ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses procedures for quality assurance (QA) and quality control for municipal solid waste landfills and includes a discussion of principles and concepts. It focuses on two of the most critical components: compacted soil liners and geomembrane liners. Construction quality assurance and construction quality control are widely recognized as critical factors in overall quality management for landfills. QA begins with a written QA plan that precedes any field construction activities. Quality construction is easiest to achieve when all parties involved understand clearly their responsibility and authority. Because of space limitations, the chapter will focus on just two primary elements of a landfill: the compacted clay liner and the geomembrane liner. Compacted soil liners are composed of clayey materials that are placed and compacted in layers called lifts. The materials used to construct soil liners include natural mineral materials (natural soils), bentonite-soil blends, and other material.