A Study on the Effectiveness of Soil–Root Matrix of Vetiver Grass and Bermuda Grass as Soil Slope Reinforcing System

Abstract

A study on the characteristic and effectiveness of the vegetation roots as soil slope reinforcing system to mitigate soil erosion and slope failure was carried out. The two types of grasses, namely Vetiver grass and Bermuda grass were used as slope vegetation cover. This study is to examine the root matrix strength of these grasses. The in situ grass root pull out test was carried out on the residual soil slopes. Then the root matrix system was characterized and tested for its tensile strength. Initial result showed that the resistance of Bermuda grass root system in clay loam is higher that Vetiver grass root matrix. Meanwhile, in sandy loam the Vetiver grass root has higher resistance than Bermuda grass root. The results indicated that the functionality of these grasses was mainly influenced by grass root matrix properties, soil type, and its bonding characteristics.