Design and construction of engineered municipal solid waste landfills in Thailand

Abstract

A research effort to document and evaluate the standard of practice of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill disposal in Thailand was conducted. A survey of 114 MSW disposal sites indicates that over 50% of the sites are considered to be open dumps, although operational improvements are being implemented through the use of soil covers. Ten of 12 engineered MSW landfills located in Thailand, designed by both the public and private sector within the last 4 years, were evaluated for design methods and construction practices. Results indicate that the current practice of engineered MSW landfill design in Thailand is approaching internationally accepted standards. However, there are a number of ways that the current practice of MSW landfill design could be improved, particularly in the development of improved specifications for the construction of compacted clay liners.