TY - JOUR
T1 - A geotechnical perspective on soil-termite interaction
T2 - Role of termites in unsaturated soil properties
AU - Garg, Ankit
AU - Gadi, Vinay Kumar
AU - Zhu, Hong Hu
AU - Sarmah, Ajit K.
AU - Sreeja, P.
AU - Sekharan, Sreedeep
N1 - Funding Information:
Authors are grateful to National Natural Science Foundation (NSFC) for the project grant (Grant No. 52261160382 .). We are grateful to Mr. Raval Ratnam of the Mahindra Ecole Centrale for the help in preparation of Table. This work benefited from discussions with Raval Ratnam, and comments by Hima Sankari, who did research exchange at Shantou University.
Funding Information:
Authors are grateful to National Natural Science Foundation (NSFC) for the project grant (Grant No. 52261160382.). We are grateful to Mr. Raval Ratnam of the Mahindra Ecole Centrale for the help in preparation of Table. This work benefited from discussions with Raval Ratnam, and comments by Hima Sankari, who did research exchange at Shantou University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023/10/15
Y1 - 2023/10/15
N2 - The soil-insect interaction has gathered significant attention in the recent years due to its contribution to bio-cementation. Termites, as a group of cellulose-eating insects, alter physical (texture) and chemical (chemical composition) properties of soil. Conversely, physico-chemical properties of soil also influence termite activities. It is vital to understand the soil-termite interaction and their influence on hydraulic properties and shear strength of soil, which are related to a series of geotechnical engineering problems such as ground water recharge, runoff, erosion and stability of slopes. In this study, an attempt has been made to review the latest developments and research gaps in our understanding of soil-termite interaction within the context of geo-environmental engineering. The hydraulic properties and shear strength of termite modified soil were discussed with respect to soil texture, density and physico-chemical composition. The incorporation of hysteresis effect of soil water characteristic curve, and spatio-temporal variations of hydraulic conductivity and shear strength of termite modified soil is proposed to be considered in geotechnical engineering design and construction. Finally, the challenges and future trends in this research area are presented. The expertise from both geotechnical engineering and entomology is needed to plan future research with an aim to promote use of termites as maintenance engineers in geotechnical infrastructure.
AB - The soil-insect interaction has gathered significant attention in the recent years due to its contribution to bio-cementation. Termites, as a group of cellulose-eating insects, alter physical (texture) and chemical (chemical composition) properties of soil. Conversely, physico-chemical properties of soil also influence termite activities. It is vital to understand the soil-termite interaction and their influence on hydraulic properties and shear strength of soil, which are related to a series of geotechnical engineering problems such as ground water recharge, runoff, erosion and stability of slopes. In this study, an attempt has been made to review the latest developments and research gaps in our understanding of soil-termite interaction within the context of geo-environmental engineering. The hydraulic properties and shear strength of termite modified soil were discussed with respect to soil texture, density and physico-chemical composition. The incorporation of hysteresis effect of soil water characteristic curve, and spatio-temporal variations of hydraulic conductivity and shear strength of termite modified soil is proposed to be considered in geotechnical engineering design and construction. Finally, the challenges and future trends in this research area are presented. The expertise from both geotechnical engineering and entomology is needed to plan future research with an aim to promote use of termites as maintenance engineers in geotechnical infrastructure.
KW - Ecology
KW - Shear strength
KW - Soil-termite interaction, soil hydraulic properties
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163761223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164864
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164864
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37331385
AN - SCOPUS:85163761223
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 895
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 164864
ER -