
Realistic modeling of Soil-Root interactions in geomechanics using G-PFEM
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Many traditional engineering methods for slope stabilization are highly carbon-intensive, such as concrete piles, gabions, crushed rock, geogrids, steel anchors, and shotcrete. Additionally, climate change is expected to negatively impact slope stability by weakening soil strength. As a result, relying on carbon-heavy techniques seems inconsistent with current greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. A promising alternative lies in green engineering approaches, like using plants to stabilize slopes. This sustainable method not only offers an environmentally friendly solution but also contributes to preventing deforestation, promoting sustainable land use, and supporting nature restoration. However, the current understanding of how plant roots affect soil mechanics is limited, which directly impacts the practical application of vegetation for slope stabilization. Numerical modeling can shed light on this issue. Accurately capturing soil-root interactions require sophisticated techniques that model the hydromechanical properties of rooted soils alongside the mechanical contribution of the roots. Additionally, a large deformation framework is essential for validating the results through experimental comparisons, such as modeling plant extraction or landslides. Our contribution to this field is the development of the Geotechnical Particle Finite Element Method (G-PFEM) to simulate soil-root interactions. We investigate different modeling approaches to accurately represent structural roots and the behavior of both soil and rooted soil. The simulation results are then compared with experimental interaction tests, and we present refined slope stability models based on this particle method approach.