Solid Waste Compressibility and Settlements in Sanitary Landfills

Still nowadays the study of MSW compressibility is a relevant and complex problem in order to foresee the settlements of a sanitary landfills. Theoretical models derived from geotechnics are not easily applicable. The Rome’ sanitary landfills, Malagrotta, has been built up in successive and unrelated area. A complete environmental monitoring schedule has allowed to control the behaviour of every single area on passing time. The building of the B Area, that has a 5.300.000 m3 volume, it was started in 1981 and finished in 1988. It has been possible to have settlements’ continuous measurement available in a fifteen years time since. The settlements’ measurement were different in different part with effects on covering device stability. Analysis of the obtained data has allowed to explain the different settlements’ trend concerning to construction ways. Especially it was evicted that the settlements’ rate is different dependent on the waste placing velocity and on compacting ways. Moreover from measurements it was possible to relate the displacement velocity with the ways and the quantity of extract biogas. Therefore the dates were interpreted through application and adjustment of several available theoretical and experimental models also in the order to take into account of these effects on settlements’ foreseeing in other sanitary landfills areas