Junipero Serra Landfill
Encyclopedia
The Junipero Serra Landfill was a solid waste disposal site in Colma, California
, USA. The site was closed in 1983 and ultimately developed by commercial land uses, collectively known as the Metro Center. The original commercial use built on the closed landfill
site was a Home Depot Inc.retail store and parking lot constructed over 1,348 piles
, each driven approximately 160 ft (49 m) deep into the landfill (Bay Area Rapid Transit District, 2006). The site also required the engineering of a landfill gas
control system, since, when organic solid waste aerobically decomposes, it produces methane
gas, which is explosive and toxic in large concentrations. SCS Engineers was presented an award by the Solid Waste Association of North America
for the design of the closure methane capture system at this landfill. (SCS Engineers, 2002).
The Junipero Serra Landfill is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula
in the eastern foothills
of the northwest trending Santa Cruz Mountain Range
. The foothills
and eastern flanks of the range are composed largely of poorly consolidated Pliocene-Quaternary freshwater and shallow marine sediment
s that include the Colma and Merced Formations. (Earth Metrics, 1989) (Hart, 1985) The Junipero Serra Landfill began operations in the year 1956 and accepted primarily commercial solid wastes.
Colma, California
Colma is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924....
, USA. The site was closed in 1983 and ultimately developed by commercial land uses, collectively known as the Metro Center. The original commercial use built on the closed landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
site was a Home Depot Inc.retail store and parking lot constructed over 1,348 piles
Deep foundation
A deep foundation is a type of foundation distinguished from shallow foundations by the depth they are embedded into the ground. There are many reasons a geotechnical engineer would recommend a deep foundation over a shallow foundation, but some of the common reasons are very large design loads, a...
, each driven approximately 160 ft (49 m) deep into the landfill (Bay Area Rapid Transit District, 2006). The site also required the engineering of a landfill gas
Landfill gas
Landfill gas is a complex mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill.-Production:Landfill gas production results from chemical reactions and microbes acting upon the waste as the putrescible materials begins to break down in the landfill...
control system, since, when organic solid waste aerobically decomposes, it produces methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
gas, which is explosive and toxic in large concentrations. SCS Engineers was presented an award by the Solid Waste Association of North America
Solid Waste Association of North America
For nearly 50 years, The Solid Waste Association of North America, has been a professional association in the solid waste management field...
for the design of the closure methane capture system at this landfill. (SCS Engineers, 2002).
The Junipero Serra Landfill is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula
San Francisco Peninsula
The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is in Santa Clara County, including the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Mountain...
in the eastern foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
of the northwest trending Santa Cruz Mountain Range
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
. The foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
and eastern flanks of the range are composed largely of poorly consolidated Pliocene-Quaternary freshwater and shallow marine sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
s that include the Colma and Merced Formations. (Earth Metrics, 1989) (Hart, 1985) The Junipero Serra Landfill began operations in the year 1956 and accepted primarily commercial solid wastes.