Module VI

Landfill Slopes
Module 6
Landfill Slopes
• Definition of Landfills
1. Site for waste disposal or,
2. Ground that has been filled with rocks so that it can
be used for specific purposes.
• Unless properly stabilized, landfill slope prone to
liquefaction and sloughing. (layerwise fall off)
• Landfill slopes are unique due to different
combinations of:
– Bedrock
– Water
– Landfill waste
– Geosynthetics etc.
2
Landfill Slopes
• Three critical periods in the life of landfill, considering
slope stability
1. Sitting and preparation to receive waste
2. Waste placement
3. Capping and final closure
• Initially when landfill is being prepared to receive
waste, stability of host material must be analysed
depending on whether landfill is being placed in:
– a pit
– trenches
– against hill side
– in a canyon or
– above ground 3
Landfill Slopes
• When waste is being placed, temporary slopes are
being created and then buttressed with additional fills.
• Finally when landfill is full, cap is placed above and
landfill is closed.
• Each of these phases presents unique combinations of
materials in contact with each other, unique
combination of material and strength properties, thus
creating unique slope stability issues.
4
Typical Landfill Configurations
• Five types of landfill configurations
covered pit design
5
• Common landfill configuration in areas of deeper water
table is the covered pit design (a)
• Advantage: excavated material can be used for daily
cover.
• Depending on type of soil, excavated material can be
used for clay liners or granular drainage material.
6
Trenched landfill
7
• Trenched landfill (b) has similar advantage as covered
pits.
• Older landfill design, prior to emphasis in landfill
design on maximizing airspace.
• Significant airspace is lost to ridges of native soil
remaining between cells.
8
Upslope landfill
9
• Upslope landfill (c) constructed in regions of rolling or
hilly terrains.
• Waste generally placed on a liner constructed on an
excavated natural slope.
10
11
• Canyon or Valley landfill (d) constructed in natural
canyons or valleys.
• Similar to covered pits, if canyon is bowl shaped
• However, boundary side slopes are much higher and
often steeper
• For both upslope and canyon fills, soil requirements
are satisfied by excavating natural side slopes or
importing soil.
12
Above ground landfill
13
• Above ground landfill (e) constructed above natural
ground surface.
• Typically provided
– In soft subgrade regions, where groundwater is near
ground surface
– Where it is not practical to excavate a pit.
• Soil requirements for this landfill is satisfied by on-site
burrow areas or off soil import.
14
• Landfill site must meet several locational and
geotechnical design criteria and be acceptable to
public.
• Must be reasonably close to waste generators.
• Type of site will decide the configurations to be used.
15
• Data used for selection of a site often include
– Topographic maps
– Soil survey maps
– Land use plans
– Transportation maps
– Water use plans
– Flood plain maps
– Geologic maps
– Aerial photographs
• Other considerations include waste type, volume,
availability of equipment, existing landfill sites and cost.
16
• Landfills should not be constructed near lakes, ponds,
rivers, flood plains, highways, public areas, wetlands,
airports or water wells.
• While analyzing feasibility of a landfill, entire lifecycle
cost must be evaluated.
• Following table gives some components of landfill cost.
17
18
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• Landfills waste materials can be placed in a variety of
ways.
• All wastes received by the landfill are spread and
compacted in cells and layers within a confined area
• At end of each working day or more frequently if
necessary, the area is covered completely with a thin
continuous soil layer and compacted – daily cover
• Daily cover used to control moisture, control litter,
reduce odours, limit rodent and bird contact, provide
vehicle access, help prevent fires and improve
appearance.
20
• Compacted wastes and daily cover constitutes a Cell
• Series of adjoining cells, all of same height make up a
Lift.
• Completed landfill consists of one or more lifts
21
22
• Two basic methods of operation for landfilling or
sequencing of daily cells are trench method and area
method.
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24
25
• After completion of landfill, a cover must be constructed
to minimize water infiltration and isolate waste from
the environment.
• Refer figure.
• Purpose is
– to encourage surface water runoff,
– discourage erosion,
– retain moisture for vegetation,
– manage gas migration,
– provide shaping and contouring and
– provide a base for establishment of suitable ground cover.
26
27
• Six typical
layers of final
landfill cover
28
Landfill Waste Engineering Properties
• Engineering properties• There are many properties
landfill waste are quite of landfill waste such as
variable and – Grain size distribution
unpredictable. – Porosity
• Landfill waste may contain – Moisture content
many materials including – Hydraulic conductivity
food, rubber, plastic, – Atterberg limits
leather, textiles etc. – Unit weight
• Conventional geotechnical – Strength
tools can be used to study – Dynamic properties and
and evaluate, yet no – compressibility
standard specific tests are
available. 29
• Additionally, chemical and leach properties of landfill
waste must be known to determine appropriate waste
disposal locations
30
• Additionally, chemical and leach properties of landfill
waste must be known to determine appropriate waste
disposal locations
31
Geosynthetics in Landfill
• Previously landfills need not have liners.
• Waste was dumped into native ground and then covered
and vegetated,
• Now strict regulations are in place defining very specific
multi-layered redundant lining and cover systems.
• Landfill lining and cover systems generally require a
variety of geosynthetic materials including
geomemberanes, geotextiles, geonets, geogrids, and
geosynthetic clay liners (GCL)
32
• Previously landfills need not have liners.
• Waste was dumped into native ground and then covered
and vegetated,
• Now strict regulations are in place defining very specific
multi-layered redundant lining and cover systems.
• Landfill lining and cover systems generally require a
variety of geosynthetic materials including
geomemberanes, geotextiles, geonets, geogrids, and
geosynthetic clay liners (GCL)
33
• Geomembranes
– Flexible polymeric sheets that have extremely low
permeability.
– In landfills, base liners are placed below waste to
minimize liquids expelled from and or filtered
through waste (Leachate). from contaminating
ground & groundwater
– Cover liners are placed above final waste
configuration to keep water from entering the
landfill to produce leachate.
34
• Geomembranes
– Flexible polymeric sheets that have extremely low
permeability.
– In landfills, base liners are placed below waste to
minimize liquids expelled from and or filtered
through waste (Leachate). from contaminating
ground & groundwater
– Cover liners are placed above final waste
configuration to keep water from entering the
landfill to produce leachate.
35
• Geonets
– Used for drainage and consist of two sets of parallel
solid or foamed extruded ribs that intersect at
constant angle to form an open net configuration.
36
• Geonets
– Channels are formed between ribs to convey either
liquid or gases.
– to prevent entry of soil or any other adjacent
materials, a geocomposite drainage net may be used
that consist of geotextile bonded to geonet.
37
• Geogrids
– High strength, soil reinforcement products composed
of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester or PVC
coated polyester.
– All geogrids have open mesh configuration with
apertures ranging from ½ to 3 inches
38
• Geogrids
coated polyester.
39
• Geogrids
coated polyester.
40
• Geogrids
coated polyester.
41
• Geogrids
– Formed by different methods
– Polyseter and polyester PVC coated geogrids are
typically woven or knitted.
– Polypropylene geogrids are either extruded or
punched sheet drawn
– At landfills, geogrids may be used to support a lining
system or a weak subgrade or to support final landfill
cover soils on steep refuse slopes.
42
• Geosynthetic Clay Liners
– Low permeability barriers consisting of a layer of
unhydrated , loose granular or powdered bentonite,
chemically or mechanically adhered to a geotextile or
geomembrane.
– Used as alternative to compacted clay liners.
43
• Geosynthetic Clay Liners
– Low permeability barriers consisting of a layer of
unhydrated , loose granular or powdered bentonite,
chemically or mechanically adhered to a geotextile or
geomembrane.
– Used as alternative to compacted clay liners.
44
Anchor Trenches
• Anchoring details are necessary to hold geosynthetics in
place and prevent tearing
• Anchor trenches can be classified as flat, rectangular or
V shaped.
• Selection of appropriate trench configuration depends
on required holding capacity, access considerations,
dimensional constraints, and available construction
equipment.
• Hodling capacity due to applied normal load of soil
placed above geosynthetics that creates friction
between geosynthetics and the underlying soil
45
Anchor Trenches
• Anchoring details are necessary to hold geosynthetics in
place and prevent tearing
• Anchor trenches can be classified as flat, rectangular or
V shaped.
46
Anchor Trenches
• There is minimal friction resistance developed betwenn
upper soil and geosynthetic since soil is likely to move
with geosynthetic.
• Soil depth, type of soil, anchorage length are key factors
in developing required anchor trench holding capacity
47
Construction of Landfills
• Should be carefully planned, methodical, highly
regulated and dynamic process.
• Detailed planning, study and design must take place
before a landfill can be sited, open and or modified.
• Constant monitoring, testing , and reporting are
required throuought the life of landfill.
48
• Basic sequence of construction at a landfill includes
– Subbase preparation
– Liner construction
– Waste placement
– Landfill closure
49
Subbase
• Subbase for a landfill refers to ground surface on
which, liner is constructed.
• Compaction and grading of subbase necessary so
that actual liner can be constructed easily.
• Subbase developed on existing ground surface or
may be constructed on fill or cut.
• Great care must be taken so that subbase
provides a sound foundation for the landfill
• Conventional earthwork equipment used to
prepare subbase for a landfill 50
Liner
• Liner construction consists of multiple layers of
soil and geosynthetics.
• Construction of geosynthetic liners requires
specialized methods particularly related to
related to connection of adjacent sheets/layers
and prevention of damage during construction
• Damage usually due to puncturing, tearing,
blocking of drainage
• As each new layer is placed, shear strength
between layers could change. 51
Liner
• On a slope, layer that possess lowest shear
strength governs stability.
• it is clear that as liner layers are built up and
then piled with waste, a slope could become
more unstable due to introduction of weaker
layers.
52
53
• Waste placement is a unique process because a
variety of waste materials are being placed in a
variety of configurations.
• Temporary slopes are commonly made and
modified on a regular basis.
• Slopes made during this phase will be traversed
by a variety of equipments and vehicles in all
directions.
• As slope analysis cannot be performed every
time, there must be governing restriction on
steepness . 54
• These restrictions must account for precipitation
and groundwater conditions.
• After receiving maximum waste, it must be
closed such that it performs well and do not
impact environment in long term.
• There are series of layers over waste to
– control infiltration of water, minimizing leachate
– Controls gas release
– Separation of waste and environment
55
56
57
• Among documented histories of failures, most
occur during liner construction & waste
placement.
• Failures have occurred when
– Under estimation of friction angle between landfill,
soil, geosynthetics
– Dynamic effects of equipment sequencing or loading
• All materials placed at angle to horizontal must
be analyzed for stability w.r.t adjacent materials,
construction effects (sequence, layering, weather
etc.)
58
Excavation Slope Stability
• Following figure gives potential slip surfaces that
occur in landfills.
• For covered pit and trenched landfills, it is easy
to adjust excavation slope to meet stability and
construction requirements.
• Since slope is restricted by property limits,
flattening an excavation slope from 2H:1V to
3H:1V can have impact.
59
60
61
• Typical excavation slopes for covered pits and
trenched landfills are 3H:1V as it is stable
• Upslopes and canyon fills are at a steeper grades
due to steep inclination of natural slopes.
• 3H:1V must be attained, but involves large
excavation.
• Groundwater table or weak soil layer often
influences stability and must be considered.
• Immediately after excavation is critical, waste
placed against excavation slopes act as buttress
62
Waste Fill Stability
• Potential slip surface through landfill waste
occur in three ways
a) Through the waste alone
63
occur in three ways
b) Along the liner system
64
occur in three ways
c) Along a composite surface through waste and along
liner
65
• Waste highly heterogenous .
• Highly unlikely that failure surfaces are smooth
uniform.
• Yet circular surface analysis considered.
66
• Figure shows typical slip surfaces through
covered pit and trench type landfills.
67
• For such landfills, critical stability conditions
during waste filling, prior to complete filling.
• Once filled to surface, it is stable.
• If waste placed above surface, either a circular
failure surface through waste or block-type
surface extending to base lining system may
occur.
68
• Figure illustrates potential waste fill stability in
upslope or canyon type fills
69
• Considering stability, least desired configuration.
• Interim and final slopes have potential problems
for instability.
70
• Canyon type fills stable in final configuration
• Unstable during interim fill conditions.
71
• Above ground fills stable when founded on firm
ground.
• Potential circular slip surface if side slopes are
too steep.
72
• If a lining is provided, surface may extend
through the waste mass.
• Often constructed onsoft subgrades or zones of
high water content.
• Bearing capacity failures must be accounted for.
73
Cover System Stability
• During preparation of landfill site development
plans, stability of final cover system should be
considered.
• Usual grade, 3H:1V which are usually stable.
• Yet, cover system may deform with underlying
waste settlement
74
• Geosynthetics are used in final cover systems are
flexible, may create stability problems.
• Potential slip surfaces are planar occuring along
interfaces of materials or through material itself.
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• In most cases, worst case situation for a final
cover is during construction.
• Due to large equipment loads applied during
construction.
• Failure due to equipment loads would result in
localised shallow circular slip surface especially
when final cover is being placed from top of
landfill down to the base.
78

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Landfill Slopes

covered pit design

Above ground landfill

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