Every Phase of the
Landfill Lifecycle
From initial site selection through to final closure and long-term post-closure monitoring, SHA provides the complete range of engineering services required to plan, build, operate, and close solid waste facilities across BC.
Ten Specialist Services,
One Focused Team
Every service SHA provides is delivered by engineers who work exclusively in solid waste management. Click any service to learn more about scope, approach, and what’s included.
Landfill Design & Operations Plans
Engineered design from liner systems through full operations planning
Engineered landfill design for BC municipalities and corporations, from liner systems and cell sequencing to full regulatory-ready operations plans. Every SHA design is site-specific, built from first principles to perform across the full operational lifecycle.
Our design philosophy starts with the natural attributes of your site. Good liner design, leachate management, and gas control are most effective when they work with site conditions rather than against them.
What’s Included
- Site characterization & investigation
- Liner system design
- Cell sequencing & airspace planning
- Leachate collection integration
- Stormwater management
- Regulatory submissions
- Tender drawings & specifications
- QA/QC oversight
Landfill Siting Studies
Multi-criteria analysis to identify the right site before you commit
Site selection is one of the highest-stakes decisions in the life of a solid waste facility. A poor siting choice creates decades of operational challenges, regulatory friction, and community conflict. SHA’s siting studies identify the best available site before any commitments are made.
We conduct multi-criteria screening that balances regulatory requirements, environmental sensitivity, geology, hydrology, community considerations, and long-term operational factors, producing a defensible, documented recommendation.
What’s Included
- Constraint mapping & screening
- Environmental sensitivity analysis
- Hydrogeological assessment
- Geotechnical suitability review
- Community & regulatory factors
- Site ranking & recommendation report
- Regulatory pre-consultation support
Landfill Closure & End Use Plans
Comprehensive closure strategies that protect long-term performance and land value
SHA has closed landfills across British Columbia for regional districts and municipalities of all sizes. Closure is not simply a regulatory obligation, it’s an engineering challenge that demands the same rigour as the original design.
Our closure plans balance environmental performance, long-term maintenance requirements, and post-closure end use potential, giving communities a restored asset, not a lingering liability.
What’s Included
- Final cover system design
- Slope stability analysis
- Settlement & subsidence modelling
- Post-closure monitoring programs
- End use planning & site restoration
- Financial assurance documentation
- BC Ministry of Environment submissions
Transfer Station Siting, Design & Operations
Efficient waste transfer infrastructure from site to facility
SHA provides full-service transfer station engineering, from initial siting through to facility design and operations planning, with tipping floors, traffic flow, and operational logistics that work in practice, not just on paper.
What’s Included
- Site siting & feasibility analysis
- Facility design & tipping floor layout
- Traffic & access planning
- Environmental controls design
- Operations & maintenance plans
- Permit applications & approvals
Landfill Gas Control & Utilization
Methane management for compliance, safety, and potential revenue
SHA designs passive and active gas management systems integrated with the overall facility design. From simple passive venting for small rural landfills to active extraction and flaring systems for larger facilities, SHA engineers the right-sized solution for your site.
What’s Included
- Gas generation modelling
- Passive & active collection systems
- Flaring system design
- Energy recovery feasibility assessment
- Odour impact assessment
- Regulatory compliance documentation
Leachate Collection Systems
Groundwater protection through engineered containment and treatment
SHA designs leachate collection and treatment systems as an integrated component of the overall landfill design (not as an add-on) ensuring effective containment throughout the facility’s operational life and beyond.
What’s Included
- Collection layer & drainage design
- Sump & conveyance systems
- Pump station design
- Treatment system selection & design
- Leachate quantity & quality modelling
- Long-term monitoring program design
Settlement & Compaction Studies
Waste mass behaviour analysis for design, operations, and closure
SHA’s settlement studies provide the analytical foundation needed to make confident design and operational decisions, drawing on site-specific monitoring data and models calibrated to BC conditions.
What’s Included
- Settlement rate modelling
- Compaction monitoring program design
- Airspace optimization analysis
- Cover system performance assessment
- Post-closure settlement prediction
- Infrastructure impact assessment
Environmental Assessment & Monitoring
Regulatory-compliant monitoring programs and assessment reports
SHA designs and manages environmental monitoring programs for operating and closed landfill facilities across BC. Our programs meet Ministry of Environment permit conditions and flag emerging issues before they become regulatory problems.
What’s Included
- Groundwater monitoring network design
- Surface water quality assessment
- Environmental geochemistry
- Annual monitoring & compliance reports
- Permit compliance documentation
- Remediation planning support
Geotechnical Stability Assessments
Structural integrity analysis for design, expansion, and closure
SHA’s geotechnical stability assessments are conducted as an integrated part of our design and closure practice, informing decisions from the outset rather than serving as a final check.
What’s Included
- Slope stability analysis
- Foundation & bearing capacity assessment
- Seismic stability evaluation
- Liner system geotechnics
- Field investigation programs
- Independent peer review
Engineering Design, Specifications & Construction
From concept drawings through built facility: SHA stays involved throughout
SHA provides complete engineering design and construction services, from concept drawings through construction-ready tender documents, technical specifications, and on-site QA/QC. Keeping the design engineer involved through construction ensures the built facility matches the approved design.
What’s Included
- Concept & detailed design drawings
- Tender documents & specifications
- Contractor tendering support
- Construction inspection
- QA/QC documentation & reporting
- As-built drawing review
Industrial & environmental work
Mills, mines, ports and private landfills: waste discharge permits, NPRI and greenhouse gas reporting, industrial landfill design, stormwater and slope monitoring.
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