ABSTRACT
The settlements are a result of the loss of the solid parts of the organic constituents of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and the knowledge of gravimetric and volumetric characteristics of these residues may contribute to the development of settlements in percentage terms. The objective of this study was quantifying the gravimetric and volumetric composition of MSW relating it to the behavior of settlements in an experimental cell located in a small city. The methodology consisted of construction, instrumentation and filling of the experimental cell MSW, followed by physical characterization and monitoring of the waste settlements over time. This study showed that MSW of the city studied is mostly composed of organic matter and plastics. These materials influenced directly on the behavior of settlements, a characteristic that is closely linked to gravimetric and volumetric composition of the waste. However, as only these factors do not determine the vertical displacements, other physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of great importance should be also analysed as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and volatile solids.
Keywords:
Gravimetry; volumetry of waste; settlements; MSW
