GOALI/Collaborative Research: The Integrity of Geosynthetic Elements of Waste Containment Barrier Systems Subject to Large Settlement and Seismic Loading

上次修改日期：2/25/08最后修改人：Richard J.Fragaszy摘要本项目的目标是调查现代垃圾填埋场垃圾控制系统在垃圾沉降、地震负荷和操作实践中的负荷时保持其完整性的能力。研究人员还将检查设计策略和细节，以减轻这些对遏制系统完整性的潜在威胁。垃圾填埋场是我国重要组成部分--S的民用基础设施。现代垃圾填埋场依靠由土壤和土工合成材料(即聚合物)组成的复杂工程衬垫和覆盖系统来容纳废物和废物副产品，从而保护环境。垃圾填埋场围堵系统的破坏可能导致严重且代价高昂的环境影响。虽然人们普遍认识到，垃圾沉降会对垃圾填埋场衬垫和覆盖系统施加压力，但在目前的设计实践中，通常与固体废物填埋场相关的大量垃圾沉降对这些系统的完整性的影响通常没有考虑到。地震载荷对安全壳系统完整性的影响通常是以粗略的经验方式来考虑的；然而，目前的方法并没有量化地震事件对安全壳系统施加的载荷。此外，发生在衬里和盖系统元件上的损坏可能是隐藏的，没有任何表面表达来提醒工程师、操作员、所有者或调节器注意问题。这一合作研究项目的目标将通过：1)对关键的土工合成材料/土工合成材料和土工合成材料/土壤界面的载荷-变形行为进行实验测量，包括它们在动态载荷下的响应；2)开发描述这些元件和界面的载荷-变形行为的真实计算模型；3)对计算模型进行数值实施，以预测垃圾处理系统在垃圾沉降和地震载荷作用下的行为；以及4)将数值方法应用于典型的垃圾填埋场配置，以确定对垃圾填埋场衬垫和覆盖系统的完整性构成威胁的条件，并制定缓解这些条件的策略。该项目有可能在工程实践中改变垃圾填埋场的设计方式。就该项目进行的研究预计将改进评估垃圾填埋场衬垫和覆盖系统完整性的程序；更切合实际的设计方法；增强对垃圾填埋场长期可靠性的信心；改进垃圾填埋场建造程序；以及改进用于垃圾填埋场建设的土工合成材料的产品设计。不应低估更加现实和可靠的废物控制系统设计的社会效益。摆脱目前在实践中使用的粗略和基本上未经证实的设计标准，转向更合理的方法，将是堆填区设计的重大进步，并有助于提高公众对废物控制系统的接受和信心。该项目由GOALI学术联络机会(GOALI)计划部分资助，由两个行业/学术界团队合作完成：俄亥俄州立大学和CETCO(一家领先的土工合成材料制造商)和亚利桑那州立大学和GeSyntec咨询公司(一家领先的地质环境咨询公司)。该项目第三年拟举办的GOALI研讨会将向广泛的利益攸关方传播研究成果，包括美国环保局、加州废物综合管理委员会和州水资源控制委员会、土工合成材料制造商、垃圾填埋场所有者(包括主要废物管理公司和市政府)以及环境咨询公司。

Last Modified Date: 02/25/08 Last Modified By: Richard J. Fragaszy Abstract The objective of this project is to investigate the ability of modern landfill waste containment systems to maintain their integrity when subject to waste settlement, earthquake loading, and loads from operational practices. The researchers will also examine design strategies and details to mitigate these potential threats to containment system integrity. Landfills are an essential component of our nation?s civil infrastructure. Modern landfills rely upon sophisticated engineered liner and cover systems composed of soil and geosynthetic (i.e., polymer) materials to contain the waste and waste by-products and thereby protect the environment. A breach of a landfill containment system can result in serious and costly environmental impacts. While it is widely recognized that waste settlement can apply stress to landfill liner and cover systems, the impact of the large waste settlement typically associated with solid waste landfills on the integrity of these systems is generally not considered in current design practice. The impact of seismic loading on containment system integrity is generally considered in a gross empirical fashion; however, current methods do not quantify the loads applied by a seismic event to the containment system. Furthermore, damage that does occur to liner and cover system elements may be hidden, with no surface expression to alert the engineer, operator, owner, or regulator to the problem. The objectives of this collaborative research project will be achieved through: 1) experimental measurement of the load-deformation behavior of key geosynthetic/geosynthetic and geosynthetic/soil interfaces, including their response under dynamic loading, 2) development of realistic computational models that describe the load-deformation behavior of these elements and interfaces, 3) numerical implementation of the computational models to predict the behavior of waste containment systems subject to waste settlement and seismic loads, and 4) application of the numerical method to typical landfill configurations to identify conditions that pose a threat to the integrity of landfill liner and cover systems and develop strategies for mitigating these conditions. This project has the potential to transform the way landfills are designed in engineering practice. The research conducted on this project is expected to lead to improved procedures for evaluating the integrity of landfill liner and cover systems; more realistic design methods; enhanced confidence in the long term reliability of landfills; improved landfill construction procedures; and, improved product design for geosynthetics used in landfill construction. The societal benefits of more realistic and reliable waste containment system designs should not be underestimated. Moving away from the crude and largely unsubstantiated design criterion currently used in practice and toward a more rational methodology will be a major advance in landfill design and help to enhance public acceptance of and confidence in waste containment systems. This project, funded in part under the Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) program, is a collaboration between two industry/academia teams: Ohio State University and CETCO (a leading geosynthetic manufacturer) and Arizona State University and Geosyntec Consultants (a leading geoenvironmental consulting firm). The GOALI workshops proposed for the third year of the project will disseminate the research findings to a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including the USEPA, the California Integrated Waste Management Board and State Water Resources Control Board, geosynthetic manufacturers, landfill owners including major waste management firms and municipal governments, and environmental consulting firms.