Influence of the Fibre Component of Soft Plastic on Shear Strength Parameters of Pre-Treated Municipal Solid Waste

• Published in: Soils & rocks 2014-05, Vol.37 (2), p.151-157
• Main Authors: Borgatto, André V.A., Mahler, Claudio F., Münnich, K., Webler, A.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1980-9743; 2675-5475
• DOI: 10.28927/SR.372151

For an appropriate stability analysis of pre-treated MSW landfill, the shear strength parameters of the material should be well defined in order to have a more realistic assessment of its geomechanical behaviour. As is well known, the shear strength of the material can be determined using two distinct components: friction (between the granular particles) and apparent cohesion. Unlike soil, where tensile strength is very low, in the case of pre-treated and fresh waste, the tensile forces are high and have a relevant participation in landfill stability due to the presence of fibres and foil material. The apparent cohesion is also called the reinforcing component, and consists basically of a wide range of substances: paper/cardboard, soft plastic, hard plastic and wood. Soft plastic is the most representative reinforcement component and due to its increasingly high volumetric concentration in the overall pre-treated MSW composition, its influence on the shear strength parameters was chosen for study. Laboratory tests were carried out with a sample of pre-treated MSW material in its original composition and modified composition (without soft plastic material). The results showed the influence of this group of materials on the strength properties of the pre-treated MSW, especially on the apparent cohesion parameter.