Geotechnical Effects of Municipal Solid Waste Destruction with Different Compaction Methods

Abstract

Disposal of waste in municipal solid waste landfills is the only way of waste disposal in Serbia, with daily compaction and covering with soil material. Due to less space for the construction of new landfills, it is necessary to use their maximum capacity. Well-compacted municipal solid waste takes up less volume and enables safer storage, so it is useful to previously determine the compaction parameters in the laboratory: maximum dry unit weight (γdmax) and optimal water content (wopt). In the practice so far, the standard method has been used to obtain these parameters (Proctor compaction test) which is common in soil mechanics. However, although this methodology has been adopted, different treatments of municipal solid waste at the landfill (including pre-treatment) indicate the need to change this classical approach. Therefore, during the research, various innovative solutions are introduced, such as the change of the classic flat Proctor hammer, by adding spikes, whose function, in addition to compaction, is partial destruction and shredding of municipal waste. In this way, the operation of compactors (hedgehogs) in the field is simulated. The paper presents the behaviour of four artificially prepared samples of municipal solid waste of different composition. The samples were tested in the standard Proctor apparatus at the same compaction energy, using different hammers, a standard flat hammer, and an innovative hammer with spikes. After that, the geotechnical effects of compaction depending on the applied approach were analyzed.