Experimental evaluation of the biological clogging of a drainage geocomposite at the botom of a landfill

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the biological clogging potential of drainage geocomposites installed at the bottom of landfills, as a replacement for 0.20 cm of granular drainage material. In the first section of the document, the drainage capacity actually needed is analyzed with respect to the biological clogging potential. The general principles governing experimental evaluation of biological clogging are presented in a second step. The apparatus used to conduct the evaluation is then presented, along with the results obtained after several months of monitoring. The results presented involved circulation of a fresh leachate, pumped in a class 2, non-hazardous landfill into 9 cells, and monitoring of the flow through the system (either a geocomposites or a granular drainage layer).