Seismic Performance of Substrate for Vegetation Concrete from Large-Scale Shaking Table Test

Abstract

The substrate for vegetation concrete is a new type of plant substrate used for slope protection. While it has demonstrated good performance in slope protection and a greening effect, the sustainability of ecological restoration projects is difficult and there are significant construction risks in areas with frequent earthquakes. In this study, a new type of substrate for vegetation concrete was developed for areas with frequent earthquakes, and a shaking table test was performed to evaluate the seismic performance. The test results indicated that the proposed substrate of the vegetation concrete displayed good stability under seismic excitation at earthquake intensities of V, VI, VII, and VIII. A comparison of several different reinforcement methods under seismic conditions indicated that wavy laying of a flexible net was the best reinforcement method. Through observation of the displacement time history curve and macroscopic phenomenon, the failure process of the substrate layer was obtained and consisted of the following three stages: cracking between substrate layer and bedrock, internal cracking of the substrate layer, and vibration crushing. Ultimately, the research results have significant reference value for ecological restoration projects using substrates for vegetation concrete in areas with frequent earthquakes.