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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Mechanical Reinforcement of Soil by
Representative Herbaceous Plants for Slope
Protection: A Multi-Factor Analysis
and Modified WWM Model Application
1
School of Rail Transportation, Soochow University, Suzhou 214000, China
2
Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
Submission date: 2023-12-04
Final revision date: 2024-03-16
Acceptance date: 2024-06-22
Online publication date: 2024-10-29
Publication date: 2025-06-06
Corresponding author
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2025;34(4):4943-4953
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Ecological protection has become a trend in slope protection, representing the direction of
development in slope protection technology. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the
mechanical reinforcement effects of roots on soil, with a specific focus on the root systems of Pennisetum
alopecuroides. The study reveals that the reinforcing effect of roots on the peak strength of soil is
influenced by multiple factors, including axial pressure (σ), water content (ω), and root area ratio (RAR).
A multi-factor quadratic fit was conducted using Design-Expert software, which showed that the F-value
of the predictive model is 69.56, with a P-value of <0.0001, indicating the model's high significance. The
influence of the three factors on the peak intensity is in the following order: σ>RAR>ω. The study
also modifies the vertical root soil reinforcement model (WWM model) to quantify the shear strength
increment of soil-root composites. The slope of the fitted line in the modified WWM model is about
0.26. The paper further explores the enhancing effect of plant roots on slopes in extreme environments,
dividing the soil layers into shallow reinforcement areas, middle level reinforcement areas, clay, silty
clay, and CDW soil. The rainfall intensity was 4mm/h, lasting for 6 days, simulating a severe rainstorm.
The displacement of the reinforced slope after six days of heavy rainfall was analyzed.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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