A micromechanical study of root-soil interaction: growth patterns and pullout resistance

TY - GEN

T1 - A micromechanical study of root-soil interaction

T2 - 3rd International Workshop on Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interaction

AU - Ciantia, M. O.

AU - Zhang, W.

AU - Xiangang, J.

AU - Huang, R.

AU - Zhang, Ningning

N1 - Conference code: 3

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Understanding root-soil interaction is inherently challenging due to the difficulty in visualizing and measuring the physical processes that govern root anchorage below ground. A robust understanding of these mechanisms is essential for developing reliable models to quantify root pullout strength. Traditionally, root-soil reinforcement has been modelled as an equivalent homogeneous medium, which overlooks potentially important local variations in soil and root structure. To address this limitation, this study incorporates the geotropic behaviour of root growth and its tendency to follow paths of least resistance, using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). A novel DEM composite root-soil model is presented and, by simulating root growth into the soil followed by pullout tests, the pullout strength of various root systems is evaluated. The DEM model accounts for both the characteristics of root growth and branching and the mechanical interactions between roots and soil, providing a novel approach to investigating root pullout behaviour. Simulation results indicate that physical properties such as root diameter, density, and strength significantly influence bending during growth, which in turn affects pullout resistance. This research offers new insights into root-soil interaction and has important implications for engineering applications such as slope stabilization

AB - Understanding root-soil interaction is inherently challenging due to the difficulty in visualizing and measuring the physical processes that govern root anchorage below ground. A robust understanding of these mechanisms is essential for developing reliable models to quantify root pullout strength. Traditionally, root-soil reinforcement has been modelled as an equivalent homogeneous medium, which overlooks potentially important local variations in soil and root structure. To address this limitation, this study incorporates the geotropic behaviour of root growth and its tendency to follow paths of least resistance, using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). A novel DEM composite root-soil model is presented and, by simulating root growth into the soil followed by pullout tests, the pullout strength of various root systems is evaluated. The DEM model accounts for both the characteristics of root growth and branching and the mechanical interactions between roots and soil, providing a novel approach to investigating root pullout behaviour. Simulation results indicate that physical properties such as root diameter, density, and strength significantly influence bending during growth, which in turn affects pullout resistance. This research offers new insights into root-soil interaction and has important implications for engineering applications such as slope stabilization

KW - Root-soil interaction

KW - Discrete element method

KW - Pullout test

U2 - 10.53243/RootS2025-1

DO - 10.53243/RootS2025-1

M3 - Conference contribution

T3 - 3rd International Workshop on Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interaction

BT - 3rd International Workshop on Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interaction

A2 - Cotecchia, Federica

A2 - Boldrin, David

A2 - Cecconi, Manuela

A2 - Leung, Anthony

A2 - Pedone, Giuseppe

A2 - Romero, Enrique

A2 - Tagarelli, Vito

A2 - Zdravkovic, Lidija

A2 - Perrini, Pasquale

PB - International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Y2 - 6 November 2025 through 8 November 2025

ER -