Assessment of Landfill Final Covers Employing Contaminated Soils

Proposed research is to decommission five fully instrumented experimental covers that were constructed at the St-Nicephore landfill in 2018. This project provides the unique opportunity to exhume soil in a methodical approach to: (1) develop a contaminant profile throughout the experimental covers; and (2) establish the soil characteristics in-situ to be used in computer modelling of seepage through landfill covers. Laboratory experiments will be performed to: (1) develop unsaturated soil characteristics, assess changes in the experimental cover, and compare values to initial construction values; and (2) assess long-term contaminant transport patterns. These laboratory and field results will be used in computer modelling of seepage and contaminant transport.
The expected outcomes of the project are to re-evaluate the existing regulations for re-utilisation of contaminated soils for final cover in landfills. Expected benefits are: (1) reduction of soil landfilled, increasing long-term capacity of existing soil; and (2) decrease of quarrying clean soil for use at landfill sites.

Faculty Supervisor:

Alexandre Cabral

Student:

Partner:

Waste Management Quebec

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

University:

Université de Sherbrooke

Program: