ABSTRACT
Modem landfill liners typically contain serveral geosynthetic and natural components integrated into a system whose primary function is the containment of waste and leachate. The physical interactions between these individual components must be carefully evaluated to ensure that the stability and performance of the liner system is provded in the long term.
Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) are gaining increasing acceptance in landfill liner systems, yet their interactions with other components in the system are often not well understood. This paper identifies some of these interactions and suggests methods for evaluating them. For example, it is necessary to determine the interfacial friction between a GCL and a geomembrane in order to ascertain slope stability. Also, the degree of ‘intimate contact’ between the GCL and the overlying geomembrane must be acceptable to provide leakage isolation. Lastly, the GCL must allow other liner system components, such as drainage geocomposites, to function as intended.
This paper will illustrate the implementation of these design concepts and will be concentrated on several American and European landfills recently constructed with GCLs.
