MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR ENHANCED SLOPE STABILITY AND EROSION CONTROL IN HIGHWAY EMBANKMENTS
Abstract
Abstract: Highway embankments are crucial to transportation infrastructure but are challenged by increasing threats from climate change, including slope instability and erosion. This study directly contributes to sustainability by proposing a quantitative and integrative framework for incorporating Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) into highway embankment design—offering an environmental and green alternative to conventional engineering models. The study combines slope stability analysis (via the Morgenstern-Price method), seepage flow modelling (using Darcy’s Law), and erosion prediction (through the Universal Soil Loss Equation, USLE) to evaluate the ecological and structural performance of vegetative coupled strategies. Key sustainability indicators such as improved Factor of Safety (FoS), reduced soil loss, and optimized hydraulic behaviourweremodelled to assess resilience under varying environmental conditions. Results indicates that NbS enhance long-term embankment stability and reduce erosion, with a critical slope length of 37.3 meters identified for intervention. By optimising the need for energy- and resource-intensive engineering interventions, and by utilizing the regenerative capacity of vegetation, this research reinforces sustainability by promoting eco-engineering, improving resilience to climate change, and supporting circular land-use practices in transportation infrastructure development.
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Keywords: Environmental Sustainability, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS); Slope Stability; Erosion Control; Mathematical Modeling; Highway Embankments
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