• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.55-66
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• 2012

To investigate the hysteresis of the suction stress in unsaturated weathered mudstone soils (CL), matric suction and volumetric water content were measured in both drying and wetting processes using Automated Soil-Water Characteristics Curve Apparatus. The drying and wetting processes in unsaturated soils were reproduced in the test; the drying process means to load matric suction to spill pore water from the soils, and the wetting process means to unload matric suction to inject pore water into the soils. Based on the measured result, Soil Water Characteristic Curve(SWCC)s were estimated by van Genuchten model (1980). SWCCs have nonlinear relationship between effective degree of saturation and matric suction. The hysteresis in SWCCs between drying and wetting processes occurred. As a result of estimating Suction Stress Characteristic Curve(SSCC) using Lu and Likos model (2006), the suction stress rapidly increased in the low level of matric suction and then increased slightly. Also, the hysteresis in SSCCs between drying and wetting processes occurred. In order to design geo-structures and check its stability considering unsaturated soil mechanics, therefore, it is more reasonable that the SSCC of drying process should be applied in the condition of rainfall infiltration and the SSCC of wetting process in the condition of evaporation or drainage.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 2009

The unsaturated characteristics of Korean weathered granite soils have been studied to investigate the influence of saturated permeability, rainfall intensity and soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) on the slope stability. The upper, average and lower SWCCs were estimated from the publication and experimental results using the statistical concept. The roughly estimated SWCC can be used for the soils without experimental results by relating SWCC with the particle size distribution curve. An appropriate ratio between the saturated permeability and the rainfall intensity ($k_s$/i) was also suggested for practical use in designing the slopes by investigating the time-dependent variation of slope instability during the rainfall. The slope stability was deteriorated from the initiation of rainfall and recovered again after the factor of safety reached the critical value. The FS of the slope decreased at first and then increased after reaching the critical value during the rainfall. As a result, the slope instability was not related with an absolute rainfall intensity but with the ratio between the saturated permeability and the rainfall intensity. In case of the upper SWCC, the critical condition occurred when the ratio between the saturated permeability and the rainfall intensity was in the range of $1.0{\sim}2.0$.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 2008

Geophysical survey for establishing a wide site for the distribution of water content, wetting front infiltration due to the rainfall, and distribution of groundwater level has been performed by using 8round penetration radar (GPR) method, electrical resistivity method, and so on. On the other hand, a narrow area survey was performed to use a permittivity method such as time domain reflectometry, frequency domain reflectometry, and amplitude domain reflectometry methods for estimating volumetric water content, soil density, and concentration of contaminant in surface and subsurface. The permittivity methods establish more corrective physical parameters than different found survey technologies mentioned above. In this study for establishment of infiltration behaviors for wetting front in the unsaturated soil caused by an artificial rainfall, soil physical parameters for volumetric water content, pore water pressure, and pore air pressure were measured by FDR measurement device and pore water pressure meter which are installed in the unsaturated weathered granite soil with different depths. Consequently, the authors were proposed to a new establishment method for analyzing the variations of volumetric water content and wetting front infiltration from the responses of infiltrating pore water in the unsaturated soil.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2004.03b
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• pp.791-798
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• 2004

압밀현상에 따른 포화된 점토의 유전특성과 전기비저항 특성을 분석하기 위해서 전기적 측정이 가능한 Oedometer 압밀시험기를 준비하였다. 포화된 카올리나이트 시료에 대해서 실시한 압밀시험 결과, 압밀현상에 따른 직류 전기비저항과 1MHz (저주파대) 유전상수는 간극수의 소산에 따라 선형으로 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 점토의 전기비저항 특성은 압밀 현상 시 발생하는 흙의 함수량 및 공극비의 감소, 즉 흙의 구조적 특성에 의하여 변하는 것으로 나타났다. 반면, 포화된 점토의 유전 특징은 불포화 점토와는 달리 흙 표면에서 발생하는 분극현상에 의하여 크게 영향을 받는 것으로 나타났다.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.33-39
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• 2020

A geological repository has been considered as an option for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The HLW is disposed in a host rock at a depth of 500~1,000 meters below the ground surface based on the concept of engineered barrier system (EBS). The EBS is composed of a disposal canister, buffer material, backfill material, and gap-filling material. The compacted bentonite buffer is very important since it can restrain the release of radionuclide and protect the canister from the inflow of ground water. The saturation of the buffer decreases because high temperature in a disposal canister is released into the surrounding buffer material, but saturation of the buffer increases because of the inflow of ground water. The unsaturated properties of the buffer are critical input parameters for the entire safety assessment of the engineered barrier system. In Korea, Gyeongju bentonite can be considered as a candidate buffer material, but there are few test results of the unsaturated properties considering temperature variation. Therefore, this paper conducted experiment of soil-water characteristic curve for the Gyeongju compacted bentonite considering temperature variation under a constant water content condition. The relative error showed approximately 2% between test results and modified van-Genuchten model values.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.281-295
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• 2010

A new, automated apparatus is proposed for calculating the Soil-Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC), representing a simple and easily applied testing device for continuous measurements of the volumetric water content and suction of unsaturated soils. The use of this apparatus helps to avoid the errors that arise when performing experiments. Consequently, the apparatus provides greater accuracy in calculating the SWCC of unsaturated soils. The apparatus is composed of a pressure panel, flow cell, water reservoir, air bubble trap, balance, sample-preparation accessories, and measurement system, among other components. The air pressure can attain 300 kPa, and a general test can be completed in a short time. The apparatus can simply control the drying process and wetting process. The changes in volumetric water content that occur during the drying and wetting processes are shown directly in the SWRC program, in real time. As a case study, we performed an SWCC test of Joomunjin sand (75% relative density) to measure matric suction and volumetric water content during both the drying and wetting processes. The test revealed hysteresis behavior, whereby the water content on the wetting curve is always lower than that on the drying curve for a specific matric suction, during the wetting and drying processes. Based on the test results, SWCCs were estimated using the Brooks and Corey, van Genuchten, and Fredlund and Xing models. The van Genuchten model performed best for the given soil conditions, as it yielded the highest coefficient of determination.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.1 s.50
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• pp.41-47
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• 2007

Geotechnical Phenomena such as landslide, groundwater recharge and groundwater fluctuation due to rainfall can be explain to use a dielectric response and infiltration variation by the movement of a wetting front in the subsurface. The infiltration of a wetting front is infiltrating to the connected pores which are distributed in unsaturated soil. In this study we carried out to laboratory experiment of a vertical infiltration column test using ethanol mix-ing tracer which has same the specific gravity of water. All physical values are detected to use a variation of dielectric constant and calculated to use a dielectric mixing model and tracer test model. This dielectric method measured by each dielectric constant of geological soil porous materials should be of for the geotechnical information and useful a field monitoring technique for detecting the variations of the volumetric water content and the wetting front, which are insignificant the key parameter to understanding the landslide by rainfall.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.9-18
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• 2008

Shallow slope failures in residual soil during periods of prolonged infiltration are common in Korea. This study examines an infinite slope analysis to estimate the influence of infiltration on surficial stability of slopes by the limit equilibrium method. Approximate method which is based on the Green-Ampt model have been considered to evaluate the likelihood of shallow slope failure which is induced by a particular rainfall event that accounts for the rainfall intensity and duration for various return periods. Pradel & Raad method which is devised to predict the depth of wetting front to decomposed granite soil slopes having measured soil-water characteristic curves. To compare the results with those obtained from the Pradel & Raad method, a series of numerical analysis using SEEP/W were carried out. It was found that the stability analysis of unsaturated soils calculated by using the soil-water characteristic curve of decomposed granite soils was found to be a proper analysis for shallow slope failures due to rainfall.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.101-109
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• 2007

In South Korea, many weathered soil slopes are composed of soil mixtures with certain amount of clay fractions in natural soil deposits. Accordingly, it is very important to analyze that effect of the fines on the stability of unsaturated soil slopes. In this study, five different soil types classified by mixture portion of fines were used and experiment on the soil-water characteristic curve tests (SWCC) using GCTS (Geotechnical Consulting and Testing Systems) pressure plate were performed in order to analyze the stability of unsaturated soil slopes. Based on the infiltration analysis which contains SWCC test result by the SEEP/W, it is shown that the increasing rate of the wetting band depth was decreased as the fines content and the relative density were increased. According to the stability analysis result of the unsaturated soil slopes through the SLOPE/W, it is found that the transition from the wetting band depth to the variation of strength parameters which affect the stability of unsaturated soil slopes appears to occur around $10\sim15%$ of clay contents in the mixtures.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.5-12
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• 2013

In this study, weathered granite model tests were performed to investigate the variation of volumetric water content and matric suction by the adsorption and desorption processes of artificial rainfall. It has been compared with numerical analysis in unsaturated condition. As the results, the behaviors of volumetric water content and matric suction were distinguished by the seepage distance separated into higher, middle and lower area, and the drainage layer located at the bottom of the experimental device. In the adsorption process, the instantaneously large change of matric suction and water content were related to the increase of permeability in soil. However, in the desorption process, the change of matric suction and water content were gradually small because of the decrease of permeability. The volumetric water content and matric suction showed the difference according to the seepage distance, however the typical characteristic curves were made by the adsorption and desorption processes.