Brown gold: redevelopment of former quarry and landfill sites

This paper presents a discussion of key geotechnical considerations and challenges associated with the rehabilitation and redevelopment of former quarry and landfill sites, including open quarry pits to be backfilled with imported engineered fill and former quarry pits that are already backfilled with uncontrolled fill materials where it is not practical to remove the landfill/uncontrolled fill materials as part of the rehabilitation/redevelopment. Geotechnical considerations and challenges that are discussed include the importance of communication with regulatory authorities throughout planning, design and handover, the challenges associated with geotechnical investigation of former landfill sites, the availability of materials from onsite sources or importation for use as engineered fill, requirements for assessing and monitoring ground settlement and the importance of quality assurance (e.g. Level 1 inspection and testing) during rehabilitation/redevelopment earthworks. Development outcomes ranging from public open space to residential or commercial development are also discussed.