{"title":"Assessing the contribution of vegetation to slope stability","authors":"J. Greenwood, J. Norris, J. Wint","doi":"10.1680/GENG.157.4.199.51832","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Many embankments and cuttings associated with the transportation infrastructure in the UK are only marginally stable. Engineering techniques such as soil nailing, geosynthetic reinforcement, improved drainage and ground improvement by stabilisation are available to improve stability but the cost can be high. A lower cost solution may be to utilise vegetation, either self seeded or planted. The benefits and drawbacks associated with vegetation have been the subject of some debate. The problems caused by vegetation in relation to building foundations are well documented and confirm that vegetation can have very significant influences on geotechnical parameters. Appropriate properly maintained vegetation can have the same significant influence to help provide additional stability to soil slopes. This paper considers the potential engineering influences of vegetation and how it can be characterised on site within a geotechnical framework for stability assessments. The direct reinforcement available from the roots of trees and shrubs is identified as providing one of the most significant contributions to slope stability. Case studies in the UK, Greece and Italy demonstrate how results from in-situ root pull out tests may be used to estimate the potential reinforcement forces available from the roots. A scheme is presented to designate zones of influence within the soil according to the size and nature of the vegetation.","PeriodicalId":45150,"journal":{"name":"Geotechnical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3000,"publicationDate":"2004-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"161","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Geotechnical Engineering","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1680/GENG.157.4.199.51832","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, GEOLOGICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 161
Abstract
Many embankments and cuttings associated with the transportation infrastructure in the UK are only marginally stable. Engineering techniques such as soil nailing, geosynthetic reinforcement, improved drainage and ground improvement by stabilisation are available to improve stability but the cost can be high. A lower cost solution may be to utilise vegetation, either self seeded or planted. The benefits and drawbacks associated with vegetation have been the subject of some debate. The problems caused by vegetation in relation to building foundations are well documented and confirm that vegetation can have very significant influences on geotechnical parameters. Appropriate properly maintained vegetation can have the same significant influence to help provide additional stability to soil slopes. This paper considers the potential engineering influences of vegetation and how it can be characterised on site within a geotechnical framework for stability assessments. The direct reinforcement available from the roots of trees and shrubs is identified as providing one of the most significant contributions to slope stability. Case studies in the UK, Greece and Italy demonstrate how results from in-situ root pull out tests may be used to estimate the potential reinforcement forces available from the roots. A scheme is presented to designate zones of influence within the soil according to the size and nature of the vegetation.
期刊介绍:
The objectives of the Association shall be the promotion of co-operation among geotechnical societies in SE Asia; and the assistance to member societies who have limited number of members. Now there is only one combined web titled: AGSSEA-SEAGS. SEAGS & AGSSEA encourage the submission of scholarly and practice-oriented articles to its journal. The journal is published quarterly. Both sponsors of the journal, the Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society and the Association of Geotechnical Societies in Southeast Asia, promote the ideals and goals of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechhnical Engineering in fostering communications, developing insights and enabling the advancement of the geotechnical engineering discipline.