The stabilization process in municipal solid waste (MSW) is inherently complex. In the short term, waste has an immediate elastic response due to surcharge loading. Long-term stabilization involves a secondary mechanical settlement phase and a thermally dependent biodegradation phase. It can be difficult to distinguish the time-dependent behaviour between these components.Two composite compressibility models were developed to simulate settlement. One model was based on Marques et al. (2003) and another on viscoelasticity. Both models achieved correspondence with the field data for short-term and long-term settlement. Good consistency was achieved for the parameters across both optimized models. The parameters achieved for both model types are all within acceptable limits from literature for MSW. The Marques et al. (2003) based model allowed a more rigid transition between immediate elastic response and time-dependent settlement. The viscoelastic model proved more consistent in reproducing the transition patterns seen in real MSW displacement. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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