Large-scale direct shear testing of municipal solid waste.
Large direct shear testing (300 mm x 300 mm box) of municipal solid waste (MSW) collected from a landfill located in the San Francisco Bay area was performed to gain insight on the shear response of MSW. The study investigated the effects of waste composition, confining stress, unit weight, and loading rate on the stress-displacement response and shear strength of MSW. The amount and orientation of the fibrous waste materials in the MSW were found to play a critical role. The fibrous material had little effect on the MSW's strength when it was oriented parallel to the shear surface, as is typically the case when waste material is compressed vertically and then tested in a direct shear apparatus. Tests in which the fibrous material was oriented perpendicular to the horizontal shear surface produced significantly stronger MSW specimens. The test results indicate that confining stress and loading rate are also important factors. Based on 109 large-scale direct shear tests, the shear strength of MSW at low moisture contents is best characterized by cohesion=15 kPa, friction angle=36 degrees at a normal stress of 1 atmosphere, and a decrease in the friction angle of 5 degrees for every log-cycle increase in normal stress.
Zekkos
Dimitrios
D
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, 2358 GG Brown Laboratory, 2350 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. zekkos@geoengineer.org
Athanasopoulos
George A
GA
Bray
Jonathan D
JD
Grizi
Athena
A
Theodoratos
Andreas
A
D002947:Cities; D019245:Compressive Strength; D008422:Materials Testing; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D033081:Shear Strength; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*
D014866:Waste Products