Compaction Characteristics of Municipal Solid Waste

Abstract

Compaction characteristics of municipal solid waste �MSW� were determined in the laboratory and in the field as a function of moisture content, compactive effort, and seasonal effects. Laboratory tests were conducted on manufactured wastes using modified and 4X modified efforts. Field tests were conducted at a MSW landfill in Michigan on incoming wastes without modifications to size, shape, or composition, using typical operational compaction equipment and procedures. Field tests generally included higher efforts and resulted in higher unit weights at higher water contents than the laboratory tests. Moisture addition to wastes in the field was more effective in winter than in summer due to dry initial conditions and potential thawing and softening of wastes. The measured parameters in the 3 3 laboratory were � dmax-mod = 5.2 kN/ m , w opt-mod = 65%, � dmax-4�mod = 6.0 kN/ m , and w opt-4�mod = 56%; in the field with effort were 3 3� dmax-low = 5.7 kN/ m , w opt-low = 70%; � dmax-high = 8.2 kN/ m , and w opt-high = 73%; and in the field with season were � dmax-cold 3 = 8.2 kN/ m , w cold = 79.5%, � dmax-warm = 6.1 kN/ m 3 , and w warm = 70.5%. Soil compaction theory was reasonably applicable to wastes with the exception that the G s of waste solids increased with compactive effort resulting in steep degree of saturation curves and low change in w opt between efforts. Moisture addition to wastes during compaction increased the workability, the unit weight, and the amount of incoming wastes disposed, and reduced the compaction time. The combined effects have significant environmental and economic impli cations for landfill operations.

The Effect of Void Ratio, Moisture Content and Vertical Pressure on the Hydrocompression Settlement of Copper Mine Tailing

“…Mat. & Env., DOI: https://doi.org/10.21660/2018.44.7108 ISSN: 2186-2982 (Print), 2186-2990 (Online), Japan while compressibility increases when water was added [5]. Clay mineralogy affects the coefficient of consolidation (Cv).…”

Effects of Waste Placement Practices on the Engineering Response of Municipal Solid Waste

“…Both Powrie and Beaven (1999) and Beaven (2000) observed an increase in average particle density with increasing average stress and concluded that such a relationship was not surprising Beaven (2000) for pulverized waste, where the particle density increased from 0.59 to 0.93 Mg/m 3 with an increase in average stress from 35 to 486 kPa. Hanson et al (2010a) suggested that specific gravity and unit weight increased with increasing compactive effort. Hanson et al (2010a) determined the specific gravity of MSW through back calculation methods.…”

“…Hanson et al (2010a) suggested that specific gravity and unit weight increased with increasing compactive effort. Hanson et al (2010a) determined the specific gravity of MSW through back calculation methods. A G s value of 1.6 was back calculated using laboratory compaction curves generated using 4X modified effort.…”

“…The ASTM standard method for determination of G s of soils, D854, is based on water pycnometry and has been used by Gabr and Valero (1995); Hettiarachchi (2005); Entenmann and Wendt (2007); Reddy et al (2009a,b); Reddy et al (2011);Breitmeyer (2011);and Wu et al (2012) to determine specific gravity of MSW. Other methods such as back calculation analysis and weighted average analysis of individual waste constituents have been used to determine the particle density and specific gravity of MSW (Landva and Clark 1990;Powrie and Beaven 1999;Beaven 2000;Olivier and Gourc 2007;Hanson et al 2010a;Stoltz et al 2010). In this section, the details and results of the studies conducted to experimentally determine the specific gravity of MSW are described.…”

“…Specific gravity of MSW has not been thoroughly evaluated up to this point. Several researchers have conducted supplemental specific gravity tests (e.g., Hettiarachchi 2005;Breitmeyer 2011;Reddy et al 2011) or determined the specific gravity of MSW through backcalculation (e.g., Hanson et al 2010a). However, the effects of particle size, compaction, and degradation on the specific gravity of waste have not been addressed.…”