Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Stress–strain responses and yielding characteristics of a municipal solid waste (MSW) considering the effect of the stress path

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

Abstract

The stress–strain behavior of municipal solid waste (MSW) is important to predicate the deformation of MSW in landfills. Triaxial tests under K 0 consolidation with different stress paths were carried out on MSW samples. Test results of the MSW are compared with that of clays in terms of stress–strain responses and coupled components. In triaxial extension tests, the stress–strain responses of MSW are similar to that of clays reported in literature. In triaxial compression tests, however, the stress–strain responses of the MSW are different from that of the clays, especially a progressively increasing upward curvature is observed at large strains without reaching a peak stress state on the compression stress paths of \(\Delta \sigma_{3}^{{\prime }}\) ≥ 0. For the stress paths Δq = 0 and Δp′ < 0, although the volume of MSW specimen is expanded, the axial strain is increased, which is different from the behavior of the clays. Compared to the clays, the cross-coupling responses of the MSW are more pronounced. The most variations for shear and bulk modulus of MSW occur in q unloading range and p′ unloading range, respectively. The yield surface of MSW in p′ − q space is obtained and the fibrous reinforcement within specimens is confirmed in this study. Consequently, the stress–strain responses, shear and bulk modulus, and yielding characteristics of MSW are all closely related to the stress path.

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
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

p′:

Mean normal effective stress

\(p_{0}^{{\prime }}\) :

Initial mean normal effective stress after consolidation

q :

Deviator stress

q 0 :

Initial deviator stress

Δp′:

Increment of mean normal effective stress

Δq :

Increment of deviator stress

|Δq|:

Absolute value of deviator stress increment

η = q/p′:

Stress ratio

G :

Shear modulus

K :

Bulk modulus

W :

Strain energy

\(\sigma_{1}^{\prime }\) :

Axial effective stress

\(\sigma_{3}^{\prime }\) :

Radial effective stress

\(\Delta \sigma_{3}^{\prime }\) :

The increment of radial effective stress

ε a :

Axial strain

ε r :

Radial strain

ε s :

Shear strain

ε v :

Volumetric strain

|ε s|:

Absolute value of shear strain

|ε v|:

Absolute value of volumetric strain

\(p_{c}^{\prime }\) :

The largest mean normal effective stress of all yield points

K 0 :

Coefficient of static lateral earth pressure

\(\eta_{{K_{0} }}\) :

The initial stress ratio after K 0 consolidation

\(\left( {p_{0}^{\prime } ,q_{0} } \right)\) :

The initial stress point after consolidation in p′ − q space

\(\left( {p_{x}^{{\prime }} ,q_{x} } \right)\) :

The yield stress point in p′ − q space

L 0 :

The length between the initial stress point after consolidation and the coordinate origin in p′ − q space

L x :

The stress path length between the yield point and the initial stress point after consolidation along one stress path in p′ − q space

L x /L x :

The ratio of L x to L 0

α 0 :

The increasing magnitude of the initial deviator stress for the MSW after K 0 consolidation compared with the clay

α x :

The change range of the yield deviator stress for the MSW compared with the clay along one stress path. The subscript x represents one stress path

References

  • Bray JD, Zekkos D, Kavazanjian E Jr, Athanasopoulos GA, Riemer MF (2009) Shear strength of municipal solid waste. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 135(6):709–722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Callisto L, Calabresi G (1998) Mechanical behaviour of a natural soft clay. Geotechnique 48(4):495–513

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho WJ, Finno RJ (2010) Stress–strain responses of block samples of compressible Chicago glacial clays. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 136(1):178–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon N, Jones DRV (2005) Engineering properties of municipal solid waste. Geotext Geomembr 23(3):205–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon N, Langer U (2006) Development of a MSW classification system for the evaluation of mechanical properties. Waste Manag 26(3):220–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gabr MA, Valero SN (1995) Geotechnical properties of municipal solid waste. Geotech Test J 18(2):241–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gabr MA, Hossain MS, Barlaz MA (2007) Shear strength parameters of municipal solid waste with leachate recirculation. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 133(4):478–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham J, Noonan ML, Lew KV (1983) Yielding stress and stress–strain relationships in a natural plastic clay. Can Geotech J 20(3):502–516

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jardine RJ (1992) Some observations on kinematic nature of soil stiffness. Soils Found 32(2):111–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JTG E40-2007 (2007) The methods of soils for highway engineering. People’s Communications Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Karimpour-Fard M, Machado SL, Shariatmadari N, Noorzad A (2011) A laboratory study on the MSW mechanical behavior in triaxial apparatus. Waste Manag 31(8):1807–1891

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landva AO, Valsangkar AJ, Pelkey SG (2000) Lateral earth pressure at rest and compressibility of municipal solid waste. Can Geotech J 47(6):1157–1165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell RJ (1970) On the yielding and mechanical strength of Leda clays. Can Geotech J 7(2):297–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mofiz SA, Islam MN, Fratta D (2010) Modeling and numerical analysis of expansive soil in stress path tests. In: Proceedings of GeoFlorida 2010: advances in analysis, modeling and design, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, 20–24 February 2010. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2010, pp 747–756

  • Oztoprak S, Bolton MD (2013) Stiffness of sands through a laboratory database. Geotechniqe 63(1):54–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelkey SA, Valsangkar AJ, Landva A (2001) Shear displacement dependent strength of municipal solid waste and its major constituents. Geotech Test J 24(4):381–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy KR, Hettiarachchi H, Parakalla NS, Gangathulasi J, Bogner JE (2009) Geotechnical properties of fresh municipal solid waste at Orchard Hills Landfill, USA. Waste Manag 29(2):952–959

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy KR, Hettiarachchi H, Gangathulasi J, Bogner JE (2011) Geotechnical properties of municipal solid waste at different phases of biodegradation. Waste Manag 31(11):2275–2286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shariatmadari N, Machado SL, Noorzad A, Karimpour-Fard M (2009) Municipal solid waste effective stress analysis. Waste Manag 29(12):2918–2930

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh MJ, Sharma JS, Fleming LR (2009) Shear strength testing of intact and recompacted samples of municipal solid waste. Can Geotech J 46(10):1133–1145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith PR, Jardine RJ, Hight DW (1992) The yielding of Bothkennar clay. Geotechniqe 42(2):257–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Towhata I, Kawano Y, Yonai Y, Koelsch F (2004) Laboratory tests on dynamic properties of municipal solid waste. In: Proceedings of the 11th International soil dynamic and earthquake engineering and the 3rd International Conference on earthquake geotechnical engineering Berkeley

  • Vilar OM, Carvalho MF (2004) Mechanical properties of municipal solid waste. J Test Eval 32(6):1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Yasufuku N, Murata H, Hyodo M (1991) Yielding characteristics of anisotropically consolidated sand under low and high stresses. Soils Found 31(1):95–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin J, Hong ZS, Gao YF (2009) Yielding characteristics of natural soft Lianyungang clay. J South East Univ (Chinese) 39(5):1059–1064

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan PB (2011) Large-scale simple shear testing of municipal solid waste. Lanzhou University Ph.D thesis, China

  • Zekkos D, Athanasopoulos GA, Bray JD, Grizi A, Theodoratos A (2010) Large-scale direct shear testing of municipal solid waste. Waste Manag 30(8):1544–1555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zekkos D, Bray JD, Riemer MF (2012) Drained response of municipal solid waste in large-scale triaxial shear testing. Waste Manag 32(10):1873–1885

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhan TLT, Chen YM, Ling WA (2008) Shear strength characterization of municipal solid waste at the Suzhou landfill China. Eng Geol 97(3):97–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the financial support provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41172234).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geotechnical Engineering Research Institute, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China

    Xiulei Li & Jianyong Shi

  2. Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China

    Xiulei Li & Jianyong Shi

Authors
  1. Xiulei Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jianyong Shi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiulei Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, X., Shi, J. Stress–strain responses and yielding characteristics of a municipal solid waste (MSW) considering the effect of the stress path. Environ Earth Sci 73, 3901–3912 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3674-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3674-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation