Response of Municipal Solid Waste to Mechanical Compression

D Zekkos,X Fei,G A Athanasopoulos,A Grizi

doi:10.1061/(asce)gt.1943-5606.0001608

Abstract

AbstractThe compressibility of municipal solid waste (MSW) is of engineering interest as it affects the short-term and long-term performance of landfills, as well as their expansion, closure, and postclosure development. An assessment of the field settlement behavior of MSW can be reliably executed only when the various mechanisms contributing to the settlement are properly taken into account. A comprehensive large-size experimental testing program that involved a total of 143 one-dimensional compression tests from five landfills, in Arizona, California, Michigan, and Texas of the United States as well as Greece was executed to systematically assess the compressibility characteristics of MSW subjected to a compressive load. Emphasis is given to the influence of waste structure, waste composition, unit weight, and confining stress on the compressibility parameters that are used in engineering practice, such as the constrained modulus and compression ratio, as well as long-term compression ratio due to mech...

Highlights

The compressibility of municipal solid waste (MSW) has been a topic of significant interest in engineering practice because it affects the short and long-term performance of landfills, and the performance of gas collection systems and landfill covers, the vertical expansion and closure of landfills, as well as the post-closure development of landfills
Emphasis is given to the influence of waste structure, waste composition, unit weight and confining stress on the compressibility parameters that are used in engineering practice, such as the constrained modulus and compression ratio, as well as longterm compression ratio due to mechanical creep only
The results of this study indicate that the compressibility characteristics of MSW, as expressed by Ccε, D’ and

Summary

Introduction

The compressibility of municipal solid waste (MSW) has been a topic of significant interest in engineering practice because it affects the short and long-term performance of landfills, and the performance of gas collection systems and landfill covers, the vertical expansion and closure of landfills, as well as the post-closure development of landfills. Almost all postclosure development projects involve an assessment of the response of the waste mass to a change in stress conditions. The uncertainties involved in the estimation of waste compressibility increase the development risk and may adversely affect the decision to develop closed landfills. Increased interest in vertical expansion of landfills requires an assessment of the compression of the waste in existing landfill cells. An extensive review of the compressibility of MSW has been made by McDougall (2011)

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Conclusion