The objective of this research is to determine thermal and gas regimes of landfills and to establish correlations between the measured parameters and operational and environmental conditions at landfills. It involves collaboration between Wayne State University and Lawrence Technological University, and various industrial partners. Three landfills, located in Michigan, New Mexico, and Alaska, have previously been instrumented and plans include instrumenting an additional site located in British Columbia, Canada.
The project has three components: monitoring existing sensors, installing additional sensors, and analyzing data. Temperature and gas data are collected in the waste mass, liner systems, and the surrounding soils. This data will be used to generate an extensive database for use by researchers and practitioners. Comprehensive correlations between landfill byproducts (heat, gas, and leachate generation) and operational and environmental conditions will be developed. These correlations will provide tools for improving the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice of waste disposal and containment in landfills
