Geomechanics and Engineering

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Characteristics of S-wave and P-wave velocities in Gyeongju - Pohang regions of South Korea: Correlation analysis with strength and modulus of rocks and N values of soils

  • Min-Ji Kim (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University) ;
  • Tae-Min Oh (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University) ;
  • Dong-Woo Ryu (Mineral Exploration and Mining Research Center, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM))
  • Received : 2024.01.18
  • Accepted : 2024.05.29
  • Published : 2024.06.25
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Abstract

With increasing demand for nuclear power generation, nuclear structures are being planned and constructed worldwide. A grave safety concern is that these structures are sensitive to large-magnitude shaking, e.g., during earthquakes. Seismic response analysis, which requires P- and S-wave velocities, is a key element in nuclear structure design. Accordingly, it is important to determine the P- and S-wave velocities in the Gyeongju and Pohang regions of South Korea, which are home to nuclear power plants and have a history of seismic activity. P- and S-wave velocities can be obtained indirectly through a correlation with physical properties (e.g., N values, Young's modulus, and uniaxial compressive strength), and researchers worldwide have proposed regression equations. However, the Gyeongju and Pohang regions of Korea have not been considered in previous studies. Therefore, a database was constructed for these regions. The database includes physical properties such as N values and P- and S-wave velocities of the soil layer, as well as the uniaxial compressive strength, Young's modulus, and P- and S-wave velocities of the bedrock layer. Using the constructed database, the geological characteristics and distribution of physical properties of the study region were analyzed. Furthermore, models for predicting P- and S-wave velocities were developed for soil and bedrock layers in the Gyeongju and Pohang regions. In particular, the model for predicting the S-wave velocity for the soil layers was compared with models from previous studies, and the results indicated its effectiveness in predicting the S-wave velocity for the soil layers in the Gyeongju and Pohang regions using the N values. The proposed models for predicting P- and S-wave velocities will contribute to predicting the damage caused by earthquakes.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Basic Research Project (GP2021-07) of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea.

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