Landfills are essential for waste management but also pose significant environmental risks due to decomposing waste materials. And while they serve populations, they’re also an environmental concern. Landfills typically pose challenges to communities living close to them due to many risks of decomposing waste materials. One of the primary challenges in landfill management is the accumulation and migration of landfill gases, methane and carbon dioxide, which are byproducts of organic waste decomposition. Without proper venting and detection systems, these gases can lead to explosions, fires, and other hazardous conditions, not to mention contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This is where the technology of gas venting and leak detection comes into play, ensuring landfills are safer for both the environment and surrounding communities.
Landfills are repositories of mostly urban waste that we don’t think of until they stop working. Often, we only notice them if and when we drive by one. And while they serve populations, they’re also an environmental concern. Landfills typically pose challenges to communities living close to them due to many risks of decomposing waste materials. One of the primary challenges in landfill management is the accumulation and migration of landfill gases, methane and carbon dioxide, which are byproducts of organic waste decomposition. Without proper venting and detection systems, these gases can lead to explosions, fires, and other hazardous conditions, not to mention contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This is where the technology of gas venting and leak detection comes into play, ensuring landfills are safer for both the environment and surrounding communities.
Landfills require dedicated venting mechanisms to safely release accumulated gases through the layers of waste. This process involves a gas collection system, where a network of pipes and vents captures landfill gases.
Engineers install wells and pipes to capture landfill gas (LFG), which is either flared or converted into energy. This process not only reduces the volume of methane released into the atmosphere but also transforms a hazardous byproduct into a valuable resource. At Strata Geosystems, we also create a gas leak detection layer to build security into the whole process.
Gas leak detection is crucial in landfills for several reasons:
At Strata Geosystems, we use a hybrid method of layering to ensure venting and leak detections both. Our proprietary product, StrataDrain, is used in the first few layers, above the regularization layer. This lining works as a layer for gas collection. The liner system comprises 3 elements of geomembrane, StrataDrain, and geotextile layers. StrataDrain allows the flow of leachate through it and takes it out of the landfill through the drainage system in place which separately collects the fluid. Above it, goes another layer of StrataDrain to allow rainwater to pass freely with a geomembrane lining. Using StrataGrid–our uniaxial geogrid for reinforcement of the soil cover above, finally the landfill has a vegetative cover. This multi-layered approach serves many benefits –right from preventing soil erosion, maintaining permeability of the layers, to providing stability to the overall structure, the landfill remains robust. Additionally, when we add a leachate or liquid collection section, it ensures that the waste liquids don’t contaminate the soil if applied in advance, or at least minimises the damage. By using StrataDrain, we are able to replace approx. 300mm to 600mm gravel layer with a simple 5-7mm thick geocomposite. With this simple shift, there come 3 benefits for each landfill project: cost savings of up to 20%, capacity expansion since the overall site is now thinner, and the inherent ability of these materials to resist high compressive stresses making them resilient for decades to come. Creating a veneer reinforcement with StrataGrid helps to prevent slope erosion, is cheaper compared to quarrying and stone-pitching and needs minimal maintenance post installation. These factors are a key consideration since most landfills today need to also account for adverse weather conditions, and soil compaction under the pressure of the waste itself. If typical and traditional methods are used, we need to compact the soil itself, grade it, and add a layer of vegetation. While this process is simple, it’s incredibly expensive, depending on the size and scale of the site itself. The final layer that we add on is geocells or geosynthetic cellular confinement systems, i.e StrataWeb, which works to constrain the soil, and grow a vegetative fascia on the landfill surface. This not only makes the site a lot more pleasant, but also makes it less of an eyesore while preventing soil erosion –a dual benefit.
Although landfills may not be viewed as architectural structures, a poorly designed landfill can become a serious environmental and safety hazard. Since many landfills today are legacy sites, they require innovative engineering solutions to maximize available space and capacity. Our designers and team of civil engineers work with you to consider soil characteristics, landfill geometry, and the expected volumes of waste to create a layout that optimizes gas venting efficiency. Our landfill solutions cover multiple applications, including capping and drainage with geogrids, geocells, geotextiles, and geomembranes; leachate management; landfill expansion (both vertical and horizontal); and access road development for dumper trucks. Due to limited landfill space, expanding capacity is a frequent challenge our clients face. From capacity recovery and airspace optimization to cost minimization, our landfill expertise spans multiple regions. With our expansion options, sites almost get a new lease of life. With increased containment capacity and extended landfill lifespan, we achieve sustainability without requiring additional approvals or incurring high costs. Our geosynthetic applications lead to more sustainable solutions for waste management companies. Choosing the appropriate materials depends on factors such as tensile strength, permeability, and compatibility with landfill contents. This is a crucial aspect of our site-specific design process. Reach out to us to learn more about our landfill case studies in India, Spain, and USA.
The design of a landfill’s gas venting and detection system has to balance efficiency with safety. Our engineers design systems that can handle expected gas output throughout the landfill’s operational lifetime, considering both normal conditions and load expectations. This involves calculating the number and placement of gas wells, the sizing of pipes, and the integration of detection systems, all while considering the potential for future site expansion or changes in waste composition. Since these calculations are performed on active landfill sites, we implement numerous checks and balances to minimize long-term ecological impact.
Monitoring and maintenance are essential for ensuring long-term landfill safety. Capacity expansion is a key reason clients seek our expertise, but we also ensure compliance with landfill regulations. Many countries enforce strict LFG emission regulations, with non-compliance leading to heavy fines and legal action. Our robust gas management systems help landfills reduce their environmental impact and meet regulatory standards.
The surface sealing and post-closure maintenance project at Villena’s MSW treatment plant landfill showcases Strata Geosystems expertise in delivering innovative environmental solutions. Strata designed and implemented rainwater drainage and gas collection systems using StrataDrain composites. Additionally, StrataGrid was used to reinforce and stabilize landfill slopes.
Strata aimed to safely close the landfill while ensuring environmental compliance. They faced the significant challenge of designing anchor trenches within a confined space. Strata developed a tailored installation methodology to efficiently manage space limitations.
Strata’s solutions offered several advantages over conventional methods involving gravels and common geotextiles:
A key project highlight was Strata’s ability to tailor geosynthetic solutions to Villena’s challenging topography, showcasing its expertise in environmental engineering.
Using gas venting and leak detection systems with geotextiles and geogrids underscores our commitment to safety and sustainability in waste management. As waste management evolves, civil engineers will focus on integrating these technologies to build safer, eco-friendly landfills. By innovating and following best practices, we can manage landfill gas risks and protect human health and the environment.
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Director, President – Glen Raven Technical Fabrics
Strata/Glen Raven tenure: 10 years/28 years
Total industry experience: 35 years
MBA – Wake Forest University
Directs the strategic direction of Glen Raven’s automotive, protective apparel, military, geogrid, outdoor and logistic businesses.
Director, General Manager, Strata Inc.
Strata/Strata Inc. tenure: 3 years/14 years
Total industry experience: 25 years
MBA – Georgia State University
Led the integration of Strata Inc. business operations into the headquarters of GRTF and transition from USA based to India based manufacturing.
Director
Strata tenure: 17 years
Total industry experience: 47 years
CA – ICA
Played a key role in the establishment of Strata’s India operations. Provides vision for product innovation and leveraging new technology trends.
Global Technical Sales Director
Strata tenure: 7 years
Total industry experience: 32 years
Civil & Geotechnical Engineer (First class)
Provides highly technical and innovative civil engineering solutions in India and around the world. Responsible for the design and execution of large-scale geotechnical projects around the world including Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and South America.
CTO – Chief Technology Officer
Strata tenure: 9 years
Total industry experience: 48 years
BTech (Hons), MTech (Civil) Both IIT Bombay, DMS (Bombay University), FIE, FIGS, Chartered Engineer
Streamlines the designs of Geosynthetics and has brought innovation in geogrid and geocell design application.
COO – Projects and Sales
Strata tenure: 13 years
Total industry experience: 24 years
MBA – University of Gujarat
Leads the monetization of products and solutions while ensuring highest execution quality and project profitability.
COO – Technical Textiles
Strata tenure: 13 years
Total industry experience: 33 years
BE (Mechanical) – Nagpur University
Drives excellence in process design, product features and cost effectiveness in production.
CFO – Chief Financial Officer
Strata tenure: 8 years
Total industry experience: 35 years
CA – ICA, ICWA – ICWAI
Leads the finance, accounting, taxation, commercial, legal and IT functions and assisting on all strategic and operational matters.
CDO – Chief Development Officer
Strata tenure: 10 years
Total industry experience: 13 years
MBA – ISB, Hyderabad
Leads diversification of the product portfolio, monetizing the new products and ensuring successful sustained financial growth of the company top line.
CEO – Chief Executive Officer
Strata tenure: 14 years
Total industry experience: 42 years
B Tech (Chemical) – IIT Delhi
Leads day-to-day business operations of the company with focus on capacity expansion, product and process improvement.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you’re looking for, and our experts will get back to you with a perfect solution!