Tensile strength and elastic modulus of tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) grass roots

This thesis presents the sample collection, testing methods, and results of tensile strength testing for laboratory-grown tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) for comparison with existing tensile strength and modulus data for Lolium arundinaceum from other studies. Lolium arundinaceum plants were grown and fertilized in temperature- and light-controlled growing chambers in both confined growing tubes on a level surface and in boxes constructed at a 3 horizontal to 1 vertical (3H:1V; or 18.4-degree) slope. Seventy-three tensile strength measurements and 52 elastic modulus values for Lolium arundinaceum roots less than 0.5 millimeters in diameter collected during this research were compared with 97 tensile strengths and 94 modulus measurements for Lolium arundinaceum grass root diameters ranging from 0.45 to 2.30 millimeters obtained from literature. Tensile strength and elastic modulus were found to increase with decreasing diameter, represented as a power law regression trendline. Coefficients of determination (R2) for the power-law regression trendlines from this testing program were improved for tensile strength (from 0.66 to 0.82) and for modulus values (0.59 to 0.76) after including data from the literature.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Wall, Kayla

Contributors dc:contributor

• Olson, Scott M.

• Root
• Root Strength
• Tensile Strength
• Fescue
• Lolium Arundinaceum

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Kayla Wall

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130071

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F130071