Geosynthetic Engineering and Vegetation Growth in Soil Reinforcement Applications

In Italy, since early times, the environmental aspects have always been a key issue on the design and the application. Consequently, the geosynthetic reinforced soil structures consist of vegetated face steep slopes. Furthermore, the use of vegetation has also been recognized and incorporated in engineering practice for erosion control and for stabilization of shallow slopes. Vegetation influences slope stability and erosion process by both mechanical effects and hydrological effects. In particular, in the paper, the mechanical effects of vegetation related to soil stabilization will be described. The purpose of this paper is to present the specific role of vegetation in soil reinforcement applications, by means of the analysis of the available literature on the (i) factors affecting root reinforcement of soil, (ii) experimental tests carried out on roots and on roots-soil system, and (iii) analytical and theoretical models. The erosion applications will not treated in this paper. The use of vegetation in civil engineering and landscape works has grown in importance, even if the specific design standard concerning the use of vegetation for slope stabilization is still under discussion. Therefore, design and management of stabilization systems by plants require an accurate knowledge about the quantitative reinforcing root effects on soil strength.