Construction of a 2D instrumented channel for cover layer performance evaluation
unsaturated soils; cover layers; capillary barriers
This work presents the construction of a 2D flow channel instrumented with suction and humidity meters, for the evaluation and simulation of final layers of sanitary landfills, in an environment where the weather can be controlled. Considering the objective of comparing different solutions of final layers exposed to the typical climate of the Brazilian semi-arid region, the treatment of climate data from four cities belonging to the semi-arid region (Remanso, Petrolina, Irecê, and Barra) was carried out and used as a basis for carrying out of the trials. Throughout this work, two types of final layers were simulated (conventional and capillary barrier). In the first test, the control of radiation (through the construction of a solar simulator) and pluviometry (through the construction of a rain simulator) was imposed on a capillary barrier. In contrast, in the second test, in addition to the radiation and pluviometric regime, the temperature (controlled from the balance between the solar simulator and an air conditioner) and relative humidity were also controlled, in a conventional layer using a clayey soil with low permeability. These two experiments showed the relevance and influence of climatic variables on the response of the simulated final layers, as well as the potential of using the flow channel to generate relevant data for simulating infiltration
models in these layers.