Construction Administration Engineering / Construction Quality Assurance

Tessman Road Landfill Solar Energy Cover - Republic Services, Inc.

CQA TessmanSan Antonio, Texas - When Republic Waste Services’ Tessman Road municipal solid waste landfill reached permitted final grades, they sought ways to modify the existing closure design that would transform a landfill closure system into a renewable-energy park. Their primary consultant, HDR, Inc. came up with a “solar solution” that involved installing a solar energy cover using exposed geomembrane solar cap (EGSC) technology. Atlantic Coast Consulting, Inc. (ACC) was retained to provide the Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) services on the project. The solar energy cover installed at the Tessman Road Landfill in early 2009 is now generating about 120 KW of renewable solar power.

Solar panels were affixed directly to the surface of an exposed geomembrane cap and the solar power is tied directly into the existing landfill-gas-to-energy system. Instead of an expensive to maintain grassy cap or an effective, but underutilized geomembrane cap, the Tessman Road Landfill Solar Energy Cover allows Republic Waste Services to generate electricity that can be sold to the local power company and used for onsite energy needs. The Tessman Road Landfill Solar Energy Cover generates renewable energy; creates a revenue stream; and reduces maintenance costs of mowing a grass-covered landfill cap while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

CQA TessmanThis innovative process began by the installation of a solar cover over a 5.6 acre section of the landfill sideslope. The initial phase of the solar cover opened in early April 2009 on the southern side of Phase 3 of the landfill. This first-ever EGSC features 1,050 flexible laminate solar panels mounted on a 60-mil reinforced thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) geomembrane cover. The EGSC design provides greater environmental protection than a traditional landfill cap. The construction of an EGSC includes a bedding layer of at least 12 inches of intermediate cover and a final layer to achieve the prescribed final grades. The bedding layer is compacted and graded to achieve a smooth surface with desired slopes and transitions to support the geomembrane anchored above. The geomembrane engineered into the landfill slopes becomes an ideal stable platform for flexible solar panels. The EGSC design allows the landfill cover system to be built based on local weather conditions and desired or warranted length of service. Materials can easily be replaced, and continued beneficial reuse of the area can be achieved indefinitely.

The EGSC has many advantages over traditional closed landfill covers: greater cover stability that withstands stresses and strains from severe weather; greater erosion control and soil maintenance; less rainwater intrusion as the EGSC is designed to sheet-flow rainwater directly into a perimeter drainage channel; ease of visual inspection and surface repairs; and long-term outdoor performance. Also, the system is expected to generate renewable electricity throughout the 30-year post closure long-term care period and beyond. Savings in maintenance typically associated with the standard Subtitle D landfill closure are realized and EGSC design requires less airspace than the traditional covers.

The Tessman Road Landfill Solar Energy cover project is an outstanding example of sustainable investment, with high benefit-to-cost ratio, relatively low risk and great potential to increase energy efficiency. Solar energy generated from a landfill can also serve as a prominent reminder to a community of a major beneficial reuse of a closed landfill, fostering energy resilience and reducing overall energy consumption.

Enoree Phase II Landfill - Greenville County, South Carolina

The County of Greenville has selected ACC to provide the construction quality assurance (CQA) service for the closure of the Enoree Phase II Landfill. The Enoree Landfill closure is the largest landfill closure project for ACC in the State of South Carolina consisting of approximately 80-acres of final cover area. Mr. Scott Callaway, ACC’s vice president of construction services, serves as the CQA project manager for this project and Mr. Robert Brown, P.E. as the certifying engineer.

Twin Chimneys Landfill, Cell 2 - Greenville County, South Carolina

ACC was chosen by the County of Greenville as the construction quality assurance (CQA) service provider for the construction of Cell 2 at the Twin Chimneys Landfill. This project involves the construction of an approximately 7-acre Subtitle-D cell, at this site located in Southern Greenville County along Highway 25, near the Laurens County border. Mr. Scott Callaway, ACC’s vice president of construction services, serves as the CQA project manager for this project and Mr. Robert Brown, P.E. as the certifying engineer.

Live Oak MSW Landfill CQA for Closure - Waste Management, Inc. (WM)

Live OakAtlanta, Georgia - ACC was selected to provide construction quality assurance (CQA) services for the closure of WM’s high profile Live Oak Landfill in Atlanta Georgia. The approximately 100 acre closure project is the largest single landfill closure project constructed in the State of Georgia and is thought to be the largest WM closure project as well. The project involved the placement of over 600,000 cubic yards of soil cover and over 8 million square feet of geosynthethic materials. ACC staff provided full time construction observation for the project utilizing ACC’s senior construction quality assurance monitors, Joe Emmons and Tim Schreiber, and certification of the construction by Richard Deason, P.E.

Candler Road MSW Landfill Cell 4 Construction - Hall County Board of Commissioners

Hall County, Georgia - The Hall County Board of Commissioners provided ACC its first design project with the award of a contract to assist the County with the construction of Cell 4 of the Candler Road MSW LandfillHall County. Services provided included preparation of construction drawings, bid documents and specifications, construction Administration engineering, and construction quality assurance services for the approximately 5 acre composite lined cell. Construction of the cell included the placement of over 15,000 cubic yards of clay and approximately 218,000 square feet of 60 mil HDPE liner. The project also included construction of a new storm water detention/sedimentation basin.

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