The client needed greater storage volume at its existing landfill site to cater to at least two additional years’ worth of waste. The landfill was in a congested zone, and expanding horizontally would be an expensive and unfeasible option.

Thinking out of the box, Strata devised a containment system with a reinforced soil structure, which is a slim yet safe structure. The lean structure would generate more space for storage. This vertical expansion was made possible without the need for a voluminous earth retaining structure.

The complete construction involved two of Strata’s innovative systems: StrataSlope® and StrataBlock™. The inner slope (StrataSlope®) that bordered the landfill material was a StrataGrid™ fascia wrapped around soil bags. This face was draped with a composite of geomembrane and non-woven geotextile to prevent landfill leachate from seeping into the containment. Lastly, to provide a maintenance-free structure, Strata provided an aesthetically pleasing outer fascia. StrataBlock™, precast segmental concrete modular blocks in connection with the internal StrataGrid™ using keys, is the face of the wall, providing a ‘fortress’ look to the structure. The total fascia area of the reinforced soil containment system is 6,600 sqm.

Building India’s first vertical landfill, Strata increased the total dumping capacity by 2 times compared to conventional methods.