Environmental Geotechnics Related to Landfills of Municipal Solid Wastes

Abstract

Management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the major environmental problems in China. Solid waste disposal in landfills remains the most economic form of disposal for most cases. In this paper, an attempt has been made to provide a review of four geotechnical issues associated with landfills of MSWs, including (1) water and leachate flow within landfills, (2) landfill gas generation, transport and control, (3) settlement of landfills and its impacts, and (4) stability of waste mass. The review is conducted primarily in the context of the waste composition characteristic and the current practice of landfills pertaining to China. The current status and major problems associated with the current landfill practice are identified and/or evaluated, and the areas required for future research and development are pointed out.