Experimental Study of Influence of Plant Roots on Dynamic Characteristics of Clay
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Experimental Materials with Tested Material
2.1. Experimental Materials
2.2. Tested Equipment
2.3. Experimental Procedure
3. Experimental Results Analysis
3.1. Influence of Plant Root Systems on Soil Shear Modulus
3.1.1. Different Root Distribution Patterns
3.1.2. Different Root Mass Density
3.1.3. Shear Modulus Fitting Results of the Hardin–Drnevich Hyperbolic Model
3.2. Influence of Plant Root Systems on Soil Damping Ratio
3.2.1. Different Root Distribution Patterns
3.2.2. Different Root Mass Density
3.2.3. Damping Ratio Fitting Results of the Hardin–Drnevich Hyperbolic Model
3.3. Reinforcement Mechanism of Roots
4. Conclusions
- The upper root distribution significantly increased the dynamic shear modulus of the soil under confining pressures of 100–200 kPa, demonstrating greater stiffness and strength, which enhanced dynamic soil properties and reduced dynamic strain amplitude.
- Plant roots improved the dynamic shear modulus of soil, with the effect varying according to root mass density. The dynamic shear modulus peaked at a root mass density of 1.5% , then stabilized. Increased confining pressure reduced the influence of high root mass density, with the relationship curve gradually converging. This indicates that optimizing root distribution and density can effectively enhance soil dynamic properties.
- The upper root distribution significantly increased the soil damping ratio, enhancing energy dissipation capacity due to increased upper stiffness and accelerated vibration response. In contrast, the lower root distribution exhibited a lower damping ratio due to confinement effects. This suggests that placing roots in the upper soil layer can improve dynamic soil stability, consistent with the root distribution characteristics on embankment surfaces.
- The damping ratio decreased initially and then increased with rising root mass density, with critical values observed at each confining pressure (1.5% for 100 kPa, 2% for 200 kPa, and 2.5% for 300 kPa). At a low density, roots enhanced soil compaction and reduced the damping ratio, while at a high density, they improved ductility and increased energy dissipation. Optimizing root mass density can help improve the dynamic properties of slope soils.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Coefficient of Uniformity | Curvature Coefficient | Plasticity Limit | Liquid Limit | Plasticity Index |
---|---|---|---|---|
14.29 | 1.11 | 22.87% | 41.63% | 18.76 |
100 | 200 | 300 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 84.75 | 3.97 | 108.08 | 4.66 | 134.03 | 5.1 |
1% Uniform Distribution | 92.55 | 3.95 | 116.67 | 4.41 | 140.28 | 4.64 |
1% Upper Distribution | 97.57 | 3.67 | 120.83 | 4.19 | 138.91 | 4.34 |
1% Lower Distribution | 91.86 | 4.4 | 114.71 | 4.81 | 138.4 | 5.22 |
1.5% Uniform Distribution | 108.16 | 4.02 | 136.64 | 4.75 | 155.19 | 4.72 |
2% Uniform Distribution | 101.81 | 4.27 | 130.49 | 5.23 | 147.99 | 5.79 |
2.5% Uniform Distribution | 100.9 | 4.26 | 131.8 | 4.73 | 148.23 | 5.59 |
3% Uniform Distribution | 99.8 | 4.23 | 131.97 | 4.44 | 148.58 | 5.23 |
100 | 200 | 300 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 5.36 | 6.58 | 4.76 | 4.03 | 4.46 | 3.63 |
1% Uniform Distribution | 5.06 | 5.71 | 4.47 | 3.15 | 4.39 | 3.32 |
1% Upper Distribution | 5.42 | 5.55 | 4.85 | 4.39 | 4.49 | 2.91 |
1% Lower Distribution | 4.85 | 5.31 | 4.43 | 3.68 | 4.24 | 3.20 |
1.5% Uniform Distribution | 4.92 | 4.18 | 4.52 | 3.08 | 4.36 | 3.06 |
2% Uniform Distribution | 5.14 | 4.49 | 4.44 | 2.81 | 4.20 | 2.62 |
2.5% Uniform Distribution | 5.15 | 4.11 | 4.62 | 3.08 | 4.18 | 2.31 |
3% Uniform Distribution | 5.39 | 4.20 | 4.82 | 3.04 | 4.27 | 2.19 |
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Shen, Q.; Tang, C.; Zhang, C.; Ma, Y. Experimental Study of Influence of Plant Roots on Dynamic Characteristics of Clay. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 495. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15020495
Shen Q, Tang C, Zhang C, Ma Y. Experimental Study of Influence of Plant Roots on Dynamic Characteristics of Clay. Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(2):495. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15020495
Chicago/Turabian StyleShen, Quan, Cong Tang, Chengli Zhang, and Yongchun Ma. 2025. "Experimental Study of Influence of Plant Roots on Dynamic Characteristics of Clay" Applied Sciences 15, no. 2: 495. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15020495
APA StyleShen, Q., Tang, C., Zhang, C., & Ma, Y. (2025). Experimental Study of Influence of Plant Roots on Dynamic Characteristics of Clay. Applied Sciences, 15(2), 495. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15020495