Geosynthetic use as daily cover

The application of daily cover material is standard operating procedure at most solid waste landfills. Traditionally, daily cover consists of a soil layer applied over the active working face. Since landfill airspace has become more scarce, there has been a heightened interest in recovering the airspace displaced by the daily cover. Waste Management of North America, Inc., has been evaluating geosynthetics for use as substitutes for soil daily cover. Due to their satisfactory performance, negligible airspace displacement, simple operation, and their relatively low price, geosynthetic materials are an attractive alternative to soil for daily cover. This paper presents a discussion of the purpose of daily cover along with an outline of the types of geosynthetics evaluated and the operational procedures involved in their use. The paper also presents a major conclusion that alternative materials, such as geosynthetics, should be allowed by regulatory agencies if they can meet performance criteria.