• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.401-412
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• 2016

It is extremely difficult to apply conventional grouting methods to subsea tunnelling construction in the high water pressure condition. In such a condition, the rapid artificial freezing method can be an alternative to grouting to form a watertight zone around freezing pipes. For a proper design of the artificial freezing method, the influence of salinity on the freezing process has to be considered. However, there are few domestic tunnel construction that adopted the artificial freezing method, and influential factors on the freezing of the soil are not clearly identified. In this paper, a series of laboratory experiments were performed to identify the physical characteristics of frozen soil. Thermal conductivity of the frozen and unfrozen soil samples was measured through the thermal sensor adopting transient hot-wire method. Moreover, a lab-scale freezing chamber was devised to simulate freezing process of silica sand with consideration of the salinity of pore-water. The temperature in the silica sand sample was measured during the freezing process to evaluate the effect of pore-water salinity on the frozen rate that is one of the key parameters in designing the artificial freezing method in subsea tunnelling. In case of unfrozen soil, the soil samples saturated with fresh water (salinity of 0%) and brine water (salinity of 3.5%) showed a similar value of thermal conductivity. However, the frozen soil sample saturated with brine water led to the thermal conductivity notably higher than that of fresh water, which corresponds to the fact that the freezing rate of brine water was greater than that of fresh water in the freezing chamber test.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.51-60
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• 2012

In order to characterize the shear strength of the frozen sand for foundation design in cold region and prediction of adfreeze bond strength, many researchers developed test techniques and carried out many tests to analyze shear strength properties of the frozen sand for half a century. However, many studies for shear strength properties of the frozen sand have been carried out with limited circumstances, even though shear strength of the froze sand can be affected by various influence factors such as soil type, temperature conditions, and magnitude of normal stress. In this study, direct shear test equipment was used to analyze the shear strength characteristics of the frozen sand. Direct shear test equipment was designed for cold weather, and the direct shear tests were carried out inside of large-scaled low temperature chamber. Three soil types-two uniform sands and one well graded soil were used to analyze the shear strength of the frozen sand with three different temperature conditions and three different vertical confining pressures. In this research, a series of direct shear tests for shear strength of the frozen sand have been conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of effectiveness of the test equipment and low temperature chamber. This research also showed that shear strength of the froze sand increased with decreasing temperature condition, but the influence of vertical confining pressure was insignificant to the shear strength of the frozen sand.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.1499-1508
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• 2013

Freeze-thaw tests were performed on gneiss samples collected from Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica in order to examine the engineering properties of rocks with slightly weathered (SW) and moderately weathered (MW). The tests were conducted under temperature ranging from $20{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ to $-20{\pm}2^{\circ}C$. A cycle of test consisted of 5 hours of freezing followed by another 5 hours of thawing under full saturation. In this paper, total 200 cycles of freeze-thaw test were performed with measurements of porosity, absorption, ultrasonic velocity, and shore hardness per each 20 cycle and that of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) per each 50 cycle. The UCS of the SW rocks approximately decreased 0.07 MPa per a single cycle, while that of MW rocks decreased around 0.2 MPa per a single cycle. During the 200 cycles of SW rocks, the absorption increased from 0.23% to 0.39%, the P-wave velocity decreased from 4,054 m/s to 3,227 m/s and S-wave velocity decreased from 2,519 m/s to 2,079 m/s. Similarly, those of MW rocks changed from 0.65% to 1.6%, 3,207 m/s to 2,133 m/s and 2,028 m/s to 1,357 m/s. In conclusion, it was inferred that the properties of SW rocks experienced approximately 200-300 cycles of freeze-thaw process become close to those of MW rocks.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.14 no.4 s.41
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• pp.401-416
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• 2004

We have collected shale specimens from the Pungam Basin in Kangwon province and investigated change of physical properties by freezing and thawing in water as well as in acidic fluid. The temperature range was $-20{\pm}2^{\circ}C\~15{\pm}2^{\circ}C$. Specimens were frozen for 12 hours and thawed in water for 8 hours. Then, they were saturated in the vacuum chamber for 4 hours to make specimens fully saturated. This procedure was 1 cycle. We have measured absorption, ultrasonic velocity, shore hardness, slake durability and uniaxial compressive strength at every 5th cycles. The physical properties increased or decreased as freezing and thawing cycles increased. Uniaxial compressive strength decreased by 0.40MPa per cycle in water and by 0.48MPa in acidic fluid. Elastic constant also decreased by 0.21GPa per cycle in water and by 0.30GPa in acidic fluid. Absorption increased by $0.29\%$ and $0.37\%$ per cycle in water and acidic fluid, respectively. These results indicate that decrease in uniaxial compressive strength, elastic constant and absorption by freezing and thawing in acidic fluid is more rapid than in water. Ultrasonic velocities, shore hardness and slake durability show no differences in water and acidic fluid. When we compared our results with the temperatures in the Hongchon during the winter season, $6\~12$ cycles may be equivalent to 1 year.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.261-272
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• 2009

An experimental study of the accelerated weathering was performed to investigate the variations of physicomechanical properties of deteriorated rocks due to freeze-thaw weathering for the Jurassic granite specimens from Wonju, Gangwon-do. Each complete cycle of freeze and thaw was lasted 24 hours, comprising 2 hours saturating in vacuum chamber, 8 hours freezing at -20$\pm1^{\circ}C$ and 14 hours thawing at room temperature. Freeze-thaw cycles were implemented with measuring the index physical properties as well as geometries of microfractures. The seismic velocity was found to decrease with increasing freeze-thaw cycles. On the other hand, absorption tends to increase with freeze-thaw cycles. In the end, it was concluded that variations of the index properties of deteriorated specimen depend on its initial properties and flaws in rock. The size and density of the traces of the microfracture on slab specimen were changed continuously with increasing freeze-thaw weathering. The results obtained in this study show that the box fractal dimension($D_B$) has the strong capability of quantifying the combined effect of size and density of the microfractures.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.146-157
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• 2009

An experimental study of accelerated weathering on mudstone sample specimens from Haman, Gyeongnam was performed to investigate the variations of physico-mechanical properties of deteriorated rocks due to freeze-thaw weathering. Each complete cycle of freeze and thaw lasted 24 hours, comprising 2 hours of saturating in vacuum chamber, 8 hours of freezing at $-16{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ and 14 hours of thawing at room temperature. Total of 55 cycles of freeze-thaw were completed with measuring the index properties as well as geometries of microfractures. The measured specific gravity and P-wave velocity found to decrease with increasing freeze-thaw cycles. On the other hand, absorption ratio and effective porosity were continuously increased with increasing freeze-thaw cycles. It was found that the index properties of deteriorated sample specimen depend on its initial properties and flaws in rock. The size and density of the traces of the microfracture on slab specimen exhibited abrupt changes after 30 cycles of freeze-thaw weathering. The results obtained in this study show that the box fractal dimension($D_B$) given in this paper has the strong capability of quantifying the size and density of the microfracture.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.23-30
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• 2013

Bearing capacity of pile is governed by only skin friction in frozen ground condition, while it is generally governed both by skin friction and end bearing capacity in typically unfrozen ground condition. Skin friction force, which arises from the interaction between pile and frozen soils, is defined as adfreeze bond strength, and adfreeze bond strength is one of the most important key parameters for design of pile in frozen soils. Many studies have been carried out in order to analyze adfreeze bond strength characteristics over the last fifty years. However, many studies for adfreeze bond strength have been conducted with limited circumstances, since adfreeze bond strength is sensitively affected by various influence factors such as intrinsic material properties, pile surface roughness, and externally imposed testing conditions. In this study, direct shear test is carried out inside of large-scaled freezing chamber in order to analyze the adfreeze bond strength characteristics with varying freezing temperature and normal stress. Also, the relationship between adfreeze bond strength and shear strength of the frozen soil obtained from previous study was analyzed. The coefficient of adfreeze bond strength was evaluated in order to predict adfreeze bond strength based on shear strength, and coefficients suggested from this and previous studies were compared.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.19-29
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• 2013

Analysis via classical soil mechanics theory is either ineffective or inappropriate for fully describing stress distribution or failure conditions in cold regions, since mechanical properties of soils in cold regions are different from those reported in the classical soil mechanics theory. Therefore, collecting and analyzing technical data, and systematic and specialized research for cold regions are required for design and construction of the structure in cold regions. Freezing and thawing repeat in active layer of permafrost region, and a loading condition affecting the structure changes. Therefore, the reliable analysis of mechanical properties of frozen soils according to various conditions is prerequisite for design and construction of the structure in cold regions, since mechanical properties of frozen soils are sensitive to temperature condition, water content, grain size, relative density, and loading rate. In this research, the direct shear apparatus which operates at 30 degrees below zero and large-scaled low temperature chamber are used for evaluating shear strength characteristics of frozen soils. Weathered granite soil is used to analyzed the shear strength characteristics with varying freezing temperature condition, vertical confining pressure, relative density, and water content. This research shows that the shear strength of weathered granite soil is sensitively affected by various conditions such as freezing temperature conditions, normal stresses, relative densities, and water contents.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.144-154
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• 2015

Mechanical energy is accumulated in the object when stress is exerted on rock specimens, and the failure is occurred when the stress is larger than critical stress. The accumulated energy is emitted as various forms including physical deformation, light, heat and sound. Uniaxial compression strength test and point load strength test were carried out in low temperature environment, and thermal variation of rock specimens were observed and analyzed quantitatively using thermal infrared camera images. Temperature of failure plane was increased just before the failure because of concentration of stress, and was rapidly increased at the moment of the failure because of the emission of thermal energy. The variations of temperature were larger in diorite and basalt specimens which were strong and fresh than in tuff specimens which were weak and weathered. This study can be applied to prevent disasters in rock slope, tunnel and mine in cold regions and to analyze satellite image for predicting earthquake in cold regions.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.37-42
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• 2016

The demand for wireless technology in plant structure has recently been increasing due to several advantages such as installation cost reduction, easy placement, easy extension and aesthetic benefits. Among the many wireless technologies, ZigBee is one of the most useful for plant structure; a wireless plant networking system can be configured using ZigBee alone. This research proposes a ZigBee to use for extreme cold region and thereby enable integration of wired and wireless plant monitoring systems. In this study, in order to assess the performance of ZigBee measured data by thermocouple were examined based on the results from laboratory tests between existing ZigBee and developed ZigBee. From the experiment results, performance of developed ZigBee in harsh environment can be increased well.