Thermal Conductivity and Shear Strength in Root-Reinforced Silty Clay: An Analysis of Asteraceae Plants from Taihang Mountain

Silty clay, pivotal in domains spanning civil and environmental engineering to underground energy storage, demands precise characterisation of its thermal conductivity and shear strength. Root reinforcement has recently been heralded for its eco-friendly attributes and efficacy in enhancing soil properties. Nonetheless, extant literature remains focused on individual soil types, often sidelining the biological influence of entities like roots. Moreover, a reliance on experimental measurements in prior studies has precluded exhaustive theoretical discourse. Addressing these lacunae, the present investigation was embarked upon. Two focal areas emerged: firstly, an intricate exploration, underpinned by both experimental and simulated data, of the correlation between pore attributes and thermal conductivity in root-reinforced silty clay, and the concomitant repercussions on shear strength. Secondly, an encompassing appraisal of the thermal stress within this reinforced clay was conducted via a temperature-seepage-stress coupling model. Marigold root-soil composites became the central subjects, with an aim to discern the influence of herbaceous Asteraceae plants endemic to Taihang Mountain on parameters such as erosion resistance, soil consolidation, and shear resistance augmentation of soil masses. By harnessing raw soil samples, fashioning test specimens, and executing controlled triaxial compression experiments, intricate patterns pertaining to erosion resistance and soil consolidation, modulated by varying factors like root content, soil depth, and moisture content, were elucidated. The revelations herein promise to refine predictions of thermal conductivity and deepen the comprehension of shear strength dynamics in multifaceted soil scenarios.