Influence of three-dimensional root system on soil deformation under pull-out and horizontal loads

Abstract

The growth and interweaving of plant roots in three-dimensional space can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of soil. A numerical simulation method is used to construct two-dimensional and three-dimensional analysis models of complex root-soil complex from the perspective of two-dimensional and three-dimensional calculation differences, respectively, to study the change law of soil and root displacement under stepwise pull-out and horizontal coupling loads. To reveal the interaction mechanism of complex root-soil complex. It is found that complex root system can limit soil deformation more effectively than single root system. Due to the increase of root-soil interface area, the soil consolidation performance of three-dimensional complex root system is better than that of two-dimensional simple distributed root system. Compared with 2D roots, the sharp change of displacement line under 3D complex roots appears at higher load values, and the calculated pull-horizontal coupling load of 3D roots is larger than that of 2D roots. The displacement contour of the three-dimensional root system tends to be triangular with the increase of load, because the three-dimensional root system provides additional anchorage points, which changes the displacement mode.

Keywords

ecological slope protection / complex root system / numerical simulation / metamorphosis / three-dimensional computation