Year: 2013 | Month: December | Volume 1 | Issue 2
Study on Shear Strength of Soil In Relation to Plant Roots as A Combind Matrix
Abstract: <div>Shear data for the unvegetated soil control samples, Thysanolaena maxima, and Saccharum spontaneum after 4,8 and 12 weeks of growth were studied. The soil stabilization effect of plant roots is based on two components ,first by friction between the soil particles that transfer shear stresses from the soil to the root reinforcement system, and second by soil arches that build up between cylindrical soil units that are reinforced by roots (root stocksoil</div><div>elements) and stabilize areas that are not rooted. Shear increase in rooted soil is based on the model of a combined matrix of a material that consists of fibres of relatively high strength and adhesion to a matrix of lower tensile strength. The reduction factor is defined as the ratio of particle size of the output material. The proportion of particle close to 0.425 mm was quite large and the amount of clay sized particle was too small to make the whole</div><div>sample plastic. The 0.075mm sieve were limited to a maximum of 2% although this percentage was permitted to rise to10% if the fines of this size were non plastic. Although exhibiting lower shear strengths than their unvegetated counterparts in the 4-week growth scenario, both species were seen to approach higher soil stability by the 12-week growth</div><div>scenario. Thysanolaena maxima handled higher shear stresses than the soil control sample after 8 and 12 weeks. The existing root area occupied by roots on a potential shear surface at a certain depth or by using the relationships of shear-strength increase in the soil versus the root- area ratio or the bulk weight of root per volume unit of soil. Together all these</div><div>three plants (Thysanolaena maxima, Saccharum spontaneum and Vetiveria zizanioides) are very effective as reinforcer for the prevention of soil erosion. Reinforcement is provided by both thin and coarse roots, the former acting more as tensile elements within the soil matrix, whereas large diameter roots can also act as tendons or anchors connecting planted surface layers to underlying or adjacent stable soil zones.</div>
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