Study on the Wind Erosion Resistance Ability and Slope Stability of a Wind-Eroded Desert Roadbed

Wind erosion is a serious problem in arid and semiarid regions. Stability of earthen roadbed is seriously threatened because of droughts and easy wind erosion of roadbed filler in desert areas. So, evaluating the wind erosion resistance ability of roadbed filler is very important. Variation rate of shearing strength is regarded as the characterization of the wind erosion resistance ability for Aeolian sand soil roadbed filler through the field vane shear experiment. The results of the study show that the ability of roadbed filler to resist wind erosion increases gradually from the roadbed slope surface to its interior at a given height, and from the top to the base of the slope along the height. Based on the quantitative analysis of roadbed filler resistance to wind erosion, the stability of the wind-eroded desert roadbed has been simulated through the software ABAQUS. When wind erosion areas gradually expand from slope surface to roadbed interior and develop from the shoulder to the base of the slope, the slope stability is decreasing gradually.