s o l i d s d o e s

SOLID-WA

l50 d )5 o FOR
SYSTEMS

ENGINEERED

G r a v e l - p a c k e d

vent
Slope

Slope.

Gas movement
Final cover
[Link] methane
material
Compacted
solid wastes

= Daily cover
material

(a) Drainage
ditch
Slope Slope

Packed
gravel
trench
Daily cover Original
ground
(b)
Well vent
Drainage Compacted earth
ditch Slope caps
or clay

Gravel-packed
gas well to energy-
recovery system or
vented to the
atmosphere
Daily cover Original ground
(c)
Figure 11-20 Typical methods for venting landfill gases: (a) cell; (h)
barrier; (c) we!l.
 Control of Gas Movement
The movement of gases in landfills can be controlled by constructing vents and
barriers and by gas recovery.

Control of gas movement with vents and barriers The lateral movement of
gases
produced in a landfill can be controlled by installing vents made of materials
that are more permcable than the
surrounding soil. Typically, as shown in
Fig. 11-20a, gas vents are construcíed of gravel. The spacing of cell vents
depends on the width of the waste cells but usually varies from 18 to 60 m
(60 to 200 ft). The thickness of the gravel layer should be such that it wil
remain continuous even though there may be differential settling; 0.30 to 0.45 m
(12 to 18 in) is recommended. Barrier or well vents (see Fig. 11-20b) also can be
used to control the lateral movement of gases. Well vents (see Fig. 11-20c) are often
used in conjunction with lateral-surface vents buried below grade in a gravel
trench. Control of the downward movemet of gases can be accomplished by
installing perforated pipes in a gravel layer at the bottom of the landfill. If the
gases cannot be vented laterally, it may be necessary to install gas wells and to
vent the pumped gas to the atmosphere.
The movement of landfill gases through adjacent soil formations can be con-
trolled by constructing barriers of materials that are more imper1ineable than the
soil (Fig. 11-21). Some ofthe landfill sealants that are available for this use are
identified in Table 11-13. Of these, the use clays is most common.
ofcompacted
The thickness will vary depending on the type of clay and the degree of control
required; thicknesses ranging from 0.15 to 1.25 m (6 to 48 in) have been used.

Control of gas movement by recovery The movement of gases in landfAlls can also
be controlled byinstalling gas recovery wells in completelandflls (see Fig. 11-22).
Clay and other liners are used where landfill gas is to be recovered. In some gas-
recovery systems, leachate is collected and recycled to the top of the landfill and
reinjected through perforated lines located in drainage trenches. Typically, the
rate of gas production is greater in leachate recirculation
systems or where water
is added.
Although gas-recovery systems have been installed in some large municipal
landills, the economics of such
operations are, at present, not well defined. The
 Leachate Movement
normal conditions, leachate is found in the bottom of landfills. From there,
Under lateral movement
S
EnOVement is through the underlying strata, although some
may also occur, depending on the characteristics of the surrounding material.
The rate of seepage of leachate from the bottom of a landfill can be estimated byy
Darcy's lawby assuming that the material below the landfill to
thetop of the water
table is saturated and that a small
layer of leachate exists at the bottom of the fill.
Under these conditions the leachate
discharge rate per unit area is equal to the
 usecd Tor the C
Figure 11-22 Well system
K expressed in meters per day. The com-
of permeability
value of the cocflicient that would be expected,
the maximum amount of seepage
puted value represents Under normal conditions, the
and this value should be uscd for design purposes.
below the landfill
be less than this value because the soil column
actual rate would
would not be saturated.

Control of leachate movement

of the chemical and
As leachate percolates through the underlying strata, many
removed by the filtering
biological constituentsoriginally contained in it will be
strata. In general, the extent
and adsorptive action of the material composing the
the clay content.
of this action depends on the characteristics of the soil, especially
to percolate to the
Because of the potential risk involved in allowing leachate
containment. Ultimately,
groundwater, best practice calls for its elimination or
it may be necessary to collect and treat the leachate.
or eliminating the
The use of clay has been the favored method of reducing
Membrane liners have
percolation of leachate (see Fig. 11-21 and Table 11-13).
that they will not be
also been used, but they are expensive and require care so
the move-
damaged during the filling operations. Equally important controlling
in
ment of leachate is the elimination of
surface-water infiltration, which is the major
contributor to the total volume of leachate. With the
use of an
layer, and appropriate surface slope (1 to 2 impermeable clay
surface infiltration can be controlled percent) and adequate drainage,
effectively. Generalized ratings for the
suitability of various types of soil for use as a landfill cover are reported in Table
11-14.