THE EFFECTS OF VEGETATION ON THE STABILITY OF RAILWAY EARTHWORKS

Vegetation is intuitively understood to have a generally positive effect on the stability of cuttings and embankments, yet a wide appreciation of its role in the stability of railway earthworks has been slow to develop. A summary of the differing effects of vegetation is presented, and some current analytical methods available to quantify slope stability are reviewed. Root reinforcement and suction effects on soil strength are recognised as major factors, and the review recognises also that the available analytical methods are relatively simple. Research is underway at Sheffield Hallam University to investigate at a fundamental level the influence of vegetation on sandy clay. Interim results from the laboratory works are presented, and the principles of a new analytical approach to assess the stability of railway earthworks are described. The approach is based on unsaturated soil theories of soil strength, modified to allow for the cohesive impact of the vegetation and the tensile anchoring capacity of the roots. The model is used to quantify the effects of vegetation on the stability of an example slope. Conclusions are drawn on the difficulties of analysing vegetated slopes, and on the relative importance of differing vegetative effects on stability. The need to assess the vegetation regime on earthwork slopes before any remedial works are undertaken is stressed. For the covering abstract see ITRD E123713.

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  • Corporate Authors:

    ENGINEERING TECHNICS PRESS

    46 CLUNY GARDENS
    EDINBURGH,   United Kingdom  EH10 6BN
  • Authors:
    • GOODWIN, A K
    • RAMSBOTTOM, CMJ
    • LAYCOCK, E A
  • Publication Date: 2001

Language

  • English

Media Info

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00985505
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • ISBN: 0-947644-45-8
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Feb 4 2005 12:00AM