This study addresses the challenges of adobe in Peru, a material widely used in rural areas but with limitations in mechanical strength and durability, particularly in seismic and humid regions. To bridge this gap, a combination of sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF) and rice husk (RH) was added at percentages of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% (by dry soil weight), and the experimental adobe walls were reinforced with galvanized metal mesh. At 28 days, mechanical properties were evaluated through cube compression, prism compression, and diagonal wall compression tests, while durability was assessed at 56 days using wetting-drying wear and suction tests. The findings showed that adding 1% SBF + 0.5% RH to the adobe mixture increased compressive strength by up to 30.8%, and reinforcing this mixture with metal mesh further enhanced the strength by 26.4% at 28 days. Additionally, a 37.12% improvement in wetting-drying wear resistance and a 26% reduction in suction were observed at 56 days. This sustainable solution meets local regulatory standards and is particularly beneficial for seismic and humid regions, offering a practical alternative for safer and more resilient adobe housing in vulnerable areas of Peru and beyond, adaptable to on-site conditions. The results demonstrate a strong synergy between these agricultural byproducts and the galvanized metal mesh in enhancing adobe performance.

Coarse particle shape in slip zone soil influences the mesoscopic structure of the soil, which in turn affects soil shear strength and failure behavior. In order to investigate the effect of particle shape on the shear characteristics of coarse-fine-grained mixed slip zone soil, three types of coarse particles (spheroidal, rounded, and angular) were selected for mixing and matching, and a total of 10 sets of medium-scale shear tests were designed for this paper. To quantify the shear deformation and failure process of slip zone soils, particle image velocimetry (PIV) technology and the hanging hammer method were used to obtain mesoscopic data of the soil (displacement vector data of soil particles and elevation data of the shear failure surface), which were used to calculate shear band thickness, shear dilatation, and roughness coefficient of the shear failure surface. The results indicate that coarse particle shape can considerably affect the macroscopic mechanical properties (internal friction angle and shear strength) and mesoscopic deformation characteristics (shear band thickness, shear dilatation, and shear surface morphology) of soils. Angular coarse particles have higher interlocking strength than spheroidal and rounded coarse particles, allowing angular coarse-grained slip zone soils to develop large shear band thickness and rough shear failure surfaces. In addition, mesoscopic damage analysis suggests that the damage rate of slip zone soils decreases with increasing coarse particle shape complexity. These findings enhance comprehension of the failure characteristics of soil-rock mixture slopes and serve as a good reference for the stability analysis of similar slopes.

Deep foundation and anchorage systems are often comprised of simple linear elements, limited by design, materials and techniques employed to build them. Their stability is attained by transferring structural loads to deeper, more stable soil layers across a larger area, reducing potential for excessive settlement and providing resistance against lateral forces from external factors including wind and earthquakes. In comparison, root systems distribute loads to a large volume of soil through a branched morphology of semiflexible elements. Roots also penetrate soil media, reduce erosion, create habitats, and exchange, store and transport resources, while continuously sensing and adapting to environmental conditions. Insights from their integration of multifunctionality can be transferred to civil engineering through biomimicry. As a first step toward designing root-inspired foundations, the effects of various morphological traits (laterals' length, number of nodes, number of laterals, branching angle and laterals' cross section) on foundation performance are evaluated through vertical pullout tests. Out of the model properties, general trends were observed, including the positive correlation between models' surface area and maximum force reached. Yet, due to complex interactions between the model and granular media, no model property fully explained differences in pullout resistance of all models. The effects of each root trait on pullout resistance were analyzed separately, which can serve to adapt the design of root-inspired foundations and exploit granular physics principles. Potential reasons for surprising and counterintuitive results are also presented. Further studies could evaluate the assumptions given as potential explanations of these results by studying identified counterintuitive scenarios.

Foundation settlement is a common problem in civil engineering. In the case of un-even settlement, it can lead to structural deformation and damage, which seriously affects the safety and reliability of the project. Therefore, the influence of adjusting the stiffness of the foundation on un-even settlement was analyzed through finite element analysis to effectively solve un-even settlement. By simulating the settlement of soil under different foundation stiffness and load conditions, the influence of foundation stiffness adjustment on soil deformation and settlement distribution was analyzed, and its impact on structural safety was evaluated. These studies confirmed that thickened layers could effectively solve the un-even settlement. Within the range of 0.2 to 1.0 meters, the difference in thickness was the greatest. The adjustment of differential settlement by layer thickness was phased and decreased with increasing thickness. Adjusting the stiffness of the foundation could effectively solve un-even settlement, reduce differences in soil settlement, and improve the overall stability and safety of the structure. These results have important guiding significance for the design of foundation and the solution of un-even settlement problems in engineering practice and provide certain reference and basis for further research.