Compacted Soil Liner Interface Strength Importance
by Timothy D. Stark, F.ASCE, (Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Illinois, 205 North Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801. E-mail: tstark@illinois.edu), Hangseok Choi, (corresponding author), (Associate Professor, School of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, Korea Univ., Anam-Dong, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-713, South Korea. E-mail: hchoi2@korea.ac.kr), Chulho Lee, (Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, Korea Univ., Anam-Dong, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-713, South Korea. E-mail: cryfreer@korea.ac.kr), and Brian Queen, (Environmental Engineer, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Southeast District Office, 2195 Front St., Logan, OH 431381. E-mail: brian.queen@epa.state.oh.us)
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Vol. 138, No. 4, April 2012, pp. 544-550, (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000556)
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| Document type: |
Case Studies |
| Abstract: |
This paper describes an interesting slope failure in a liner system of a municipal solid waste containment facility during construction because the sliding interface is not the geomembrane (GM)/compacted low-permeability soil liner (LPSL) but a soil–soil interface within the LPSL. Some of the lessons learned are as follows: (1) compaction of the LPSL should ensure that each lift is kneaded into the lower lift so a weak interface is not created in the LPSL; (2) the LPSL moisture content should be controlled so it does not exceed the specified value, for example 3–4% wet of optimum, because it can lead to a weak interface in the LPSL; (3) drainage material should be placed over the GM from the slope toe to the top to reduce the shear stresses applied to the weakest interface; and (4) equipment should not move laterally across the slope if it is unsupported but up the slope while placing the cover soil from bottom to top. |
| Author Keywords: | 
| Slope stability |
| Landfills |
| Geomembranes |
| Geosynthetics |
| Compacted soil liner |
| Geosynthetic lined slopes |
| Interface shear strength |
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