Agricultural soils are exposed to large mechanical stresses from traffic of heavy farm machinery, which can lead to a deformation of the soil structure, often with a reduction of porosity, i.e. compaction. Soil compaction can reduce the yield for the farmers and affect important soil parameters with adverse consequences for the environment. To avoid or alleviate soil compaction, we need to understand the processes that lead to it, and the natural processes in play during recovery. 

The activities of the team working on soil mechanics aim at a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of agricultural soils. This includes numerical, experimental and theoretical investigations concerning the stress propagation mode in naturally structured arable soils, the stress-strain relationships in situ and in the lab (compression, shearing, yielding), the definition and characterization of soil mechanical strength, the consequences of soil deformation on soil functions in the short term and in the long term, including the natural recovery.