Landfill Development & Optimization
Capacity should be more than permitted - it should be buildable, usable, and operationally practical.
Landfill development requires more than maximizing permitted limits. Capacity must be practical to construct, efficient to operate, and adaptable to changing site conditions over time.
ARM Group provides integrated engineering, optimization, and construction-phase support for new landfill development, expansions, and improvements to existing facilities. Our teams consider permitting requirements, site constraints, waste placement, infrastructure, construction sequencing, and long-term operations together—helping clients make informed decisions about how to develop and use available landfill capacity.
Explore ARM Group's Services
Solid Waste
Engineering
& Design
Practical designs informed by site conditions and operations.
Airspace Optimization
& MSE Berms
Strategies to maximize usable capacity within the landfill footprint.
Construction Services
& Inspections
Field support connecting design intent with construction execution
Effective landfill design must balance regulatory requirements with how a facility will actually be built and operated. ARM Group develops designs around site-specific conditions, available airspace, infrastructure needs, construction sequencing, and future phases of development.
Our multidisciplinary teams integrate solid waste, geotechnical, civil, environmental, and water-resource considerations early in the design process. This coordinated approach helps identify potential conflicts before construction and supports designs that are practical to permit, construct, operate, and maintain.
Services Include:
- New landfill cells and expansions
- Vertical and lateral expansion design
- Landfill grading and development sequencing
- Liner and final cover systems
- Leachate collection and conveyance systems
- Landfill gas infrastructure coordination
- Stormwater management and erosion control
- Geotechnical and slope stability evaluations
- Construction plans and technical specifications
- Design support through permitting and construction
Airspace Optimization & MSE Berms
Optimization in Practice
ARM Group value-engineered ACUA’s permitted MSE berm to increase usable landfill capacity while reducing construction material needs and costs. By narrowing the berm cross-section, the redesign shifted the waste limit outward and significantly reduced the amount of imported soil required.
ARM also designed and permitted the use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) as the primary backfill material, providing a more readily available alternative to native soil.
$4.6 million
in estimated construction cost savings
200,000 CY
RAP placed during Phase 1
~20%
Phase 1 construction cost reduction
90 DAYS
Schedule reduction
For existing landfills, additional capacity does not always require additional property. Evaluating grades, slopes, sequencing, infrastructure, and perimeter conditions can identify opportunities to use the existing footprint more efficiently.
ARM Group evaluates airspace alternatives in the context of constructability, operational impacts, geotechnical conditions, and cost. Where appropriate, mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) berms can provide a practical means of supporting steeper perimeter grades and creating additional disposal capacity. Our approach considers the berm, landfill systems, foundation conditions, drainage, settlement, and future waste placement as an integrated design.
Services Include
- Airspace and capacity evaluations
- Vertical expansion alternatives
- Landfill grading optimization
- MSE berm feasibility and design
- Alternative berm configurations and materials
- Slope stability and settlement evaluations
- Foundation and geotechnical analysis
- Operational and construction phasing
- Infrastructure modification and coordination
- Airspace, constructability, and cost comparisons
Construction Services & Inspections
The transition from design to construction is where field conditions, material availability, sequencing, and existing infrastructure can affect even a well-developed plan.
ARM Group provides construction-phase engineering and inspection services to help clients maintain design intent, address field conditions, document construction, and keep work progressing. Because our construction teams understand both the design's engineering basis and the realities of landfill operations, they can identify practical solutions when conditions differ from what was anticipated.
Services Include:
- Construction administration
- Construction quality assurance and inspection
- Earthwork and landfill system observations
- MSE berm construction support
- Liner and cover system inspections
- Leachate and landfill gas system observations
- Shop drawing and submittal review
- Requests for information and field coordination
- Testing and documentation coordination
- As-built documentation
- Construction certification
- Startup and commissioning support
Why ARM Group
Engineering Decisions Informed by the Field
Landfill development is an interconnected process. A grading change can affect airspace, stormwater, gas collection, leachate infrastructure, construction sequencing, and daily operations. ARM Group brings engineering, environmental, geotechnical, and construction experience together throughout the development process. By considering how a design will be permitted, built, operated, and expanded—not simply how it appears on a plan—we help clients develop landfill capacity that is both technically sound and practical in the field.
Talk to a Solid Waste Expert
Have a landfill development, optimization, or construction challenge? Tell us a little about your project and our team will connect with you.