Shear strength and deformability of municipal solid waste of different age

• Grant number: 12/03148-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2012
• End date: October 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Geotechnical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Orencio Monje Vilar
• Grantee: Orencio Monje Vilar
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The deformability and the shear resistance of municipal solid waste (MSW) are important parameters in engineering analyses of landfill performance. Although many papers have been published on waste mechanics in the past decades, the set of available results is still limited. One of the questions which remains unanswered is the degree to which these properties change with time due to the degradation process. This research aims at determining the rigidity modulus, the shear resistance parameters and the unit weight of MSW samples deposited in the São Carlos Sanitary Landfill, in São Paulo State. The determinations include in situ tests, such as measuring the MSW unit weight and performing geophysical tests, and laboratory large scale direct shear tests. To better understand the influence of degradation and of confinement on the geotechnical properties of MSW, samples of different depths and burial ages will be analyzed. The results of this research should increase the understanding of MSW mechanical properties and enhance present day knowledge on their evolution with time. Moreover, this research will promote the use of geophysical investigations in this kind of landfill and increase the available information for use in design of sanitary landfills in São Paulo State. (AU)