S + QL + L] = DS
L
 Moisture Storage

WASTE
MCINITIAL + Moisture
qwaste
qFC
 Field Capacity, qFC
Field capacity is the amount of liquid that a
given mass (volume) of waste can absorb prior
to downward percolation of that liquid due to
gravitational forces
qwaste
qFC
 Definitions
• Evapotranspiration
– Evaporation: the change of water from its liquid phase
to its vapor phase
– Transpiration: the evaporation occurring through
plant leaves through stomal opening
• Wilting Point
– the volumetric water content where plants can no
longer draw moisture from the soil
qWP < qFC < qSAT
 HELP
P ET A Water Balance Model
R

Q
L
 Hydraulic Evaluation of Landfill
• References
Performance (HELP)
– C:\HELP3\DOC\*.pdf
• Start:
– C:\HELP3\
 Example
• Landfill location = Jacksonville, FL
• Number of year for data generation = 5 yr
• LF area = 5 acres
• LF layers
 Weather Data
WEATHER DATA

PRECIPITATION
LOCATION

TEMPERATURE &

NUMBER OF
SOLAR RADIATION YEARS FOR
DATA
GENERATION
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
Evaporative Zone Depth
Maximum Leaf Area Index

Leaf area index = [leaf area] / [surface area of land on which vegetation grows]
0  bare ground ~ dense forest → 6
 Layer Design
SOIL & DESIGN DATA

LANDFILL AREA

LAYER DESIGN

- Thickness
- Texture
- Field Capacity
- Hydraulic Conductivity
- Drainage length & slope
- Geomembrane & geotextile

RUNOFF CURVE NUMBER

Layer Type

1. Vertical percolation
2. Lateral draining
3. Barrier soil liner
4. Geomembrane liner
Drainage Length
Curve Number
 HELP results
• Drainage collected from layer # (drainage
layer) = leachate generation

• Maximum head on the liner (daily peak) < 1 ft

How could you use the HELP results?
• Leachate generation
– Leachate storage tank & pond design
– Pump design
– LCS; geonet & geotextile design
• Leachate head on the liner
– Leachate collection system design
• Hydraulic conductivity of drainage material
• Slope of the liner
• The length of the drainage path
• Leachate leakage
 Leachate
• Can contain many compounds. The quality of
leachate is dictated by the type waste. For
MSW, leachate quality is very much dictated
by the phase of landfill stabilization.
 Waste Stabilization
• Phases of Landfill Stabilization
– Previous investigators have described different
phases of landfill stabilization
– Simplified version:
Preliminary Acid Methane Final
Aerobic Forming Forming Aerobic
Phase Phase Phase Phase

Aerobic Aerobic
Anaerobic
 Waste Stabilization
• The phase of stabilization influences leachate and gas
characteristics
Leachate Characteristics

pH

BOD,
VFA
Conc
Preliminary Acid Methane Final
Aerobic Forming Lecture 18 Land Forming
Disposal Aerobic
 Waste Stabilization
• The phase of stabilization influences leachate and gas
characteristics

Gas Characteristics
N2 CO2

CH4
% Gas
Vol.
O2

Preliminary Acid Methane Final

Aerobic Forming Lecture 18 Land Forming
Disposal Aerobic
 How is Leachate Managed?
• On-Site WWTP
(must discharge effluent)
• Haul to Off-Site POTW
• Pretreat On-Site and Haul Off-Site
• Pipeline
• Evaporate
• Leachate Recirculation
 Leachate Treatment Methods
Aerobic treatment processes
– Activated sludge process
– Aerated pond
– Sequencing batch reactor
Anaerobic treatment processes
– Anaerobic digestion
– Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)
Lined Leachate Lagoon
Lined Leachate Lagoon
Leachate Treatment Plant

Brine Evaporation Pond

Treatment Plant Leachate Storage Lagoon

Aerobic Lagoon
Anaerobic Lagoon
Aerobic Treatment Lagoon
Leachate Treatment Using Wetlands
Aeration Pond
Anaerobic Sand
Filters for
Leachate
Treatment
Irrigation Spray field
Leachate Storage Tank
Leachate Recirculation to Landfill using Spray Irrigation
Leachate
Leachate
Storage
Recirculation
Tank to Landfill using Horizontal Trenches
 Leachate Treatment Methods
Physicochemical Processes
– Adsorption
– Coagulation flocculation
– Chemical oxidation
– Air stripping
– Ion exchange
– Membrane filtration e.g. reverse osmosis, nanofiltration
The processes effectiveness depends on the age of
landfill
Treatment Process effectiveness based on landfill age
Landfill age < 5 years (young) 5-10 years (medium) >10 years (Old)

Leachate type Biodegradable Intermediate Stabilized

Processes Treatment efficiency

Biological treatment Good Fair Poor

Adsorption Fair-Poor Good-Fair Good

Coagulation-floculation Fair-Poor Good-Fair Good

Chemical Oxidation Fair-Poor Fair Fair

Membrane processes Fair Good Good

(RO)
Reverse Osmosis Treatment
 Landfill Gas
• Gas wells are typically installed after the
landfill has been filled up
• A vacuum is pulled on these wells to extract
the gas into a pipe system
• The gas is then flared or turned to energy
 Landfill Gas
• What is Landfill Gas?

C 6 H 10 O5 + H 2 O → 3 CH 4 + 3 CO 2
 Landfill Gas Contains
• Methane
• Carbon Dioxide
• Water Vapor
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• NMOC (nonmethane organic compounds)
• heavy metals??
 Why Bother with Landfill Gas?
• Odor
• Toxics
• Greenhouse Gas
• Explosive Gas

• Potential Energy Source

 How is Gas Collected?
• Typically use vertical wells.
• Installed after landfill has reached final grade.
• Use an auger.
 Landfill gas generation and flow
Vertical gas collection wells
Geomembrane cap

Horizontal gas
collection wells

Leachate MSW Landfill

wet well Landfill gas
pressure
Leachate collection pipe

Geomembrane liner
 Wells
• Passive Wells (wells open to atmosphere)
• Active Wells (wells connected to a gas
extraction system).
 Typical Landfill Gas Well
Well Gas Extraction Pipe
Head

Cap
Gravel
Pack
Waste
Perforated
PVC Pipe
 What is the Driving Force for Gas to
Leave the Landfill?
• Pressure
• Without any wells, gas will find way to surface
(or bottom)
• Wells provide path of escape (create pressure
gradient)
 Landfill Gas is Typically Extracted to a Blower-Flare
Station
Gas Wells Blower
Landfill Flare
Station

Note:
Must Drain
Condensate
 LFG Generation Curves
Cubic meters LFG
25,000,000
Half-Life = 1.35 yr
20,000,000

15,000,000 Half-Life = 3.68 yr

10,000,000
Half-Life = 20 yr
5,000,000

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Year
 What is Condensate?
• Moisture that condenses from landfill gas
when it cools.
Gas to Energy?
Predicting Landfill Gas Generation
Potential
 Overview
• Waste Decomposition Basics
• Landfill Gas Generation Potential
 Waste Decomposition
• Anaerobic Decomposition
– Anaerobic digestion/Composting
– Landfill Conditions
• Aerobic Decomposition
– Composting
– Aerobic bioreactor landfills
What is the material that contributes most
significantly to anaerobic waste decomposition in
MSW Landfills?
• Readily biodegradable components
– Paper and paperboard
– Food waste
• Other components do break down (e.g., wood) but
over a longer timeframe (half-life on the order of
decades)
 MSW Composition
3%
12%
Paper and Paperboard
36% Glass
Metals
12% Plastics
Rubber, Leather and Textiles
Wood
6% Food
Yard Trash
Other
7% 5%
11% 8%
 Anaerobic Decomposition

 4a − b − 2c + 3d 
C a HbOc Nd −  H2O →
 4 
 4a + b − 2c − 3d   4a − b + 2c + 3d 
 CH 4 + CO2
 8   8 
 Modeling Landfill Gas Generation
• Gas Production
• Estimating gas generation from one batch of
waste
• Gas generation from multiple batches of waste
• Gas generation from Bioreactor landfills
• EPA Gas Model – LandGEM v. 3.02
 Gas Production
• First order exponential decay model is
commonly used
Remaining mass of
a batch of waste Decay rate

Time since the decay

−kt
M(t ) = Mo e begun

Initial mass of
waste
 Landfill gas generation and flow
Vertical gas collection wells
Geomembrane cap

Horizontal gas
collection wells

Leachate MSW Landfill

wet well Landfill gas
pressure
Leachate collection pipe

Geomembrane liner
The total volume of gas (Go) that can be produced by a mass of waste (Mo) is
based on the landfill gas generation potential (Lo) and is defined as:

Go = Lo M o

The cumulative volume of gas that has been produced (G(t)) at any time (t) also
depends on the rate that landfill gas is produced (k) and can be described as:

G (t ) = M o Lo 1 − e − k t( )
 The gas flow rate at any given time can be estimated as

G* (t ) = M o Lo k e ( −kt
)
Gas Rate

Tim e

First order gas production curve corresponding to one batch of waste

 Gas Production
• Not feasible to simulate for just one batch
• Landfills accept waste for many years, so it is
typical to model one batch for each year’s
worth of waste acceptance
 Total Gas Production Curve
Gas Rate

Batch 1
Batch 2
Batch 3
Batch 4
Batch 5
Batch 6

Time

Multiple batch curve. Total gas production curve is equal to summation of

each individual batch for a given year.
Several batches of waste and gas production

Stop Taking Begin Operation of Gas

Start Taking Waste Collection System
Waste

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

B = Batch
 Modeling gas production from a bioreactor landfill

Bioreactor Landfill
Gas Rate

Traditional Landfill

Time

Remember: Total gas production is a function of waste mass and methane

generation potential (Lo). Therefore, the area under both curves above is the
same. The bioreactor landfill’s goal is to increase the waste decay rate, k.
 EPA LandGEM 3.02
• Uses first order decay equation
• User inputs:
– Annual Waste Placement
– Lo, k
– CNMOC
 What is a Bioreactor Landfill
• A sanitary landfill that is operated in a fashion to
accelerate the decomposition of the solid waste
• Primarily accomplished by getting recirculating
leachate to the landfill
• My research program has been heavily involved
in bioreactor research
 How Are Landfills Operated?
• Trucks come in across a scale and are weighed
• Note: A tipping fee is charged, normally based on weight (e.g.
$25/ton)
• The trucks deposit their waste at the working face
• Landfill operators compact the garbage
• The waste is covered at the end of every day
(usually by soil, but possibly other materials)
 Landfill Closure and Post Closure
• When a landfill stops accepting waste, it must be
“closed” according to the regulations
• An engineered cap must be constructed
• The cap is designed to keep rainwater out and gas in
• The landfill must be maintained during a “post-
closure” care period for 30 years (at least)
• The landfill accrues the money to pay for closure and
post closure during the life of the landfill
 Groundwater Monitoring
• Most landfills require groundwater monitoring
• Frequency is annual or semi-annual
• If pollutants are detected, more frequent
monitoring must be undertaken
• If contamination is found, actions must be
taken
 Cap System
• Very similar to a liner, but designed to keep
water out instead of keeping leachate in.
 What do you do the the landfill after
closure?
• Watch forever?

• Golf course, park?

• Mine?
Landfill Sizing and volume calculations
• Sizing your landfill
• Equations for volume:
Simple Estimate

H
W

L
Volume = L x W x H
• Example:
• The foot print area of a landfill is
1000 ft by 750 ft. The anticipated depth is 30 ft.
What is the volume in yd3?
Volume = 1,000 ft x 750 ft x 30 ft
Volume = 22,500,000 ft3
Volume = 833,000 yd3
• This analysis did not consider side slope
• How are the side slopes described at a
landfill?
Horizontal Dis tan ce
Slope =
Vertical Dis tan ce
Vertical

Horizontal
• Example:
30 ft

90 ft

90 ft
Slope = = 3 : 1 slope
30 ft
• Note: Slopes are sometimes referred to in %, which
would correspond to

Vertical Dis tan ce

Slope =
Horizontal Dis tan ce

• In the case of the previous example, a 3:1 slope would be

expressed as 33%. A 4:1 slope would be 25%.
• More common when describing shallow slopes
• How do you factor side slopes into volume
formula? S = Slope
(example, for a 3:1 slope, S = 3)

H
W
L

4 2 3
V = L xWxH − ( L + W ) SH 2 + S H
3
 S=3
30 ft
750 ft
1,000 ft

4
V = 1000x750x30 − (1000 + 750)3x302 +   32 x 303
 3
Volume = 17,800,000 ft3

Volume = 660,000 yd3

 • Landfill capacity refers to the time that the
landfill can receive waste at a given waste
filling rate
ton
Landfill Volume ( yd 3 ) x Waste Density ( )
yd 3
Capacity ( yr ) =
tons
Waste Filling Rate ( )
year
• Example: For the previous landfill volume of 660,000
yd3, what would be the capacity (years) of the landfill
if C&D debris waste accepted at 500 tons per day and
the landfill debris density was 1500 pcy?
lb 1 ton
660 ,000 yd 3 x 1500 ( ) x
yd 3 2000 lb
Capacity ( yr ) =
tons day
500 ( ) x 365
day year
Capacity = 2.7 years
 Facility Siting
• Selecting the location of a solid waste management facility
• Must balance several issues
– regulatory
– environmental
– economic
– social
– political
 Regulatory Issues
• Some regulations place restrictions on where
a facility might be located
Airports
Floodplains
Wetlands
Fault Areas
Seismic Impact Zones
Unstable Areas
 Environmental Issues
• Contamination of water Dust
– Groundwater, surface water Noise
• Contamination of air Odor
• Contamination of soil
• Destruction of sensitive lands
– Wetlands, unique habitats
• Impact of wildlife
 Economic Issues
• Location of facility relative to source of waste
• Land prices
• Distance to markets
• Labor costs
• Need for infrastructure upgrade
• Site capacity
 Social Issues
• Disruption of “quality of life”
• Reduction in property values
• Environmental justice
• Presence of historical, cultural and
archeological significant areas
 Political Issues
• For good or bad, politics often plays a role
• It is often common to site a solid waste facility in
locations near the fewest number for voters (e.g.
locating a landfill at the boundary of two cities)
 Siting Process
• Might involve some groups of public/private
officials, or might involve advisory committees
from the community
• Most new siting activities (for publically
owned facilities) involve an active effort to
engage the public in the siting process
 Example Siting Process
1. Research, identify and exclude any locations that are eliminated
because of regulations
– Some areas are automatically excluded
– e.g. airports near MSW landfills

2. Identify and exclude other locations that where

siting is considered a near impossibility
Don’t waste you time if you know there is no
way a facility could be sited there
e.g. in areas with high-population densities
 Example Siting Process
3. Develop a map showing all potential areas where a site
might be located
– It is often common to break the locations into to a grid, so
uniform areas of land can be “scored”

4. For remaining areas, identify those issues which are

important
In some cases you will rank these issues. For
example, a community might view contamination
of groundwater as being more important than
 Example Siting Process
5. Find measures of those issues
– Example: For the issue of contamination of groundwater, it might be depth
to groundwater (m)
– Example: For issue of endangered species, it might be # of species per
hectare
6. Develop a scale that measurements can be applied to
For example, 0 = terrible site, 5 = great site
Depth to groundwater:
• 0-2 m = 0
• 2-4 m = 1
• 6-8 m = 4
• >8 m = 5
 Example Siting Process
7. Collect measurements
– Go out and collect the measurements identified. This might involve
reviewing existing compiled data, or going out and collecting new
data. There is a limit to how much new data can be collected.

8. “Score” the locations

Develop a score for each location that considers how well it meets
each measure, and how each issue is rank relative to each other

9. Examine top locations and try to select the best site

While the site with the top score might be best, there are always
other issues that might come into play that you did not pick up in
ranking process
 Facility Permitting
• Just because you have agreed to a site and you are ready to
go, that does not mean you can start construction
• You have to get a permit (in most cases)
The permit process can be lengthy
Public input is allowed
Permit is rarely granted after first submittal
 Permit Process
1. For large facilities, the facility owner normally hires an
engineering consulting firm.
2. The owner meets with consultant and describes what they want.
In some cases, the owner might have a very good understanding of what
they want out of a facility.
In other cases, not.

3. It is a good idea to meet with the regulatory agency (the

permit granting engineer) to discuss the proposed facility and
the issues that are of concern
 Permit Process
4. The engineering firm sets to work to begin a conceptual design of the
facility.
– The permit application package will include:
• The permit application (the form)
• A set of engineering drawings
• Supporting engineering calculation

5. The engineer presents the conceptual design at various levels

of completion
The submittals will normally be in the form of engineering drawings
E.g. 30% completion, 60% completion, 90% completion
6. The engineer signs and submits the permit application
The permit reviewer has a certain period of time to grant the permit
or to ask more questions
 Permit Process
7. The permit reviewer usually submits one or more request for
additional information (RAI)
The engineer has a defined period of time to respond
8. Once the permit reviewer is satisfied, they will issue a notice
of intent to issue the permit
At this point, the project has to be advertised. The public is allowed
to comment. The public can file to have hearings in court, …

9. If it is not held up, the permitting engineer will issue the

permit, along with specific permit conditions
 Professional Practice Issues
• The permitting design process
• The design process
• The construction process
 The Design Process
• A bulk of the design process for a solid waste management
facility must be accomplished during the permitting process
• The engineering firm will normally be hired to do both permitting
and design
Different milestones are reached at different times during the
design of the project
Examples of milestones:
Completion levels during the design (e.g. 30% complete, 60%
complete, …)
Permit-level design
Construction-ready design
 Deliverables
• Permit-level design deliverables
– Permit Application
– Engineering Drawings
– Engineer’s Report

– At this point, the engineers drawings may not be at the level required for
construction

Construction-ready design deliverables

Construction ready drawings
Contract specifications
 A Note on Engineering Drawings
• There are many different sets of engineering drawings that are
prepared along the way
– Pre-permit application drawings (30%, 60%, … For internal and client
review only)
– Final permit application drawings
– Construction-ready drawings
– As-built drawings
 Design Process
• Once you have your permit in hand (or a notice of intent
(NOI) to issue permit), the engineers brings the permit-level
drawings to construction-ready.
• In addition to this, the construction specifications are
compiled
 Construction Process
• In most cases, the construction job will be competitively “bid”
• A “bid package” is prepared
– The construction drawings
– The construction specifications
• The bid is advertised
• Potential bidders can pick-up or purchase copies of the bid package
The potential bidders (construction companies) will then decide
whether they want to bid on the job
If so, they must prepare a cost proposal
Depending on the bid package, the cost proposal may have to be
very detailed
A deadline is submitted for receipt of the construction proposal
 Construction Process
• The bids will be reviewed by the engineer and the client.
References may be checked.
• The “top” bidder is selected. This may or may not be the “low”
bidder.
• The client/engineer and the contractor must then negotiate a
contract
 Construction Process
• The client normally retains an engineering firm (or
perhaps uses in-house engineering staff) to oversee the
construction of the project.
In contract negotiations, a start date, a construction period,
working hours, reporting and billing requirements, and meeting
frequencies are established.
The contractor has a set number of days to reach two major
milestones:
Substantial completion
Final completion
 Construction Process
• Substantial completion: All major components of the project have
been constructed
• Final completion: Everything is complete
Billing. The contractor bills the client throughout the process as work is
completed. Only work that is completed is paid for. Some amount is always held
back until project is completed.
The contractor must submit invoices throughout the project.
The engineer will review these invoices and make recommendations to the client
as to whether they should be paid.
 Construction Process
• The contractor is very specific in billing:
– Mobilization (bringing all supplies and equipment to the site)
– Materials
– Completion of tasks
– Testing
• The contractor is obliged to construct the project at the bid
price
A contingency is normally budgeted as part of the project
If the contractor finds that the project can not be constructed as
designed or if the engineer makes a change in the field, a
change-order will have to be initiated.
 Construction Process
• The engineer and client meet with the contractor frequently
throughout the project (e.g. weekly)
• The contractor is asked to summarize work completed to date;
present plans for near future; give updates on staffing, materials
delivery; submit paper work; etc.
As part of the bid documents, the contractor is required to
submit lots of paperwork prior to beginning work on specific
tasks
For example, before the liner is placed, a liner construction plan
would have to be submitted and approved by the engineers
 Construction Process
• If the contractor has questions along the way,
they may be able to work in out in the field
with the engineers field rep, but the official
process is to submit an RFI (request for
information).
• For example, sometimes the drawings are not
as clear as the engineer might think
 Construction Process
• Testing of materials is a big part of the construction
of a solid waste management system.
• The contractor is required in the bid package to
have soils, pipes, geosynthetics, etc. tested in the
field or by an outside lab.
• These lab reports will be submitted.
• The engineer will also take additional samples and
send them off sometimes as well.
 Construction Process
• Once the contractor thinks they are ready, they request a
substantial completion inspection.
• At this point, the engineers come out and inspect the site. They
make up a “punch list.” Substantial completion may or may not be
granted.
Once substantial completion is reached, and the items on the
punch list are completed, the contractor will request a final
completion inspection.
Once the project is finally complete, the contractor is done (with
exception of warranty issues).
 Construction Process
• If the contractor fails to finish the project within the contract time,
they may be assessed penalties.
• If the contractor is delayed due to weather, they will request that
days be added to the project.

One of the final deliverables of the contractor and sometime the

engineer is a set of as-built construction drawings.
These are important, but often neglected.
 Other Engineering Services
• Even after the facility is constructed, there will be other engineering
services required
– Groundwater monitoring
– Reporting to Regulating agencies
– Other permits
– Technical issues
– Closure and post closure
Thanks and All the Best for End-Sem
Exams !

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