Bio-inspired geotechnical engineering: principles, current work, opportunities and challenges

A broad diversity of biological organisms and systems interact with soil in ways that facilitate their growth survival. These interactions are made possible by strategies enable to accomplish functions can be analogous those required geotechnical engineering systems. Examples include anchorage soft weak ground, penetration into hard stiff subsurface materials movement loose sand. Since the have been ‘vetted’ process natural selection, they governed same physical laws both engineered environments, represent a unique source principles design ideas for addressing challenges. Prior implementation as solutions, however, differences spatial temporal scales material properties between environment system must addressed. Current bio-inspired geotechnics research is topics such excavation penetration, soil–structure interface shearing, load transfer foundation elements soils, mass thermal transport, having gained inspiration from worms, clams, ants, termites, fish, snakes plant roots. This work highlights potential benefits through new or improved solutions biology understanding mechanisms result cross-disciplinary collaborations.