Characterisation of the physico-mechanical parameters of MSW

Guillaume Stoltz (1) , J.P. Gourc (1) , Laurent Oxarango (1)

1 LTHE - Laboratoire d'étude des transferts en hydrologie et environnement

Following the basics of soil mechanics, the physico-mechanical behaviour of municipal solid waste (MSW) can be defined through constitutive relationships which are expressed with respect to three physical parameters: the dry density, the porosity and the gravimetric liquid content. In order to take into account the complexity of MSW (grain size distribution and heterogeneity larger than for conventional soils), a special oedometer was designed to carry out laboratory experiments. This apparatus allowed a coupled measurement of physical parameters for MSW settlement under stress. The studied material was a typical sample of fresh MSW from a French landfill. The relevant physical parameters were measured using a gas pycnometer. Moreover, the compressibility of MSW was studied with respect to the initial gravimetric liquid content. Proposed methods to assess the set of three physical parameters allow a relevant understanding of the physico-mechanical behaviour of MSW under compression, specifically, the evolution of the limit liquid content. The present method can be extended to any type of MSW.

Domains: Hydrology; Global Changes

Guillaume Stoltz, J.P. Gourc, Laurent Oxarango. Characterisation of the physico-mechanical parameters of MSW. Waste Management, 2010, 30, pp.1439-1449. ⟨10.1016/j.wasman.2010.03.016⟩. ⟨insu-00563595⟩