Baptiste Darbois Texier
CNRS Researcher at Laboratory FAST (UMR 7608), Paris-Saclay University
CNRS Researcher at Laboratory FAST (UMR 7608), Paris-Saclay University
The soil on our planet is an extremely heterogeneous material, made up of particles that vary greatly in size, shape and composition. This collection of particles can be described as granular, whether in dry or wet conditions. When the climate changes, soils can exhibit critical behaviours such as landslides, mudslides and avalanches. Soils are also unique eco-systems for the many living organisms that burrow beneath the surface and move through them. Preventing the risks associated with geophysical events and preserving soils requires an in-depth understanding of the behaviour of granular media. Our work focuses on the mechanics of these granular materials, which are made up of an assembly of solid grains, and on the effect of various factors influencing their macroscopic responses, such as the presence of fluids, capillary bridges or fibres in the interstices between the grains. These materials are used as model systems to study soil behaviour in the laboratory. In practice, we characterise the macroscopic response of these materials using model experiments and interpret our observations using concepts from the field of soft matter. This approach is essential for developing new strategies for reinforcing soils with fibres in order to combat erosion, as well as for gaining a deeper understanding of the interactions between organisms living beneath the surface and soil properties. To this end, we are developing bio-inspired robots and studying their behaviour in granular materials, which represents a major challenge in robotics.
Loic Tadrist, Francisco Melo, Juan F. Fuentealba, S. Dorbolo, T. Truscott, J. Bico, P. Brunet, S. Palma, J. Herault