Shivashankar, Mirle R.

Many modern landfills are constructed with double liner systems. Leachate leakage rates through double liner systems are calculated using recently developed formulations which are theoretically correct for leakage detection system (LDS) materials that have unrestricted lateral flow properties. But their applicability to geonets, the most commonly used LDS material, has yet to be determined. In double liner systems, the leakage through the primary liner, the properties of the LDS material, and the slope of the LDS determine the flow patterns in the LDS. These flow patterns are then used to determine the amount of leachate, if any, which leaks through the bottom liner into the ground. This thesis describes the experimental determination of the flow patterns in the geonets and their relationships to established design formulations.