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

摘要本项目的目的是研究现代垃圾填埋场垃圾密封系统在受到垃圾沉降、地震载荷和操作实践载荷影响时保持其完整性的能力。研究人员还将研究设计策略和细节，以减轻这些对围堵系统完整性的潜在威胁。垃圾填埋场是我们国家的重要组成部分。美国民用基础设施。现代堆填区依靠复杂的工程衬垫和覆盖系统，由土壤和土工合成（即聚合物）材料组成，以容纳废物和废物副产品，从而保护环境。对垃圾填埋场密封系统的破坏可能导致严重和昂贵的环境影响。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，但在当前的设计实践中，通常没有考虑到与固体垃圾填埋场相关的大型垃圾沉降对这些系统完整性的影响。地震荷载对安全壳系统完整性的影响通常以粗略的经验方式考虑；然而，目前的方法不能量化地震事件对安全壳系统施加的载荷。此外，确实发生在尾管和阀盖系统元件上的损坏可能会被隐藏起来，无法通过表面表达来提醒工程师、操作人员、船东或监管者注意问题。该合作研究项目的目标将通过以下方式实现：1)试验测量关键土工合成材料/土工合成材料和土工合成材料/土壤界面的载荷-变形行为，包括它们在动力载荷下的响应；2)开发描述这些元素和界面的载荷-变形行为的现实计算模型；3)计算模型的数值实现，以预测受废物沉降和地震载荷影响的废物围堵系统的行为。4)将数值方法应用于典型的垃圾填埋场配置，以识别对垃圾填埋场衬垫和覆盖系统完整性构成威胁的条件，并制定缓解这些条件的策略。这个项目有可能在工程实践中改变垃圾填埋场的设计方式。对这个项目进行的研究预期将导致改进评估堆填区衬垫和覆盖系统完整性的程序；更现实的设计方法；提高对堆填区的长期可靠性的信心；改善堆填区的建造程序；并且，改进了用于垃圾填埋施工的土工合成材料的产品设计。更现实和可靠的废物控制系统设计的社会效益不应被低估。从目前在实践中使用的粗糙和基本上未经证实的设计标准转向更合理的方法，将是垃圾填埋场设计的重大进步，并有助于提高公众对废物密封系统的接受度和信心。该项目部分由“与行业学术联络资助机会”（GOALI）计划资助，是两个行业/学术界团队之间的合作：俄亥俄州立大学和CETCO（领先的土工合成材料制造商），亚利桑那州立大学和Geosyntec Consultants（领先的土工环境咨询公司）。为该项目第三年提议的GOALI研讨会将向广泛的利益相关者传播研究成果，包括美国环保署、加州综合废物管理委员会和州水资源控制委员会、土工合成材料制造商、包括主要废物管理公司和市政府在内的垃圾填埋场所有者以及环境咨询公司。

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.