Solid Waste Engineering

Dolby Landfill – Katahdin Paper

Dolby Landfill – Katahdin Paper

SME designs and permits many new landfills, landfill expansions and landfill closures in Maine, New Hampshire, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Our services extend from site selection through site characterization, design, permitting, and construction monitoring.

SME designs landfills in a wide range of hydrogeologic settings where both traditional and innovative engineering are necessary. The landfill system designs by SME include:

Mt. Carberry Landfill Gas Flare - AVRRDD

Mt. Carberry Landfill Gas Flare - AVRRDD

Hydraulic Barrier Layers

Each of the landfills designed by SME includes a hydraulic barrier as part of the liner and/or cover system. The hydraulic barriers include: (1) low-hydraulic conductivity compacted clay and till barriers; (2) flexible membrane barriers using both high-density polyethylene and very low-density polyethylene fabrics; (3) geosynthetic clay liners; and (4) composite cover systems incorporating both natural, low-hydraulic conductivity soils and a flexible membrane liner.

Geosynthetic Membranes

SME has designed and supervised the installation of over fifty million square feet of geosynthetic membranes in conjunction with new landfill construction and landfill closure projects. As indicated in the project summaries attached, geosynthetic membranes have been utilized in conjunction with the majority of landfill projects designed by SME.

Leachate Management

SME has designed and monitored the construction of a number of leachate collection and storage projects in conjunction with new landfill construction and landfill closure projects. Typically, the leachate collection systems associated with new landfills incorporate liner systems, leak detection, leachate collection, and transport piping that lead to a leachate storage basin or an aboveground glass lined storage tank. The leachate from the on-site storage structures is normally transported to a centrally located system for treatment. SME has designed leachate pump stations and dual-contained leachate force mains for many of our landfill projects. SME has also designed surface water drainage systems and groundwater cut-off trenches upgradient and downgradient of many landfills to control and manage water flow around the site and to minimize leachate generation.

Landfill Operations

SME provides operational support through development of operation and maintenance plans, development of stormwater pollution prevention plans, training, ongoing geotechnical laboratory testing, stability analysis and annual updates to sequencing and capacity analyses.

Landfill Gas Management

Landfill Gas Management

Landfill Gas Management

SME provides a broad range of services related to the management of landfill gas (LFG). SME has designed, permitted, and provided construction phase engineering services for LFG extraction and flaring systems designed to control odors and gas migration. These systems have included gas treatment units designed to treat LFG with over 5,000 ppm of hydrogen sulfide. SME has prepared and provided permitting and operating services for LFG systems, including U.S.EPA Title V air permits preparation of LFG site operation manual, and site location permits for LFG to energy facilities. SME has also evaluated LFG migration in subsurface soils and has completed designs to address migration issues.

SME is currently providing services related to the monetization of LFG carbon credits and the evaluation of alternative LFG-to-energy projects. SME has developed expertise in a range of LFG-to-energy technologies, including: (a) electrical generation using micro-turbines and reciprocating engines; (b) radiant heating; and (c) co-generation systems.

Project Descriptions


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