Performance of Double Composite Landfill Liner considering Leakage Rate and Mass Flux

Performance of a landfill liner is evaluated based on leakage rate and mass flux. In this study, the recently utilized double composite liner system, which consists of a geomembrane (GM), a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL), a GM, and a compacted clay layer (61 or 91.5 cm) is compared with other popular composite liners including the single GCL system, the Subtitle D liner system, and the Wisconsin NR500 liner system. The leakage rate through circular and long defects in the GM of the landfill liners is analyzed using numerical models. For the mass flux criterion, the analyses of inorganic contaminant transport through defects in the GM component of liner systems and diffusion of organic compounds through intact landfill liners are conducted using three- and one-dimensional numerical models, respectively. Cadmium and toluene are used in the analyses as a typical inorganic and organic substance, respectively, which will be chemical species encountered during landfill operation. The comparison shows that the double composite liner systems are superior to the other liner systems according to the performance-based evaluation.