Clays of Different Plasticity as Materials for Landfill Liners in Rural Systems of Sustainable Waste Management

Marcin Konrad Widomski, Witol Stępniewski and Anna Musz-Pomorska
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Marcin Konrad Widomski: Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
Witol Stępniewski: Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
Anna Musz-Pomorska: Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: This paper presents a study assessing the possible application of seven clay substrates of various particle compositions and plasticity, sampled locally in rural regions, as materials allowing affordable construction of the waste landfill liners, which meet the main principles of sustainability, utilize locally available materials and limit the environmental threats posed by landfill leachate to water, public health and arable land. The researched substrates were tested according to their long-term sealing properties by their saturated hydraulic conductivity after compaction, swelling and shrinkage characteristics and ability to sustain their sealing capability after repeated drying and rewetting. The basic characteristics of soils were determined by the standard methods. Saturated hydraulic conductivity after compaction and after repeated shrinking and swelling were tested in laboratory falling head permeameters. Shrinkage characteristics were based on dimensionless indicators of the geometry and linear extensibility. The obtained results showed that the tested clay substrates were found applicable to construction of compacted clay liner for sustainable waste landfill. The environmental sustainability of a local, rural waste landfill, isolated by compacted earthen liners utilizing local materials is, in our opinion possible, but strongly related to the compaction parameters applied during liner construction for the given clay substrate.

Keywords: sustainable waste management; sustainable landfilling; compacted clay liners; hydraulic conductivity; swell and shrink; clay soils (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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