Patent ID: 8784008

Claim:
A combination of an existing landfill and a berm to increase capacity of the existing landfill, the landfill comprising a waste-receiving recess having a surface and an outer perimeter, an edge surface peripherally adjacent at least a portion of the outer perimeter, and an existing accumulation of waste within the recess having a collective top surface, the berm comprising: a reinforced portion having opposing inner and outer surfaces and comprising fill material and a plurality of reinforcing members disposed therein; backfill material having an inner surface adjacent the inner surface of the reinforced portion; and an impermeable membrane encapsulating at least a portion of the backfill material, at least a portion of the fill material, and at least a portion of one or more of the reinforcing members; wherein at least a portion of the berm sits on at least a portion of the edge surface of the landfill; wherein the impermeable membrane comprises a plurality of impermeable membrane sections; and wherein opposing edges of at least one impermeable membrane section are impermeably affixed to respective adjacent ones of the plurality of reinforcing members such that a portion of the fill material between the adjacent reinforcing members is on one side of the impermeable membrane and a different portion of the till material between the adjacent reinforcing members is on a different side of the impermeable membrane and such that impermeability of the membrane is maintained.