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Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment

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21-08-2018 | Original Paper

Mesomechanics characteristics of soil reinforcement by plant roots

Authors: Yun-Yan Zhou, Xiao-Mei Wang

Published in: Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment | Issue 5/2019

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Abstract

Vegetation for slope protection is widely used nowadays because of the role of plants in slope strengthening and environmental restoration. However, due to the lack of effective testing, root reinforcement in soil stability is mostly assessed in macroscopic mechanical analysis. This paper aims to investigate the mesomechanical characteristics of soil reinforcement with plant roots using a computed tomography (CT) triaxial compression apparatus. A series of unconsolidated-undrained CT triaxial compression tests of clay samples with and without Broussonetia papyrifera roots were conducted. By using CT technology, distinctive CT images and detailed CT data were obtained at different strains during loading. The soil crack data of CT images were then analyzed with MatLab. Finally, the evolution of internal structure of soil samples during loading was investigated. It indicated that the number, length, and width of cracks in the rooted soil samples evolved more slowly than those of the non-rooted samples during loading. In addition, it was observed that soil samples with thicker roots continued to bear loads even after local cracks appeared due to root bridging. In summary, at the mesoscopic level, the fact that roots inhibit further crack expansion and their bridging behavior helps increase the soil strength and toughness.

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Title: Mesomechanics characteristics of soil reinforcement by plant roots
Authors: Yun-Yan Zhou
Xiao-Mei Wang
Publication date: 21-08-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment / Issue 5/2019
Print ISSN: 1435-9529
Electronic ISSN: 1435-9537
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-018-1370-y

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