Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental investigation on shear strength and permeability of a deeply dewatered sewage sludge for use in landfill covers

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study on a deeply dewatered sewage sludge produced by using a new technique of membrane filter press. The experiments involve measurements of sludge composition, basic physical properties, shear strength, water permeability, and leaching toxicity. The measurements of shear strength and permeability were also performed on the sludge specimens soaked in a low acid leachate or distilled water for 1 and 2 months. This is to investigate the influence of chemical change in pore fluid as a result of rainfall infiltration or leachate seepage at landfills. Comparison tests were also carried out on silty clay that is commonly used for landfill cover material. The experimental results show that the deeply dewatered sludge contains 66 % organic content and 85 % water content (dry mass basis). The undrained shear strength of the sludge is >25 kPa even after 2-month soaking in the leachate and distilled water, meeting the requirement of the Chinese standard [CJ/T249-2007, Disposal of sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant: sludge quality for co-landfilling. Ministry of Building and Construction, P.R. China (in Chinese), 2007]. The measured cohesion and friction angle for the sludge are >20 kPa and 22.3°, respectively. The soaking of sludge specimens in either leachate or distilled water resulted in an increase in frictional angle by several degrees. The water permeability for the sludge ranges from 0.68 × 10−8 to 1.3 × 10−8 cm/s, and permeability after 2-month soaking is less than the minimum requirement for the barrier layer of landfill covers (i.e., 1.0 × 10−7 cm/s). The concentrations of heavy metals leaching from the dewatered sludge are lower than the limit values of leaching toxicity for the wastewater discharge standard of China. The experimental results indicate that deeply dewatered sludge can be used as an alternative material for the barrier layer of landfill covers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Campell HW, Rush RJ, Tew R (1995) Sludge dewatering design manual, research report No.72, Ontario Ministry of the Environment

  • Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection (1997) Test standard for leaching toxicity of solid wastes using horizontal vibration extraction procedure. Chinese Environmental Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • CJ/T249-2007 (2007) Disposal of sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant: sludge quality for co-landfilling, Ministry of Building and Construction, P.R. China (in Chinese)

  • CJJ17-2004 (2004) Technical code for municipal solid waste sanitary landfill. Ministry of Building and Construction, P.R. China (in Chinese)

  • CJJ176-2012 (2012) Geotechnical code for municipal solid waste sanitary landfill. Ministry of Building and Construction, P.R. China (in Chinese)

  • EPA (1992) “Subtitle D Clarification.” 40 CFR 257 & 258. Federal Register pages 28626 through28632. June

  • He PJ, Gu GW, Li DZ (2003) Sewage sludge treatment and utilization. Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamon M, Inazumai S, Rajasekaran G (2002) Evaluation of waste sludge compatibility for landfill cover application. Soils Found 42(4):13–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig A, Kay JN, Wan IM (1996) Physical properties of dewatered wastewater sludge for landfilling. Water Sci Technol 34:33–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li L, Zhu W, Ji SJ (2008) Influence of micro-organism on long-term strength of solidified/stabilized sludge. Chinese J Geotech Eng 30:1778–1782 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang Z, Peng XJ, Luan ZK (2012) Immobilization of Cd, Zn and Pb in sewage sludge using red mud. Environ Earth Sci 66(5):1321–1328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lo IMC, Zhou WW, Lee KM (2002) Geotechnical characterization of dewatered sewage sludge for landfill disposal. Can Geotech J 39:1139–1149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moo-Young HK, Zimmie TF (1996) Geotechnical properties of paper mill sludge for use in landfill covers. J Geotech Eng 122:768–775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Kelly BC (2008) Effect of biodegradation on the consolidation properties of a dewatered municipal sewage sludge. Waste Manag 28(8):1395–1405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone RJ, Ekwue EI, Clarke RO (1998) Engineering properties of sewage sludge in Trinidad. J Agric Eng Res 70:221–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang MC, Hull JQ, Jao M (1992) Engineering behavior of water treatment sludge. J Environ Eng 118:848–864

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang W, Luo YX, Qiao W (2010a) Possible solutions for sludge dewatering in China. Front Environ Sci Eng in China 4:102–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Zhang HY, Fan ZM, Ju YY (2010b) Compacted sewage sludge as a barrier for tailing impoundment. Environ Earth Sci 61(5):931–937

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu W, Li L, Lin C (2006) Biochemical effects on permeability of solidified sludge. Rock Soil Mech 2006(27):933–938 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors would also like to acknowledge the financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of China (51208470) and Suzhou Science and Technology funding (SS20122).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Ping Chen

  2. MOE Key Laboratory of Soft Soils and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Liangtong Zhan

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2W2, Canada

    Ward Wilson

Authors
  1. Ping Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Liangtong Zhan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ward Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liangtong Zhan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, P., Zhan, L. & Wilson, W. Experimental investigation on shear strength and permeability of a deeply dewatered sewage sludge for use in landfill covers. Environ Earth Sci 71, 4593–4602 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2851-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2851-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation