The city of calgary biocell landfill: Data collection and settlement predictions using a multiphase model

The proper engineering of bioreactor landfills requires operation in a manner that maximizes waste decomposition and gas generation with the increased settlement. The landfill settlement occurs due to multiphase interactions of waste components such as solid, fluid and gas phases, with each phase exhibiting variations both in time and space. There are several mathematical models to evaluate the processes of biodegradation, gas generation, gas transport and distribution of moisture within a landfill. However, many existing waste settlement models focus on compression of waste solids but are unable to account for contribution from other phases. An effective model for landfill settlement was developed to consider settlement, gas generation and fluid transport simultaneously. A major obstacle to successful implementation of a multiphase settlement model is the amount of data required to calibrate and validate such a model. This manuscript describes research conducted to collect data from the City of Calgary Biocell Landfill (Calgary Biocell) and validate a multiphase settlement model. Results indicate that the prediction capability of settlement models can be improved by coupling the settlement mechanisms with the generation and dissipation of gas pressure and the moisture distribution.