Modelling the Effects of Vegetation in Bioengineered Sloped Soils

Due to industrialization, with the passing days, people are encroaching weak soils as there is scarcity of land. Improving the quality of soil with the help of synthetic reinforcement like cementitious cover, metal piling and the use of geosynthetic material have been a common practice. However, the long-term impact of these synthetic materials on soil health is a significant issue. Moreover, with the decline in resources and inconsistent global climate changes, people are seeking for greener solutions to solve the problem. In this context, an attempt has been made in this paper to investigate the effect of vegetation numerically using finite element method. Plant roots are modelled using the root cohesion approach and pile approach. Vegetation was distributed along different locations to show the effect on shear strength of soil. Water table, slope angle and root depths were altered to understand the effect of plant roots. The results showed that vegetation, if planted on slope and toe as a combination showed better results.