Statistical analyses of compacted clay landfill liners. Part 1: model development

1994 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 872-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott B. Donald ◽  
Edward A. McBean
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Statistical Analyses ◽  
Compacted Clay ◽  
Clay Liners ◽  
Landfill Liner ◽  
Landfill Liners ◽  
Clay Liner ◽  
Spatial Correlation Structure

The acceptance of compacted clay liners, from a management point of view, has been a source of major concern because of the uncertainty associated with the hydrogeologic properties of the clay. By examining the flux of leachate through the compacted clay liner of a typical engineered landfill, where the hydraulic conductivity of the clay is represented by a stochastic process, an acceptance protocol suitable for compacted clay landfill liners is derived. Determination of the equivalent hydraulic conductivity of the clay liner is accomplished by comparing the flux of leachate through a homogeneous representation of the clay with the flux obtained by Monte Carlo analyses. Acceptance criteria are subsequently developed based on a statistical technique which calculates the confidence limits about a percentile of a probability distribution as well as about the mean of the distribution. For the landfill configuration simulated, the results indicate that the hydraulic conductivity of a compacted clay landfill liner follows a lognormal distribution and exhibits virtually no spatial correlation structure. In addition, for liners exhibiting a geometric mean conductivity of 10−7 cm/s and a standard deviation of 0.3, the geometric mean value is a conservative estimate of the hydraulic conductivity of the clay, provided the liner is constructed in a series of four 150 mm lifts. Key words: clay liners, hydraulic conductivity, statistical analyses, latin hypercube, equivalent hydraulic conductivity.

scholarly journals Interactions of Per- and Polyfluoralkyl Substances (PFAS) with Landfill Liners

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Will P Gates ◽  
◽  
Alastair JN MacLeod ◽  
Andras Fehervari ◽  
Abdelmalek Bouazza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Compacted Clay ◽  
Geosynthetic Clay Liners ◽  
Clay Liners ◽  
Landfill Liner ◽  
Landfill Liners ◽  
Polyfluoroalkyl Substances ◽  
Published Research ◽  
Persistent Environmental Pollutants

This review synthesises the available published research on interactions of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with landfill liners, with the view to inform on the expected behaviour of these persistent environmental pollutants in landfills. The review addresses the nature and significant types of PFAS compounds that are destined for landfills, as well as their by-product. It discusses the known and anticipated interactions with separate landfill liner components, namely geomembranes, geosynthetic clay liners and compacted clay liners. Various water-soluble PFAS are shown to advectively transport through geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) and showcase the limitations of relying on mineral liners alone to retain PFAS. Addition of activated carbon, while increasing saturated hydraulic conductivity, significantly increases PFAS retention by the GCL and reduced PFAS flux to manageable concentrations. An assessment of the relative risk for environmental exposure of different types of PFAS from landfills through interaction with those liner components is achieved with reference to published case studies of PFAS detection in and around landfills from Australia and around the World.

The role of organic attenuation in saturated clay barrier system

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 145-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene M. C. Lo
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Concentration Gradient ◽  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Molecular Diffusion ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Fickian Diffusion ◽  
Compacted Clay ◽  
Landfill Liner ◽  
Landfill Liners ◽  
Saturated Clay

A review of literature finds that advection, diffusion, and retardation are the main processes that govern the migration of organic contaminants through compacted clay landfill liners. However, much emphasis is placed on the hydraulic conductivity in the specification for landfill liner design. It is misunderstood that if the hydraulic conductivity of the clay is low, then the liner must provide an adequate barrier for groundwater pollution prevention. Unfortunately, even the advection is minimal, contaminants can migrate through clay by simple Fickian diffusion at a rate that can be significant. The process of diffusion is mainly dependent on the concentration gradient between the leachate and the groundwater. If a clay lining system is installed, the only way to reduce the effect of diffusion is to reduce the concentration gradient by pollutant retardation. In this paper, the relative importance of molecular diffusion and advection, and the effect of pollutant retardation on the advective and diffusive transport are discussed using a conceptual-mathematical model. Based on a review of organic contaminant attenuation by clay liners, a guideline on the development of a high organic attenuation engineered barrier as a second line of defence for containment sites is proposed.

Heterogeneity detection in an experimental clay liner

2003 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Guyonnet ◽  
Jean-Christophe Gourry ◽  
Lucien Bertrand ◽  
Nadia Amraoui
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dipole Mode ◽  
Compacted Clay ◽  
Clay Liners ◽  
Hydraulic Test ◽  
Clay Liner ◽  
Other Hand

In situ hydraulic tests to characterize the field hydraulic conductivity of clay liners used in landfill applications are often positioned randomly. Yet it is well known that the field performance of low permeability clay liners is generally controlled by heterogeneities that may provide preferential pathways for flow. In this paper, an experimental clay liner is investigated in which heterogeneities were incorporated in a controlled fashion. Heterogeneities were embedded within a compacted clay liner at different locations in the plane and at different depths. Heterogeneities of composition were installed by excavating compacted clay at specific locations and replacing it with a more permeable material. Heterogeneities of compaction were introduced by loosely backfilling the clay into the excavations. Two geophysical methods, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and the EM-38 electromagnetic method, were used to examine whether anomalies detected by geophysics were or were not correlated with the precise locations of the heterogeneities. Hydraulic tests were used to characterize the permeability of the intact clay on the one hand and of the heterogeneities on the other hand. Three different in situ hydraulic test methods were used: a pulse test performed in a hand-augered borehole, a sealed single ring infiltrometer test, and a large scale infiltration test (4 m2) that uses a color tracer to detect possible preferential flowpaths. The GPR showed no significant correlation with heterogeneity locations, nor did the EM-38 method when used in the vertical dipole mode. The EM-38 method used in the horizontal dipole mode, showed significant correlation with heterogeneities when they were apparent at the surface. On the other hand, the method did not clearly detect heterogeneities located at depth. There was consistency between the values of hydraulic conductivity obtained from the different hydraulic field and laboratory tests. "Intact" clay hydraulic conductivities were found to lie between 10–10 and 4 × 10–9 m/s, while the hydraulic conductivity of the heterogeneities of composition was approximately 10–7 m/s. The results of this experiment suggest that the EM-38 method may be useful to optimize hydraulic test locations when characterizing clay liners for landfill applications.Key words: clay liner, hydraulic conductivity, heterogeneity.

scholarly journals Hydraulic and Swell–Shrink Characteristics of Clay and Recycled Zeolite Mixtures for Liner Construction in Sustainable Waste Landfill

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7301
Author(s):  
Marcin K. Widomski ◽  
Anna Musz-Pomorska ◽  
Wojciech Franus
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Clay Soils ◽  
Compacted Clay ◽  
Clay Liner ◽  
Compacted Clay Liner ◽  
Drying And Rewetting ◽  
Swelling Characteristics ◽  
Shrinkage And Swelling

This paper presents research considering hydraulic as well as swelling and shrinkage characteristics of potential recycled fine particle materials for compacted clay liner for sustainable landfills. Five locally available clay soils mixed with 10% (by mass) of NaP1 recycled zeolite were tested. The performed analysis was based on determined plasticity, cation exchange capacity, coefficient of saturated hydraulic conductivity after compaction, several shrinkage and swelling characteristics as well as, finally, saturated hydraulic conductivity after three cycles of drying and rewetting of tested specimens and the reference samples. The obtained results showed that addition of zeolite to clay soils allowed reduction in their saturated hydraulic conductivity to meet the required threshold (≤1 × 10−9 m/s) of sealing capabilities for compacted clay liner. On the other hand, an increase in plasticity, swelling, and in several cases in shrinkage, of the clay–zeolite mixture was observed. Finally, none of the tested mixtures was able to sustain its sealing capabilities after three cycles of drying and rewetting. Thus, the studied clayey soils mixed with sustainable recycled zeolite were assessed as promising materials for compacted liner construction. However, the liner should be operated carefully to avoid extensive dissication and cracking.

scholarly journals Effect of Ammonium on the Hydraulic Conductivity of Kaolin and Bentonite as Clay Liners

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-111
Author(s):  
Adebola Adebayo Adekunle ◽  
Igba Uvieoghene Tobit ◽  
Ogunrinola Oluwaseyi Gbemiga
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Ground Water ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Bentonite Clay ◽  
Research Paper ◽  
Low Permeability ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Clay Liners ◽  
Landfill Liners ◽  
Different Sources

: Landfill liners are underlying materials with low permeability whose main function is to mitigate the infiltration of toxic contents into ground water lying beneath. Landfill liners are primarily made of bentonite clay. Bentonite has a very low hydraulic conductivity, that might not be readily accessible, unlike kaolin which is found to have a lower hydraulic conductivity compared to that of bentonite and can be extensively obtained from numerous different sources. Explored, for the purposes of the present research paper, were various ratios of bentonite and kaolin and their hydraulic conductivity, in particular ratios of 90:10 kaolin to bentonite, 80:20 kaolin to bentonite, 70:30 kaolin to bentonite, 60:40 kaolin to bentonite and 50:50 kaolin to bentonite in an effort to achieve an acceptable barrier suitable as a liner / where tap water and ammonium solution were used as permeants. It was concluded that the ratios not lower than 20% bentonite (80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50) all had their hydraulic conductivity value reduced compared to the 100% kaolin.

Freeze–thaw cycling concurrent with cation exchange and the hydraulic conductivity of geosynthetic clay liners

2014 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory P. Makusa ◽  
Sabrina L. Bradshaw ◽  
Erin Berns ◽  
Craig H. Benson ◽  
Sven Knutsson
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Cation Exchange ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Geosynthetic Clay Liners ◽  
Clay Liners ◽  
Chemical Changes ◽  
Clay Liner ◽  
Freeze Thaw ◽  
Exchange Complex ◽  
Before And After

A study was conducted to assess the effect of cation exchange concurrent with freeze–thaw cycling on the hydraulic conductivity of a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL). GCLs were prehydrated by contact with silica flour moistened with synthetic subgrade pore water and subsequently permeated with a solution representing the pore water in the cover soil over a tailings facility. Control tests were conducted using the same procedure, except deionized (DI) water was used as the permeant liquid to preclude cation exchange from the permeant liquid. The GCLs were subjected to 1, 3, 5, 15, and 20 freeze–thaw cycles, and the hydraulic conductivity and exchange complex were determined before and after freeze–thaw cycling to assess chemical changes that occurred during freezing, thawing, and permeation. GCLs undergoing freeze–thaw cycling experienced little to no cation exchange through 5 freeze–thaw cycles. After 20 freeze–thaw cycles, 50% of the sodium (Na+) initially in the exchange complex was replaced by calcium (Ca2+). Dissolution of calcite within the bentonite is a likely source of the Ca2+. Hydraulic conductivity of the GCLs exposed to freeze–thaw cycling was lower than the hydraulic conductivity of a new GCL permeated with DI water (<2.2 × 10−11 m/s). A small increase in hydraulic conductivity (∼2.3 times), which may have been caused by cation exchange, occurred between 15 and 20 freeze–thaw cycles, but the hydraulic conductivity remained below the hydraulic conductivity of a new GCL unexposed to freeze–thaw cycling and permeated with DI water.

Remarks on the design of clay liners used in lagoons as hydraulic barriers

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 512-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Leroueil ◽  
J. P. Le Bihan ◽  
R. Bouchard
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Compacted Clay ◽  
Plastic Limit ◽  
Clay Liners ◽  
Natural Soils ◽  
Compacted Clay Liner ◽  
Compacted Clays ◽  
Hydraulic Barriers

Considering that (i) the hydraulic conductivity of compacted clays is smaller on the wet side of optimum; (ii) the plastic limit is the water content below which the soil develops fissures under small stresses; (iii) the plastic limit and the optimum standard Proctor water content are similar for many natural soils; and (iv) the strength of compacted clays, thus the limit of trafficability, is a function of (w – wopt)/Ip, relevant conditions for the design of clay liners and the evaluation of their hydraulic conductivity are proposed. Key words : compacted clay, liner, hydraulic conductivity, strength, design.

Behavior of Geosynthetic Clay Liners due to the Migration of Heavy Metal

2014 ◽  
Vol 989-994 ◽  
pp. 433-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Jing Fan
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Compacted Clay ◽  
Geosynthetic Clay Liners ◽  
Clay Liners ◽  
Composite Liner ◽  
Landfill Liner ◽  
Low Leakage ◽  
Liner System ◽  
Underlying Soil

To protect the underlying soil and groundwater from landfills, the landfills are commonly lined with layered liner systems. Geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) have been increasingly used in the landfill liner systems to substitude the traditional compacted clay liners (CCL) because of their low cost, easily construction behavior and low leakage rate. To study the behavior of the GM+GCL liner system used in China due to the migration of Pb2+, we introduce in detail GM+GCL liner systems proposed by the Chinese specification. Then one dimensional finite layer model is used to investigate the anti-pollution behavior of the CM+GCL composite liner systems, with the focuses on the heavy metal Pb2+. It could be concluded that the main migration way through the GM+GCL composite liner system is that the transport of Pb2+through a GM+GCL composite liner system of a landfill cover takes place primarily through the holes in the GM. The findings provide useful reference for preventing, controlling and treating groundwater pollution in the GM+GCL liner system technically and scientifically.

scholarly journals Effect of Fluid Chemistry on the Consolidation and Hydraulic Conductivity of Sand-Clay Liners

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11213
Author(s):  
Muawia Dafalla
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Clay Liners ◽  
Clay Liner ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Fluid Media ◽  
Liner Surface ◽  
Inorganic Chemical

The clay swelling potential of sand-clay liners exposed to saline water or specific chemicals can influence their hydraulic conductivity and other consolidation properties. The effect of saline water or chemicals on the sand-clay liners was thus studied and evaluated. The consolidation characteristics of the sand-clay liner can be different when tested under different fluid media. Bentonite and cement grouts are chemicals that have a significant effect on the sand-clay liners. Cement and bentonite can be used to seal off the openings within the liner to repair a defect or a malfunction. In this study, Al-Qatif clay was used to form a sand-clay liner when mixed with fine-grained sand (clay is 20% by dry weight). Soil samples extracted from this liner were exposed to inorganic chemical solutions. NaCl and CaCl2 solutions with concentration ranges of 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.5% were used. Acidic water with pH values of 4, 5, and 6 was similarly used as fluid media. The effects of NaCl, CaCl2, and water with different acidity on the consolidation characteristics and hydraulic conductivity were obtained and compared to those of the distilled water. The effects of grout materials containing bentonite (1%, 2%, and 3% by weight) and cement (2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% by weight) were also investigated. The addition of bentonite grout to the liner surface was found to improve its hydraulic conductivity. The cement effect on the compressibility was found to be very significant. The findings of this study can serve as a guide for selecting parameters in the design and assessment of sand-clay liners in semi-arid regions and coastal zones.

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