Compositional effects on the dynamic properties of municipal solid waste

Large-scale cyclic simple shear tests were conducted on reconstituted specimens of municipal solid waste (MSW) collected from the Tri-Cities landfill in Fremont, California, USA. The influence of waste composition and compacted unit weight on the shear wave velocity, small-strain shear modulus, and strain-dependent shear modulus reduction and damping ratio curves of MSW was investigated in these tests. Modulus reduction and damping ratio curves were evaluated over a strain range of 0.01–3%. Specimens were reconstituted using 100%, 65%, and 35%, by weight, of the material that passed through a 20 mm screen and four different levels of compaction effort. All specimens were consolidated under a normal stress of 75 kPa prior to testing. The test results show a very strong dependence of shear wave velocity and small strain shear modulus on unit weight. Unit weight also had an influence on modulus reduction and damping ratio. Waste composition had a very strong influence on damping and also influenced shear wave velocity, small strain shear modulus, and modulus reduction. The interrelationship between unit weight and waste composition made it difficult to separate out the effects of these parameters.

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► Results are presented from 15 cyclic simple shear tests on reconstituted specimens.
► Waste composition and compaction effort were systematically varied.
► Dynamic properties are shown to depend on compacted unit weight and waste composition.
► Results are consistent with cyclic triaxial tests by others on the same waste.
► Results are consistent with cyclic simple shear tests on waste from another landfill.