Primary publication: TIEFBAU February 2007

Summary: Surface sealing systems are aimed to reduce the impact a filled and sealed landfill has on the environment to an acceptable level. The sealing system must prevent uncontrolled release of landfill gas and pollutants as well as the infiltration of precipitation into the landfill  body.
 
In all regulations on landfills in Germany, and also in the EU Landfill Directive, the specified applicable sealing method for surface sealing systems is the mineral sealing layer of natural cohesive soils, compacted in compliance with state-of-the-art technologies. After positive experiences and verifications of the efficiency of mineral sealing layers on the base of the landfill, for many years now there have been indications of inadequate effectiveness and complete failure of compacted mineral sealing layers in landfill surface sealing systems.

(Updated lecture from the seminar “Geotechnical Aspects in Environmental Protection” at Braunschweig Technical University, March 23/24, 2006)