Professor Reddy awarded three year grant
Congratulations to Professor Krishna Reddy for his new three year grant from the National Science Foundation entitled “Modeling Coupled Dynamic Processes in Landfills: Holistic Long-Term Performance Management to Improve Sustainability.” The grant is for $279,281, and this is Professor Reddy’s second active NSF grant in this area.
Abstract
This project will develop a new coupled mathematical tool to enable the design and operation of stable, effective and sustainable engineered landfills, thereby minimizing long-term risks to the surrounding environment and public. The tool will enable practitioners and regulators to predict the highly complex landfill stabilization period, and allow for the planning of beneficial reuse of landfill space, such as recreational facilities, by accurately accounting for a differential settlement and stabilization period. With controlled, predictable, rapid municipal solid waste decomposition and a reduced stabilization period: (a) non-degradable municipal solid waste may be mined and processed, reducing the amount of landfill mass encapsulated within a landfill; (b) post-closure monitoring can be shortened and associated expenditures considerably reduced; and (c) concerns about the long-term performance of geosynthetic liners and related environmental risks can be addressed. This research involves multiple disciplines, including geoenvironmental engineering, sustainable engineering, biology, and computational mechanics. Read more