Abstract:

Because of advantages in stabilizing slopes and protecting ecology and environment, soil reinforcement and slope protection by plants are widely used in slope protection measures. The mechanical effects of soil reinforcement and slope protection by plants mainly reflected on roots, including reinforcing effects of shallow roots and anchoring effects of deep roots. So models of root reinforcement are basic and important for revealing the mechanism of slope protection by plants. On the basis of analyzing the mechanism of root reinforcement, three models of root reinforcement: Wu’s model, energy approach model and fiber bundle model were discussed, including preconditions, advantages, disadvantages, and applications of the models. Finally, the direction and the development of root reinforcement model in the future were predicted. These models were theoretical promotion of mechanical mechanism of root reinforcement. They can provide basic theory for slope protection by plants and scientific guide for slope protection with vegetation measures.