Root Reinforcement by Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) for Sustainable Slope Stabilization in Two Andean Soil Types: Evidence from Laboratory Testing and Numerical Modeling
4 affiliations
- 1College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China
- 2Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 1101608, Ecuador
- 3Research Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China
- 4Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China
Abstract
Landslides are a recurrent geohazard in Andean urban environments, where weak soils, intense seasonal rainfall, and unplanned urban expansion combine to increase slope vulnerability. In such settings, sustainable hillside management requires stabilization strategies that are both technically effective and environmentally compatible. This study evaluates the effect of root reinforcement by vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) on slope stability in two representative soils from Loja, Ecuador: sandy silt (SM) and sandy clay (SC). A reduced-scale physical model with 30 days of root development was established, and consolidated–drained direct shear tests (ASTM D3080/D3080M-23) were performed to determine the shear strength parameters under bare and vetiver-reinforced conditions. These parameters were then incorporated into numerical slope stability analyses using Slide and PLAXIS 2D, considering three slope angles (30°, 45°, and 50°), six root-positioning configurations, and hydraulic conditions with and without a water table. Vetiver increased effective cohesion by 22.7% in sandy silt and 19.0% in sandy clay, while the internal friction angle increased by 21.8% and 12.2%, respectively. Across all modeled scenarios, vetiver produced a consistent improvement in the factor of safety. The most critical case, corresponding to sandy silt at 45° with a water table, increased from FS = 0.841 in the control condition to FS = 1.309 under the full-coverage configuration. Parametric sensitivity analysis yielded coefficients of variation between 4.97% and 7.03%, indicating a stable model response under controlled parameter perturbations. These findings support vetiver as an experimentally grounded and environmentally sustainable Nature-based Solution for slope stabilization and provide relevant evidence for sustainable management of hazard-prone urban hillsides in vulnerable Andean settings.
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BibTeX
@article{fernandezmorocho2026root,
title = {{Root Reinforcement by Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) for Sustainable Slope Stabilization in Two Andean Soil Types: Evidence from Laboratory Testing and Numerical Modeling}},
author = {Camila Nickole Fernández-Morocho and Jose Luis Chavez Torres and Kunyong Zhang},
journal = {Sustainability},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.3390/su18115220},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/su18115220},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Root Reinforcement by Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) for Sustainable Slope Stabilization in Two Andean Soil Types: Evidence from Laboratory Testing and Numerical Modeling
AU - Camila Nickole Fernández-Morocho
AU - Jose Luis Chavez Torres
AU - Kunyong Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/22
JO - Sustainability
DO - 10.3390/su18115220
UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/su18115220
AB - Landslides are a recurrent geohazard in Andean urban environments, where weak soils, intense seasonal rainfall, and unplanned urban expansion combine to increase slope vulnerability. In such settings, sustainable hillside management requires stabilization strategies that are both technically effective and environmentally compatible. This study evaluates the effect of root reinforcement by vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) on slope stability in two representative soils from Loja, Ecuador: sandy silt (SM) and sandy clay (SC). A reduced-scale physical model with 30 days of root development was established, and consolidated–drained direct shear tests (ASTM D3080/D3080M-23) were performed to determine the shear strength parameters under bare and vetiver-reinforced conditions. These parameters were then incorporated into numerical slope stability analyses using Slide and PLAXIS 2D, considering three slope angles (30°, 45°, and 50°), six root-positioning configurations, and hydraulic conditions with and without a water table. Vetiver increased effective cohesion by 22.7% in sandy silt and 19.0% in sandy clay, while the internal friction angle increased by 21.8% and 12.2%, respectively. Across all modeled scenarios, vetiver produced a consistent improvement in the factor of safety. The most critical case, corresponding to sandy silt at 45° with a water table, increased from FS = 0.841 in the control condition to FS = 1.309 under the full-coverage configuration. Parametric sensitivity analysis yielded coefficients of variation between 4.97% and 7.03%, indicating a stable model response under controlled parameter perturbations. These findings support vetiver as an experimentally grounded and environmentally sustainable Nature-based Solution for slope stabilization and provide relevant evidence for sustainable management of hazard-prone urban hillsides in vulnerable Andean settings.
SN - 2071-1050
ER -