Evaluation of the stability of vegetated slopes according to layout and temporal changes

Vegetation in slopes can effectively improve slope stability.However,it is difficult to estimate the effects of vegetation on slope stability because of variations in plant species and environmental conditions.Moreover,influences of plant growth on slope stability change with time,resulting in changes in the safety factor.This study was conducted to evaluate the stability of vegetated slopes with time and investigate the effects of different layouts of plant species on slope stability.Here,we used a plant growth model and slope stability analysis to build an evaluation model.To accomplish this,one species of tree,shrub and grass was chosen to set six layout patterns.A slope with no vegetation served as a control.The safety factors of the seven slopes were then calculated using the developed evaluation model and differences in the safety factors of slopes were compared and discussed.The slope vegetated with Platycladus orientalis reached the most stable state at the age of 60 years.Shrub slope(Vitex negundo)had the maximum safety factor after 20 years.Overall,the safety factor of vegetated slopes increased from 12.1%to 49.6% compared to the slope with no vegetation.When wind force was considered,the safety factor value of the slope changed from 3.5%to 43.5%.Vegetation mixtures of trees and grasses resulted in the best slope stability.Planting grasses on slopes can improve slope stability of trees to a greater degree than that of slopes with shrubs in the early stage of growth.

Mechanical analysis of interaction between plant roots and rock and soil mass in slope vegetation

With the help of plant roots, slope vegetation makes the slope soil mass become a composite material of soil and roots, and thus enhances shear strength of the slope soil mass and stability of the slope. However, the related studies at present are still qualitative. In this paper, quantitative analysis of the interaction between roots and soil mass are made. By the analysis of the interaction between herbaceous plant roots including lateral roots of woody plants and rock and soil mass, a mechanical model of the interaction between frictional roots and soil is established, and its correctness is shown. A mechanical model of the interaction between anchorage root, namely, woody plant taproot, and soil is also established. The establishment of the models provides a useful means in quantitative analysis of the interaction between plant roots and soil, and has practical values.

Research Progress of Eco-Friendly Portland Cement Porous Concrete:A Review

With the great impetus of energy conservation and emission reduction policies in various countries,the proposal of concepts such as“Sponge City”and“Eco-City”,and the emphasis on restoration and governance of ecological environment day by day,portland cement porous concrete(PCPC),as a novel building material,has attracted more and more attention from scientific researchers and engineers.PCPC possesses the peculiar pore structure,which owns numerous functions like river embankment protection,vegetation greening as well as air-cleaning,and has been of wide application in different engineering fields.This paper reviews the salient properties of PCPC,detailedly expounds the research progress of domestic and foreign literature about this subject in the past ten years(2010–2020),conducts the statistical analysis of the distribution rule of its major properties around the world,combines with the engineering application to summarize the excellent properties of PCPC,and makes a forecast of future research direction.

Mechanical interaction between roots and soil mass in slope vegetation

The most basic function of slope vegetation is to strengthen rock and soil mass through plant roots which increase the shear strength of the slope markedly and thereby increase the stability of the slope. However, the calculation of the reinforcement ability of slope vegetation still remains at the stage of judging by experience, because it is rather difficult due to the intricacy and volatility of the force condition of plant roots in rock and soil medium. Although some scholars have tried to study the interaction between plant roots and soil mass, the systemic analysis of the mechanical reinforcement mechanism and the contribution of plant roots to strengthening the rock and soil mass on the surface of the slope is untapped. In this paper, by analyzing the mechanism of slope vegetation and the corresponding reinforcement effect, the effects that slope vegetation generates on the shear strength of slope soil mass are studied, thereby a theoretical basis for plant protection designing is provided.