Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 500-599 - Environmental Protection - Solid Waste Management
Chapter NR 504 - Landfill Location, Performance, Design And Construction Criteria
Section NR 504.07 - Minimum design and construction criteria for final cover systems

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง NR 504.07

Current through August 26, 2024

(1) GENERAL.

(a) All final cover systems shall be designed to minimize leachate generation by limiting the amount of percolation through the cap system, reduce landfill maintenance by stabilizing the final surface through design of compatible slopes and establishment of vegetation, account for differential settlement and other stresses on the capping layer, minimize the climatic effects of freeze-thaw and desiccation on the clay capping layer of the final cover system, and provide removal of leachate and venting of gas from those landfills which accept wastes with a high moisture content or which readily biodegrade.

(b) All new landfills and expansions of existing landfills shall be designed with a final cover system meeting the requirements in subs. (2) to (9) unless it is established to the satisfaction of the department that portions of the final cover system are not needed based on the proposed waste types and the proposed design. The geomembrane component in sub. (5) does not apply to landfills designed exclusively for the disposal of high volume industrial waste, or to other landfills which are not designed to accept municipal solid waste unless the landfill is composite lined.

(c) Any phases of an existing landfill which have been designed and constructed with a composite liner shall be designed and constructed with a final cover system meeting the requirements in subs. (2) to (9), except that the requirement for the geomembrane layer in sub. (5) does not apply to composite lined phases of existing landfills which have completed final cover placement by July 1, 1996.

(d) Landfills which accept papermill sludges or other industrial solid wastes with high water contents and low strength may propose alternate final cover systems if the strength of the waste mass will not allow for the construction of the cover system required in this section.

(2) GRADING LAYER. A minimum 6 inch thick grading layer shall be designed over the final waste elevation of landfills proposing to accept municipal solid waste to attain the required slope and provide for a stable base for subsequent system components. Daily and intermediate cover may be used for this purpose.

(3) SUPPORT LAYER FOR LOW-STRENGTH WASTES. A support layer shall be designed for stabilization, reinforcement and removal of leachate and gas over the final waste elevations for landfills which accept industrial solid wastes with high water contents and low strength.

(4) CLAY CAPPING LAYER. A minimum 2 foot thick clay cap shall be designed to provide a low hydraulic conductivity barrier to percolation. Clay used for this layer shall meet the specifications in s. NR 504.06(2) (a). The clay capping layer shall be constructed according to s. NR 504.06(2) (f). Final cover systems that are required to include a geomembrane layer may be designed with the following alternatives to the clay component of the composite capping layer:

(a) The clay component of the capping layer may be replaced by a GCL overlying a minimum of 2 feet of soil barrier layer. This GCL layer and the soil barrier layer shall meet the following material and construction specifications:
1. The GCL shall consist of a layer of sodium bentonite clay encapsulated between 2 geotextiles.

2. The GCL shall be covered with a geomembrane the same day that it is unpacked and placed in position. The GCL may not be installed in standing water or during rain. The GCL shall be dry when installed and covered. A GCL exhibiting unconfined swelling shall be removed and replaced.

3. The GCL shall be installed in a relaxed condition and shall be free of tension or stress upon completion of the installation. The GCL may not be stretched to fit.

4. Adjoining panels of a GCL shall be laid with a minimum of 6 inches of overlap on the longitudinal seams and a minimum 20 inches of overlap on the panel end seams.

5. Irregular shapes, cuts or tears in the installed GCL shall be covered with a GCL patch that provides a minimum 12 inch overlap onto adjacent GCL surfaces.

6. A seal of loose bentonite granules shall be placed in seam overlaps at a minimum rate of one quarter pound per linear foot of seam for all panel end seams and longitudinal seams. The seal of loose bentonite may be deleted, with concurrence by the department, for longitudinal seams where the manufacturer has processed the overlap area to enhance sealing. The seal may not be deleted for any longitudinal seams that are transitions between construction phases.

7. Loose bentonite or bentonite amended soil shall be placed at all patches and penetrations.

8. GCL panels shall be certified needle-free through magnetic and metal detection tests.

9. The GCL shall be placed in direct contact with a soil barrier layer.

10. Vehicle traffic on the subgrade of the GCL and on the GCL shall be restricted to the minimum weight and number of machines needed to deploy the GCL and geomembrane. Vehicles shall be operated to minimize the formation of ruts and surface deformations and to prevent damage to the GCL and geomembrane. Deployment methods shall be selected to prevent any tearing or combing out of fibers of the GCL.

11. Soil cover placement over the geosynthetics shall be completed in the same construction season as the geosynthetic construction.

12. The soil barrier layer shall consist of fine-grained soil or a well graded sandy soil with fines, meeting the USCS soil types ML, CL, CH, SM, or SC or dual-symbol classifications of these soils, with at least 25% by weight passing the P200 sieve size. The upper one foot shall have a maximum particle size of 2 inches or less. The lower one foot shall have a maximum particle size of 4 inches or less.

13. The soil barrier layer shall be compacted in lift heights of no greater than 12 inches after compaction using footed compaction equipment with feet at least 6 inches long. Each lift shall be disked or otherwise mechanically processed prior to compaction to break up clods and allow for moisture content adjustment. Clod size shall be no greater than 4 inches.

14. A sufficient number of passes of the compaction equipment shall be made over each lift to ensure complete remolding of the soil. All compaction equipment utilized shall have a minimum static weight of 30,000 pounds. Compaction equipment with static weight that exceeds 15,000 pounds may be utilized where it utilizes vibration to achieve dynamic compaction that exceeds 30,000 pounds of compaction energy. Lighter equipment may be used in small areas where it is not possible to use full size equipment. Alternative procedures or equipment may be proposed for approval by the department.

15. All soil shall be compacted to 90% modified or 95% standard Proctor density or greater at a moisture content at or wet of optimum. As soil placement proceeds, the minimum density and moisture content targets shall be adjusted as necessary.

16. Each lift shall be keyed into clay or soil barrier layer soils in adjacent phases to form a continuous seal. This shall be accomplished by excavating steps with a minimum width of 2 feet along the edge of the existing phase and overlapping them with lifts being placed for the new phase. A minimum of 2 steps shall be included.

17. The surface of the top lift shall be graded or compacted to be smooth and firm and shall be inspected for removal of coarse gravel, cobbles and debris prior to placement of a GCL.

(b) For industrial solid waste landfills that predominantly accept compressible wastes or wastes with high water contents and low strength, the clay layer may be replaced by a GCL overlying a minimum of a one foot sand layer. The gradation of the sand layer shall be a uniform sand selected to vent gas, drain leachate and provide hydration water to the GCL.

(c) For industrial solid waste landfills that predominantly accept ash, the clay layer may be replaced by a GCL overlying a minimum of 2 feet of soil barrier layer. The soil barrier layer shall meet the requirements of par. (a) 13. to 17. The upper foot of soil barrier layer shall also meet the requirements of par. (a) 12. The lower foot shall be designed to provide a capillary break between the ash and the upper one foot of soil barrier layer.

(d) The lower one foot of the clay layer may be replaced with a minimum of one foot of foundry green sand system sand with a bentonite content of greater than 6%, a liquid limit of greater than 20, a plasticity index of greater than 6, and a hydraulic conductivity of less than 1x10-7 cm/sec. The green sand system sand shall be compacted to 90% modified or 95% standard Proctor density or greater at a moisture content at or wet of optimum.

(5) GEOMEMBRANE LAYER. A geomembrane layer shall be designed to provide a low hydraulic conductivity barrier to percolation. The design and construction of the geomembrane component of the final cover system shall meet the requirements of s. NR 504.06(3) (c) to (j) and the following:

(a) The nominal geomembrane thickness shall be 40 mils or greater, with no thickness measurements falling below industry accepted manufacturing tolerances.

(b) The geomembrane shall be installed in direct contact with the clay capping layer.

(c) Penetrations of the geomembrane, such as gas extraction wells, shall be fitted with prefabricated collars of pipe and membrane or plate and welded at the same angles which the penetrations make with the final cover slope. Methods of fixing membrane boots to vertical pipes extending above the geomembrane shall allow for differential settlement of the waste with respect to the piping without damage to the membrane seal.

(6) DRAINAGE AND ROOTING ZONE LAYER. A minimum 2.5 foot thick drainage and rooting zone layer shall be designed above the geomembrane layer or clay capping layer. This layer shall include a rooting zone to provide additional rooting depth for vegetation and to protect the geomembrane layer or the clay capping layer from freeze-thaw damage and other environmental effects. It shall also include a drainage layer to allow for the drainage of liquid infiltrating through the cap. Soils available on or near the proposed landfill property may be proposed for the rooting zone portion of this layer. This layer may not be densely compacted.

(a) For all landfills, a drainage layer shall be designed immediately above the capping layer. The drainage layer shall consist of a minimum of one foot of sand with a minimum hydraulic conductivity of 1x10-3 cm/sec or a geosynthetic drain layer of equivalent or greater flow capacity. The design shall include an analysis which demonstrates whether the maximum head in the drain layer will be confined within the thickness of the drain. Drain calculations shall include infiltration rates based on saturated characteristics of the topsoil and rooting zone and a hydraulic gradient of one through the topsoil and rooting zone.

(b) A perimeter drain pipe shall be placed at the low end of all final cover sideslopes. The drain pipe shall be surrounded by a minimum of 6 inches of gravel or sand with a minimum hydraulic conductivity of 1x10-2 cm/sec. The drain pipe shall be sloped to a series of outlets at spacings no further than every 200 feet. Modeling may be submitted to the department which supports the proposal of a different spacing.

(7) TOPSOIL. A minimum of 6 inches of topsoil shall be designed over the cover layer to support the proposed vegetation. Fertilizer and lime shall be added in accordance with section 630, Wisconsin department of transportation standard specifications for road and bridge construction or other appropriate specifications in order to establish a thick vegetative growth.

(8) REVEGETATION. The seed type and amount of fertilizer applied shall be proposed depending on the type and quality of topsoil and compatibility with both native vegetation and the final use. Unless otherwise approved by the department in writing, seed mixtures and sowing rates shall be those specified for right-of-ways according to section 630, 2003 edition of the Wisconsin department of transportation standard specifications for highway and structure construction and the 2004 supplemental specifications. Application rates for fertilizer and mulch shall also be specified.

Note: The 2003 edition of the Wisconsin department of transportation standard specifications for highway and structure construction and any annual supplemental specifications are available at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/business/engrserv/procedures.htmor can be obtained from the department of natural resources, bureau of waste management, 101 S. Webster Street, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921, (608) 266-2111, waste.management@dnr.state.wi.us. Copies are also available for inspection at the offices of the legislative reference bureau and the secretary of state.

(9) FINAL USE. The proposed final use shall be compatible with the final cover system. The following activities are prohibited at solid waste disposal landfills which are no longer in operation unless specifically approved by the department in writing.

(a) Use of the waste disposal area for agricultural purposes.

(b) Establishment or construction of any buildings over the waste disposal area.

(c) Excavation of the final cover or any waste materials.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wisconsin may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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