Estimation of the components of municipal solid waste settlement

• Published in: Waste management & research Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 30 - 38
• Main Authors: Sivakumar Babu, GL, Lakshmikanthan, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2015; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Coefficients; Composting; Composts; Compression; Compression ratio; Consolidation; Creep (materials); Creep tests; Dissipation; Gas production; Landfill; Landfill gas; Landfills; Mathematical models; Models, Theoretical; Municipal landfills; Municipal solid waste; Municipal waste management; Parameter estimation; Pore pressure; Refuse Disposal - methods; Settlements; Solid Waste - analysis; Solid waste management; Strain; Waste Disposal Facilities; Waste disposal sites; Waste management industry; primary settlement; mechanical creep; biodegradation induced settlement; Municipal solid waste
• ISSN: 0734-242X; 1096-3669
• DOI: 10.1177/0734242X14558667

Estimation of the municipal solid waste settlements and the contribution of each of the components are essential in the estimation of the volume of the waste that can be accommodated in a landfill and increase the post-usage of the landfill. This article describes an experimental methodology for estimating and separating primary settlement, settlement owing to creep and biodegradation-induced settlement. The primary settlement and secondary settlement have been estimated and separated based on 100% pore pressure dissipation time and the coefficient of consolidation. Mechanical creep and biodegradation settlements were estimated and separated based on the observed time required for landfill gas production. The results of a series of laboratory triaxial tests, creep tests and anaerobic reactor cell setups were conducted to describe the components of settlement. All the tests were conducted on municipal solid waste (compost reject) samples. It was observed that biodegradation accounted to more than 40% of the total settlement, whereas mechanical creep contributed more than 20% towards the total settlement. The essential model parameters, such as the compression ratio (Cc’), rate of mechanical creep (c), coefficient of mechanical creep (b), rate of biodegradation (d) and the total strain owing to biodegradation (EDG), are useful parameters in the estimation of total settlements as well as components of settlement in landfill.