Surface Monitoring of an MSW Landfill Based on Linear and Angular Measurements, TLS, and LIDAR UAV

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 4; p. 1847
• Main Authors: Pasternak, Grzegorz, Zaczek-Peplinska, Janina, Pasternak, Klaudia, Jóźwiak, Jacek, Pasik, Mariusz, Koda, Eugeniusz, Vaverková, Magdalena Daria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07.02.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: aerial laser scanning; Airports; Biogas; Data acquisition; Deformation; Differential geometry; Drone aircraft; geotechnical structure; Inclinometers; Landfill; Landslides & mudslides; Lasers; Low altitude; Measurement; Measurement methods; Measurement techniques; Municipal landfills; Municipal waste management; Optical radar; Photogrammetry; Piezometers; point cloud; Recreation areas; Refuse and refuse disposal; Remote sensing; Solid waste management; Solid wastes; Subsidence; Surveys; terrestrial laser scanner; unmanned aerial vehicle; Unmanned aerial vehicles; Poland; aerial laser scanning; terrestrial laser scanner; point cloud; unmanned aerial vehicle; geotechnical structure; landfill
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s23041847

Surface monitoring of landfills is crucial not only during their operation but also for later land restoration and development. Measurements concern environmental factors, such as leachate, migration of pollutants to water, biogas, and atmospheric emissions, and geotechnical factors, such as stability and subsidence. Landfill subsidence can be measured using modern surveying techniques. Modern measurement methods for landfill body displacement monitoring and their control after restoration and adaptation as recreational areas include terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and scanning and low-altitude photogrammetric measurements from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The acquired measurement data in the form of 3D point clouds should be referenced to the local control network to enable a comprehensive analysis of data acquired using various techniques, including geotechnical sensors such as benchmarks, piezometers, and inclinometers. This study discusses the need for surface monitoring of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. A properly 3-D mapped landfill mass is the basis for ensuring the geotechnical safety of the restored landfill. Based on archival data and current measurements of the Radiowo landfill (Poland), this study compares the advantages and limitations of the following measurement techniques: linear and angular measurements, satellite measurements, TLS, and UAV scanning and photogrammetry, considering specific conditions of the location and vegetation of the landfill. Solutions for long-term monitoring were proposed, considering the cost and time resolution necessary for creating a differential model of landfill geometry changes.