BIOPOLYMERS FOR SUSTAINABLE CUT SLOPE STABILIZATION: A GREEN ENGINEERING APPROACH

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4. BIOPOLYMERS FOR SUSTAINABLE CUT SLOPE STABILIZATION: A GREEN ENGINEERING APPROACH

Biopolymers offer an environmentally friendly and sustainable solution for soil stabilisation, especially on cut slopes prone to instability from erosion and weathering.  In this study, biopolymers are used to enhance soil properties, reduce erosion, and promote vegetation growth. A unified methodology of physical and numerical modelling, as well as laboratory and experimental testing, was employed. The research methodology was organised into two stages: laboratory testing followed by experimental testing on a large-scale physical model. First, strength-deformation properties and the coefficient of permeability of the natural (untreated) and improved (treated) soil were defined. Hence, through comparison, the improvement effects and degree of improvement were defined. Second, experimental tests were conducted on an untreated and biopolymer-treated slope with a slope of 1:1.5, to which rainfall of 10 litres per hour was applied for 180 minutes. The results have shown that the natural polymer improves not only the mechanical but also the hydraulic soil parameters by forming a viscous gel matrix with a reinforcing bond between the soil grains that fills the pores. In dry conditions, the treated soil forms a solid surface crust that prevents evapotranspiration. In rain, the biopolymer becomes hydrophobic, allowing water to run-off without significant soil erosion. The results confirm the efficiency of the biopolymer as an additive to the soil for stabilising the slopes subjected to atmospheric actions.

Keywords: Biopolymers; Naturally-based solution; Soil Stabilisation; Erosion Control; Vegetation

3rd International Workshop on Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interaction (RootS2025)

2a. Experimental laboratory characterisation of the multiscale bio-hydro-chemo-mechanical behaviour of rooted soils