Behavior of Alternative Landfill Cover Systems

Participants: John McCartney, Jeffrey Kuhn, Eduardo Dell’Avanzi

Description: This project involves the analysis of field monitoring data for evapotranspirative covers. In addition numerical modeling is being performed of the different parameters governing the behavior of evapotranspirative covers (i.e. unsaturated flow, evapotranspiration, infiltration, percolation, runoff, etc.). Laboratory research includes full-scale column testing, centrifuge modeling of unsaturated flow, and unsaturated soil property characterization. This project will benefit the future design of alternative landfill cover systems.

References:

Zornberg, J.G., LaFountain, L., and Caldwell , J.C. (2002). “Analysis and Design of an Evapotranspirative Cover for a Hazardous Waste Landfill.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, in press.

McCartney, J.S., and Zornberg, J.G. (2002). “Design and Performance Criteria for Evapotranspirative Cover Systems.” Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Environmental Geotechnics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 11-15 August, A.A. Balkema, Vol. 1, pp. 195-200.

Zornberg, J.G., and McCartney, J.S. (2001). Evapotranspirative Covers: Bibliography. Geotechnical Research Report, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder , March 2001.

Zornberg, J.G. (2001). “Equivalence Demonstration of an Alternative Cover System.” Proc. of the Symposium on Environmental Geotechnics, Porto , Portuguese Society of Geotechnical Engineering, October 2001, pp. 307-320.

Zornberg, J.G., and Caldwell, J.A. (1998). “Design of Monocovers for Landfills in Arid Locations.” Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Environmental Geotechnics, Lisbon, Portugal, September 1998, P.S. Seco e Pinto (Editors), A. A. Balkema, Vol. 1, pp.169-174.

McCartney, J.S. and Zornberg, J.G. (2004). “Use of Moisture Profiles and Lysimetry to Assess Evapotranspirative Cover Performance.” 5th International PhD Symposium in Civil Engineering. Delft, the Netherlands. pp. 961-969.

Zornberg, J.G., and McCartney, J.S. (2005). “Evaluation of Evapotranspiration from Alternative Landfill Covers at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.” Experus 2005. June 26-29. Trento, Italy.

Kuhn, J.A., McCartney, J.S., and Zornberg, J.G. (2005). “Impinging Flow over Drainage Layers Containing a Geocomposite.” 18th GRI Conference. Austin, TX. January 27-29, 2005.

McCartney, J.S., Kuhn, J.A., and Zornberg J.G. (2005). “Geosynthetic Drainage Layers in Contact with Unsaturated Soils.” 16th ISSMGE Conference: Geotechnical Engineering in Harmony with the Global Environment. 12-16 September 2005. Osaka, Japan.

McCartney, J.S. and Zornberg J.G. (2006). “Decision Analysis for Design of Evapotranspirative Landfill Covers.” Proceedings UNSAT ’06. April 2-6, 2006; Carefree, AZ. ASCE.

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