Physical models of mechanical root-soil interaction
Physical models of mechanical root-soil interaction
In geotechnical bioengineering, living plant material is used to perform engineering functions. In this context, one of the most complex aspects of the soil-root interaction problem is the interplay between the mechanical reinforcement effect and the hydraulic effect, mediated by suction. Soil-root mechanical interaction has been investigated on 1-g models and at scale, using centrifuge tests. The characteristics of model roots have been explored as well, by means of tensile and direct shear tests, in which the soil-root interface response under different loading conditions was studied. However, in most cases these studies were developed for extreme saturation conditions (dry or fully saturated state). This paper summarizes the advances made so far in the field of physical models applied to the analysis of soil-root interaction, and presents the general characteristics of the models currently under development at the UPC-BarcelonaTECH for the study of soil-root interaction under different saturation conditions, highlighting the advantages and limitations of such experimental methodologies.
Alvaro Boiero; Marcos Arroyo; Enrique Romero
18th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ECSMGE2024)
E - Environment, water and energy
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