Landfill designers must consider probable changes in landfill practice that may occur over the whole lifetime of the landfill from conception to completion of aftercare and should, where possible, make provision for these changes, or allow for them to be incorporated at a later stage.

Stages in the Design Process

The landfill design process should be the same as that used in other civil engineering projects, where the objectives for proposed use, and therefore for the design of a project, are clearly stated at the outset of the design.

Landfill design should follow a staged approach which should include at least three stages, referred to here as conceptual, outline and detailed design. In each of these stages the holistic principles for the design, construction and operation of the site should be adopted, with an appropriate level of detail for each stage.

In the conceptual stage, the designer will be principally concerned with the overall viability of the site, using experience to determine any fundamental constraints or items of major expenditure. This will result in a notional concept for the development of a site, giving approximate volumes, possible design features, and setting out the principal aspects for clarification or investigation in subsequent phases.

When the design proceeds to the outline stage, a detailed site investigation1 and scoping of environmental issues should be carried out, which will lead to a fully reasoned overall design for the construction, operation and restoration of the site.

This outline design should consider all aspects required for the satisfactory development of the site, including the cost of the development. If formal environmental assessment is required, the level of detail should be suitable for inclusion in an environmental statement.

In addition to satisfying planning requirements, the outline design is likely to form the basis of the Working Plan for the waste management licence.

The outline design should form part of the Site Manual, which provides a mechanism for the exchange of information between the design, construction and operation process. This process of transference of the designer's intentions and assumptions is essential in the attainment of the integrated approach to landfilling.

When the site progresses to construction, the outline design should be developed into a fully documented detailed design with sufficient detail to permit construction. The detailed design should include comprehensive calculations to confirm or qualify the outline calculations and assumptions in the outline design, but should not require major changes in concept.

This content does not represent official waste policy, and is provided for educational use and entertainment purposes only.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Landfill-Design-Principles&id=1849317