Quantification of root reinforcement in bio-slope stabilization: laboratory and field studies

Abstract

Bio-slope stabilization is an environmentally friendly and sustainable technique for rehabilitation and maintenance of slope infrastructure. The processes in which these plants stabilize the slope, particularly root reinforcement, and evapotranspiration, mainly involved the unsaturated zone of the slope. Plants are also subjected to continuous change during the life time of bio-engineered slopes. This paper reports on recent studies on influence of roots on saturated and unsaturated soil properties, and suction effects on root reinforcement. These experimental results were then used to estimate the change in in-situ root reinforcement of biostabilized slope in the field. A new methodology based on the mini-rhizotron technique was proposed which linked the root-area ratio with root-reinforced strength and the factor of safety of the slope through laboratory-based relationships. This newly proposed method can be used to evaluate timebased performance of vegetated slope infrastructures in practice.