This study aims to develop a motor-based, non-uniform settlement simulator to understand the deformation behaviour of landfill cap covers in a 1.1 m balanced beam centrifuge. For this purpose, a motor-based non-uniform settlement simulator was custom-designed, fabricated and tested at 60 gravities. The developed test setup can induce a maximum central settlement of 20 mm, corresponding to 1.2 m in prototype dimensions. A landfill cap cover of kaolin clay with a thickness of 10 mm, moistly compacted at OMC to its maximum dry density, has been tested in the developed setup. Marker-based Digital Image Analysis was performed using the photographs of front elevation captured in-flight at various settlement stages for obtaining the deformation profiles. The setup was tested at a gravity level of 60 g with a clay barrier subjected to a 20 mm central settlement, forming tension cracks throughout the breadth, exhibiting the superior performance of the setup. The motor-based non-uniform settlement simulator can also be used to understand the subsidence effect on soil layers and geostructures.