Engineering a Solution to Study Soil Mechanics
Students documenting their observationsCopyright 2018 Erica Marsh, University of Florida MRET
Students explore how soil is affected by plant roots. Students learn about the significance of soil mechanics as it relates to civil engineering and soil erosion. Students study these concepts through experiments conducted with two sets of soil—a container of soil with no plants and a container of soil with a plant already in the growth phase.
The study of soil mechanics is an important part of civil engineering and, more specifically, geotechnical engineering. Engineers and architects must thoroughly examine and test soil in an area on top of which a structure will be built. If the soil does not have enough bearing capacity or the right stiffness, then the structure will begin to sink and could collapse. The most famous example of a structure that was built on soil that is too soft is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. A team of geotechnical engineers studied Pisa’s soil for decades before they could understand how to stabilize it and save it from collapse.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain why soil is important to development.
- Understand how soil characteristics are affected by plant roots.
- Develop lab notes including drawings and quantitative data.
- Draw conclusions based on observations and data collected.