Constitutive model of single root system's resistance to tensile stress - Taking pinus tabulaeformis, betula platyphylla, quercus mongolica and larix gmelinii as experimental objects

Abstract

A constitutive model for the stress-strain relationship of single forest root system was developed in order to provide theoretical foundations for the mechanisms of soil-reinforcement by root system and offer a reliable basis for the analysis of root tensile strength character. This study started a general form of linear and non-linear stress-strain relation that was mathematically defined by four boundary conditions observed in typical tensile tests of single roots. The parameters of the model were determined by experiment data and had definite physical meaning. The model was verified by experiment data, which showed that the calculated values were in good agreement with the experimental single root tensile test results. The constitutive model was validated and found to be feasible for modeling single root tensile stress. © 2014 Chen et al.