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Effect of soil moisture content on the deformation behaviour of root-reinforced soils subjected to shear

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Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study on how soil moisture content affects the deformation behaviour within root-reinforced soils subjected to shear. In-situ shear tests were carried out in this research. The plant used in the shear tests was Prickly Sesban (Sesbania cannabina Merr.). The shear deformation within the root-reinforced soil after shear was measured. The effect of soil moisture content and the root area ratio on the development of the shear zone was investigated. The experimental results showed that the deformed shape within the soil for root-reinforced soils subjected to shear correlated well with the exponential decay function. The width of the shear zone of root-reinforced soils increases with increasing soil moisture content. Additionally, the width of the shear zone increases with increasing root area ratio. Widths of the shear zone developed in front of and beside the root structure are greater than those behind the root structure. Finally, the mechanism between the shear strength increase provided by roots and the development of the shear zone width are discussed in this paper.

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Acknowledgments

This research work was sponsored by the National Science Council in Taiwan under the grant number NSC 95-2221-E-327 -014. This support is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Construction Engrg., National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, 2 Jhuoyue Rd., Nanzih District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 811, R.O.C.

    Chia-Cheng Fan

  2. Dali Engineering Consultant Inc., National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, 13F-2, No. 132, Chunghwa St., Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 813, R.O.C.

    Chih-Feng Su

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  1. Chia-Cheng Fan
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  2. Chih-Feng Su
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Correspondence to Chia-Cheng Fan.

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Responsible Editor: Alexia Stokes.

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Fan, CC., Su, CF. Effect of soil moisture content on the deformation behaviour of root-reinforced soils subjected to shear. Plant Soil 324, 57–69 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9856-1

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