• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.117-127
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effect of in-situ rock stresses on the deformability and permeability of fractured rocks. Geological data were taken from the site investigation at Forsmark, Sweden, conducted by Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Man-agement Company (SKB). A set of numerical experiments was conducted to determine the equivalent mechanical properties (essentially, elastic moduli and Poisson's ratio) and permeability, using a Discrete Fracture Network-Discrete Element Method (DFN-DEM) approach. The results show that both mechanical properties and permeability are highly dependent on stress because of the hyperbolic nature of the stiffness of fractures, different closure behavior of fractures, and change of fluid pathways caused by deformation. This study shows that proper characterization and consideration of in-situ stress are important not only for boundary conditions of a selected site but also for the understanding of the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of fractured rocks.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.12-29
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• 2019

Permeability and its change due to a fluid injection in jointed rock mass is an important factor to be well identified for a safe and successful implementation of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) projects which may accompany injection-induced hydromechanical deformation of the rock mass. In this technical report, we first reviewed important issues in evaluating initial permeability using borehole hydraulic tests and numierical approaches for understanding coupled hydromechanical properties of rock mass. Recent SIMFIP testing device to measure these hydromechanical properties directly through in-situ borehole experiments was also reviewed. The technical significance and usefulness of the device for further applications was discussed as well.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.83-94
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• 2023

Unlike the conventional triaxial test cells for cylindrical specimens, which impose uniform lateral confining pressures, the GREAT (Geo-Reservoir Experimental Analogue Technology) cell can exert differential radial stresses using eight independently-controlled pairs of lateral loading elements and thereby generate horizontal stress fields with various magnitudes and orientations. In the preceding companion paper, GREAT cell tests were numerically simulated under different mechanical loading conditions and the validity of the numerical model was investigated by comparing experimental and numerical results for circumferential strain. In the present study, we simulated GREAT cell tests for an artificial sample containing a fracture under both mechanical loading and fluid flow conditions. The numerical simulation was carried out by varying the mechanical properties of the fracture surface, which were unknown. The numerical responses (circumferential strains) of the sample were compared with experimental data and a good match was found between the numerical and experimental results under certain mechanical conditions of the fracture surface. Additionally, the effect of fluid flow conditions on the mechanical behavior of the sample was investigated and discussed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.197-207
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• 2006

The engineering performance of a high level waste repository is significantly dependent upon the T-H-M behavior in the engineered barrier system. An engineering-scale test facility (KENTEX) was set up to validate the T-H-M behaviors in the buffer of a reference disposal system developed in the 2002. The validation tests started on May 31, 2005 and is now in progress. The KENTEX facility and validation test programme are introduced, and pre-operation calculations are also presented to give information on the sensitive location of sensors and operational conditions. This test will provide information (e.g., large-scale apparatus, sensors, monitoring system etc.) needed for 'in-situ' tests, make the validation of a T-H-M model for the T-H-M performance assessment of the reference disposal system, and demonstrate the engineering feasibility of fabricating and emplacing the buffer of a repository.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.1976-1981
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• 2010

하천사업이 자연친화적인 사업으로 변화하면서 친수성을 가진 다양한 형태들의 호안블록이 개발되고 있다. 호안블록의 다양성에 비해 유수에 대한 안정성을 검증할 수 있는 항력 양력계수, 상당조도 등의 수리특성인자에 대한 연구가 미진한 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 수리모형 실험을 통해 호안블록의 역학적인 특성을 분석하여 유수가 호안블록에 미치는 영향을 규명하였으며, 호안공법에 대한 수리모형 실험방법의 적용성을 모색하였다. 수리실험은 수로의 상류로부터 수류의 안정화가 이루어지는 9m 지점의 수로 바닥에 블록을 설치하였으며, 4분력계와 전자유속계를 이용하여 수리특성인자의 계측을 실시하였다. 단체실험은 형태가 다른 6개의 호안블록을 이용하여 실험을 실시하였으며, 단체실험결과에 의한 항력과 양력이 양호한 호안 4로 군체실험을 실시하였다. 군체 실험을 통해 상당조도가 0.163에서 0.165로 증가하는 것으로 확인되었으며, 상당조도의 증가에 따른 유속 저감 정도를 파악할 수 있었다.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.464-474
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• 2007

An enhancement in the performance and safety of a high-level waste repository requires a validation of its engineered barrier. An engineering-scale test (named "KENTEX") has been conducted to investigate the thermal-hydro-mechanical behaviors in the engineered barrier of the Korean reference disposal system The validation test started on May 31, 2005 and is still under operation. The experimental data obtained allowed a preliminary and qualitative interpretation of the thermal-hydro-mechanical behaviors in the bentonite blocks. The temperature was higher as it became closer to the heater, while it became lower as it was farther away from the heater. The water content had a higher value in the part close to the hydration surface than that in the heater part. The relative humidity data suggested that a hydration of the bentonite blocks might occur by different drying-wetting processes, depending on their position. The total pressure was continuously increased by the evolution of the saturation front in the bentonite blocks and thereby the swelling pressure. Near the heater region, there was also a significant contribution of the thermal expansion of bentonite and the vapor pressure in the pores of the bentonite blocks.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.42-56
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• 2023

In deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), the natural barrier must physically support the disposal facility and delay the movement of radionuclides for at least hundreds of thousands of years. To evaluate the long-term geological evolution of the natural barriers, it is essential to analyze the long-term behavior of rock joints, including the frictional healing behavior. This study aimed to experimentally analyze the frictional healing behavior of rock joints under hydro-mechanical (H-M) conditions through the slide-hold-slide (SHS) test. The SHS tests were performed under mechanical and H-M conditions for joint specimens of different roughness. In the H-M conditions, the frictional healing rate tended to increase, which was more evident in the specimens with large roughness. In addition, it was confirmed that the effect of the hydro-mechanical conditions was more significant when the effective normal stress acting on the joint surface was small. These results are expected to be used as fundamental data to understand the frictional healing behavior of rock joints in the natural barriers.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.68-86
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• 2016

Understanding the frictional properties of rock discontinuities is crucial to ensure the stability of underground structures. In particular, the frictional behavior at depth depends on the complex interaction among mechanical, hydraulic, thermal and chemical characteristics and their coupled effects. In this study, a series of shear tests were carried out in a triaxial compression chamber to investigate the shearing behavior of saw-cut granite surface and rough shear surface of synthetic rocks. The test results were analyzed using Coulomb's shear strength criterion. The frictional behavior of saw-cut granite surface showed little variation at different confining, water pressures and temperature conditions, however in case of synthetic rocks, the frictional behavior showed different trend depending on normal stress level. In addition, the variation of stiffness and dilation at different testing conditions were analyzed, and the stiffness and dilation showed little variation at different water pressures and temperature conditions.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.328-336
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• 1999

To characterize the hydro-mechanical behavior of a rock joint, a rotary shear testing apparatus was devised in this study. Shear stress was driven by twisting the end of a sample in the rotary shear testing apparatus. The test results show that the rotary shear test underestimates the peak shear strength of a rock joint. The torque is known as a function of the radial distance from the axis of rotation, resulting in the radial variation of the shear stress. Fluid flow through rock joints is mainly dependent on the Joint roughness, contact area, initial aperture. To examine the dependency, the relationship between the hydraulic and the mechanical apertures for shear-flow was established by measuring the initial aperture. It shows that the mechanical aperture and the hydraulic aperture increase linearly with the dilatancy. The difference between the hydraulic and mechanical apertures describes the deviation from the behavior predicted by the parallel plate model.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.1706-1710
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• 2006

횡유입에 의한 합류부에서는 통상 하천에 비해 수위, 유속 등의 수리학적으로 불안정한 수리특성이 나타난다. 이로 인한 합류부의 배수효과는 합류점뿐만 아니라 합류점 상류의 본류와 지류의 수위 및 유속 변화로 홍수나 태풍에 영향을 가중시켜 더 큰 피해를 가져온다. 따라서 합류부의 특성을 정확히 파악하여 하천의 안정적 기능을 유지하여야 한다. 본 논문은 2차원 동수역학 해석모형인 SMS(1999)의 RMA-2를 이용하여 합류부의 특성을 분석하였다. 합류부의 특성을 파악하기 위한 모형수로 실험을 한 박용섭(2003)의 실험자료를 이용하여 같은 조건으로 RMA-2 해석에 적용하였다. 이에 따른 횡유입의 분리구역 현상을 RMA-2의 분석결과로 확인 할 수 있으며 박용섭(2003)의 실험자료와 비교분석 하였다.