A Transformative Approach to Stabilize Highway Slope Using Vetiver Grass

The rainfall pattern in Mississippi has been affected by climate change, leading to increased precipitation that can cause the failure of highway slopes made of highly plastic clay soil. This soil is highly expansive and experiences repeated shrink-swell behavior, which softens the soil, reduces its shear strength, and makes it vulnerable to failure. To address this problem, vetiver grass was used as a nature-based solution to stabilize a highway slope along I-20 in Jackson, Mississippi. The grass’s deep and fibrous roots hold the soil in place, extract water, and thus act as a drainage medium. Monitoring equipment, such as rain gauges and moisture sensors, was installed to track rainfall, moisture content, and matric suction. The study showed that the vetiver grass reduced the perched water zone, reinforced the slope with increased suction, and prevented slope movement. This transformative and climate-resilient approach provides an effective solution for highway slope repair.