Simulation of geomembrane response to settlement in landfills by using the material point method

Because of the multiple layers of dissimilar materials and large deformations involved in the subsidence of a landfill system, large-scale computer simulation of the geomechanical response to subsidence with the use of conventional numerical methods are problematic. The Material Point (MPM),(1,2) which was recently developed for dynamic problems such as penetration and perforation, is a newly emerging numerical method. The MPM is modified in this paper to simulate the geomechanical response of a landfill cover system that includes a geomembrane under quasi-static loading conditions. Sample problems, for which an analytical solution is available with certain assumptions, are considered to demonstrate the proposed solution procedure. Future work is discussed based on current research results. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.