Landfills
From Swikipedia
Introduction
A landfill, also known as a dump or rubbish dump (and historically as a midden), is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment.
Landfilling is a naturally occuring biological process, which is more commonly used for mixed wastes. The existing rules for solid waste management limit the use of landfills to the disposal of non-biodegradable waste and residues from other processing techniques such as incineration.
Brief Description
Landfills may include internal waste disposal sites (where a producer of waste carries out their own waste disposal at the place of production) as well as sites used by many producers. Many landfills are also used for other waste management purposes, such as the temporary storage, consolidation and transfer, or processing of waste material (sorting, treatment, or recycling).
A landfill also may refer to ground that has been filled in with soil and rocks instead of waste materials, so that it can be used for a specific purpose, such as for building houses. Unless they are stabilized, these areas may experience severe shaking or liquefaction of the ground in a large earthquake.
Basic Steps for setting up landfills:
Estimate the landfill volume requirement based on the density of the waste to be landfilled
Select the site keeping in mind the transportation as well as the impact of landfilling
Estimate the benefits in terms of resource recovery such as energy from landfill gas
Use the landfill site post-closure of the landfill
Develop a drainage plan for the leachate
Develop a plan for the collection of landfill gas
Possibly use the landfill gas for thermal application or power generation
Make arrangements for covering the landfill
Develop a protocol for monitoring the site for any groundwater contamination and gaseous emissions
Formulate a plan for the maintenance of landfill till closure
Landfill Design:
The basic steps in landfill design are as follows:
Specifications of the dimensions of the area, i.e. the width, depth and the length
Type of lining material and required thickness
Amount of soil required for immediate mixing and for final cover
Number of monitoring wells
Use of leachate controls and gas controls based on the characteristics of the waste and the climatic factors, i.e. rainfall
Fencing and landscaping of the area
References:
The Energy and Resources Institute. Sustainable Building Design Manual, Volume 2. p.p 53-55
