Settlement Analysis of Landfill Liners over Deep Mined Areas

by M. Gabr, (M.ASCE), West Virginia Univ, Morgantown, United States,
J. J. Bowders, (M.ASCE), West Virginia Univ, Morgantown, United States,
D. T. Mooney, West Virginia Univ, Morgantown, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Vertical and Horizontal Deformations of Foundations and Embankments

Abstract:

Tensile strains due to differential settlement from past mining activities were evaluated for a landfill liner. The landfill cell encompasses 20 acres and is located on a subsurface profile containing four coal seams. One of the seams, the Pittsburgh coal, has been extensively mined in the 1940's by the room and pillar method with retreat mining. Using this method of mining, collapse is not immediate but occurs slowly as the remaining pillars yield to the overburden stress. Non-linear finite element analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of the subsurface compressibility on the potential deformation of the proposed landfill liner under the waste loads. Results indicated that tensile strain due to differential settlement was on the order of 5%. This tensile strain was reduced to less than 1% when geogrid reinforcement was included for liner support.

Subject Headings: Landfills | Coal mining | Finite element method | Differential settlement | Strain | Linings | Tensile strength | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | United States

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