• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.333-342
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• 2017

In this study, the heterogeneity of internal structure of various igneous rocks acquired in Korea was quantified and correlated with the seismic velocity and the point load strength. Three-dimensional X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was used to obtain information on the internal structure of the rock specimen, and the representative unit length (LR) was calculated by applying a statistical technique to the CT images. We also proposed an estimation equation to predict the mechanical properties of rocks from the relationship between LR, acoustic velocity and point load strength. In the proposed method, it is shown that the characterization of internal structure of rocks could be utilized as an indirect index to account for the mechanical behavior of rocks by substituting physical laboratory testing for non-destructive test.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2009

Physical properties of rocks are strongly dependant on details of pore micro-structures, which can be used for quantifying relations between physical properties of rocks through pore-scale simulation techniques. Recently, high-resolution scan techniques, such as X-ray microtomography and high performance computers make it possible to calculate permeability from pore micro-structures of rocks. We try to extend this simulation methodology to velocity and electrical conductivity. However, the smoothing effect during tomographic inversion creates artifacts in pore micro-structures and causes inaccurate property estimation. To mitigate this artifact, we tried to use sharpening filter and neural network classification techniques. Both methods gave noticeable improvement in pore structure imaging and accurate estimation of permeability and electrical conductivity, which implies that our method effectively removes the smoothing effect in pore structures. However, the calculated velocities showed only incremental improvement. By comparison between thin section images and tomogram, we found that our resolution is not high enough, and it is mainly responsible for the inaccuracy in velocity despite the successful removal of the smoothing effect. In conclusion, our methods can be very useful for pore-scale modeling, since it can create accurate pore structure without the smoothing effect. For accurate velocity estimation, the resolution of pore structure should be at least three times higher than that for permeability simulation.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.317-327
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• 2008

About 70% of domestic land is mountainous and the construction of many geotechnical structures is inevitable for building transportation networks across region. Many geotechnical surveys, including rock physical and mechanical tests, are performed during construction. Thus study is a basic research for establishing database of physical and mechanical properties in domestic rocks, and analyzing the rock mechanical relationships between 2,000 rock properties obtained from laboratory tests in KOLAS. For the construction of useful database, systematic management, based on the standard information as well as reliable data accumulation, is required.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.225-233
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• 1999

Electrical resistivity of a rock-sample is dependant on not only formation factor of rock itself but also many parameters such as fluid type, measuring device, temperature, water saturation, electrical contact between electrode and core section, induced polarization, and frequency of electric source. In this study, we attempt to verify various affecting factors in core resistivity measurements and to find a better environment for core resistivity measurement. Particularly great attention has been paid to understanding the effects of temperature, water saturation, contact condition between sample and electrodes, and frequency of electric source. Precise measurement of resistivity can be achieved by utilizing silver paste for better contacts, taping samples for constant moisture contents, and using time-series resistivity data.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 1992

Granite core samples and bulk samples were first subjected to petrographic examination to determine weathering degrees. Secondly, their physical or mechanical properties including specific gravity, porosity, sonic wave velocity and uniaxial compressive strength were measured. The results were correlated to investigate the influences between properties including physical and mechanical properties, weathering degrees, and rock textures. Porosity and P wave velocity were found the most useful indices in determining the weathering degrees of granites.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.263-275
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• 2012

Jurassic Daebo biotite granites, known as one of the main stone resources in the country, are widely and away distributed in the Pocheon and Yangju areas of the mid Gyeonggi massif. The objects of the study are mainly to reveal the unique characteristics of grain size, rock color, mineral composition, physical property and fracture system from the above biotite granites. Biotite granites from the Pocheon area (PG) and Yangju area (YG) are represented by coarse-grained and light gray, and medium to coarse-grained and grayish to light gray, respectively. In modes, main minerals of Qz+Af+Pl (quartz+alkali feldspar+plagioclase) are more increased in the PG, and accessories of biotite are more increased in the YG, which differences can cause the PG more bright light gray than the YG. Specific gravity (SG) shows somewhat more increasing in the YG than the PG. These differences can be caused by more increasing in biotite contents of higher specific gravity compared to the major minerals in the former than the latter. Absorption ratio (AR) and porosity (PR) of the PG and YG show the same values of 0.33 % and 0.86 %, respectively. In the correlations, PR vs SG and AR vs PR show gradually negative and distinctly positive trends, respectively. Compressive strength (CS) and tensile strength (TS) show increasing in the PG (CS: 1,775 $kg/cm^2$, TS: 87 $kg/cm^2$) than the YG (CS: 1,647 $kg/cm^2$, TS: 79 $kg/cm^2$). These strength characteristics could be attributed to the inherent rock textures of them. Abrasive hardness (AH) also shows a little increasing in PG, which can be caused by increase in quartz contents having higher hardness than the other major minerals. Orientations of fracture sets from the PG and YG were compared with those of vertical rift and grain planes in Mesozoic granites of the country. From the overlapped diagram, the distribution pattern between fracture sets and above vertical planes suggests that microcrack systems developed in Mesozoic granites in Korea occur also in the Daebo biotite granite bodies of the mid Gyeonggi massif. From the relation diagram showing the characteristics of fracture patterns for the above two area, PG and YG may have more potentiality for dimension and non-dimension stone resources, respectively.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.235-252
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• 2016

This study presents a methodology to reproduce the mechanical behavior of isotropic or transversely isotropic rock using the polygonal grain-based distinct element model. A numerical technique to monitor the evolution of micro-cracks during the simulation was developed in the present study, which enabled us to examine the contribution of tensile cracking and shear cracking to the progressive process of the failure. The numerical results demonstrated good agreement with general observations from rock specimens in terms of the behavior and the evolution of micro-cracks, suggesting the capability of the model to represent the mechanical behavior of rock. We also carried out a parametric study as a fundamental work to examine the relationships between the microscopic properties of the constituents and the macroscopic behavior of the model. Depending on the micro-properties, the model exhibited a variety of responses to the external load in terms of the strength and deformation characteristics. In addition, a numerical technique to reproduce the transversely isotropic rock was suggested and applied to Asan gneiss from Korea. The behavior of the numerical model was in good agreement with the results obtained in the laboratory-scale experiments of the rock.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.2 s.61
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• pp.109-134
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• 2006

Rocks undergo weathering processes influenced by changing in pressure-temperature condition, atmosphere, underground water, and rainfall. The weathering processes change physical and chemical characteristics of the rocks. Once the rocks are weathered, the characteristics of them are changed and, because of the changing, several disadvantages such as rock slope failures and underground water spouts are can occur. Before we cut a large rock slope, therefore, we must analyze current weathering conditions of rocks and predict weathering processes in the future. Through the results of such analyses, we can judge reinforcement works. In order to comply with such requests, chemical weathering sensitivity analysis which was analyzed from chemical weathering velocities and other characteristics of rocks has been applied in several prior construction works in Korea. But, It is defective to use directly in engineering fields because it was developed for soils(not rocks), it has too mny factors must be considered and the relationships between the factors are not clear, and it is hard to explain the weathering processes in engineering time range. Besides above, because it has been used for isotropic rocks, this method is hard to apply to anisotropic rocks such as sedimentary rocks. Acceding to studies from morphologists (e.g. Oguchi et al., 1994; Sunamura, 1996; Norwick and Dexter, 2002), time dependent strength reduction influenced by weathering shows a negative exponential function form. Appling this relation, one can synthesize the factors which influence the weathering processes to the strength reduction, and get meaningful estimates in engineering viewpoint. We suggest this weathering sensitivity characterization method as a technique that can explain time dependent weathering sensitivity characteristics through strength changes and can directly applied the rock slope design.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.194-201
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• 2021

Induced polarization (IP) effect is known to be caused by electrochemical phenomena at interface between minerals and pore water. Spectral induced polarization (SIP) method is an electrical survey to localize subsurface IP anomalies while injecting alternating currents of multiple frequencies into the ground. This method was effectively applied to mineral exploration of various ore deposits. Titanomagnetite ores were being produced by a mining company located in Gonamsan area, Gwanin-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Because the ores contain more than 0.4 w% vanadium, the ore deposit is called as Gwanin vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) deposit. The vanadium is the most important of materials in production of vanadium redox flow batteries, which can be appropriately used for large-scale energy storage system. Systematic mineral exploration was conducted to identify presence of hidden VTM orebodies and estimate their potential resources. In geophysical exploration, laboratory geophysical measurement of rock samples is helpful to generate reliable property models from field survey data. Therefore, we performed laboratory SIP data of the rocks from the Gwanin VTM deposit to understand SIP characteristics between ores and host rocks and then demonstrate the applicability of this method for the mineral exploration. Both phase and resistivity spectra of the ores sampled from underground outcrop and drilling cores were different of those of the host rocks consisting of monzodiorite and quartz monzodiorite. Because the phase and resistivity at frequencies below 100 Hz are mainly dependent on the SIP characteristics of the rocks, we calculated mean values of the ores and the host rocks. The average phase values at 0.1 Hz were ores: -369 mrad and host rocks: -39 mrad. The average resistivity values at 0.1 Hz were ores: 16 Ωm and host rocks: 2,623 Ωm. Because the SIP characteristics of the ores were different of those of the host rocks, we considered that the SIP survey is effective for the mineral exploration in vanadiferous titanomagnetite deposits and the SIP characteristics are useful for interpreting field survey data.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 2020

The bird track fossil site in Haman Formation is divided into seven sedimental layers by the sedimentary structures, lithofacies and sequences. The bird tracks top on the highest layer, which includes ripple marks and suncracks. The layer has lithofacies with reddish grey siltstone and dark grey mudstone, alternately. As an analysis for the same rocks of the fossil site, physical properties show on mean values for 0.62% of absorption rate, 1.64% of porosity and 2.63 of specific gravity. Rock-forming minerals composed mainly of plagioclase, quartz, calcite, chlorite and mica. Meanwhile, we executed an experiments based on the petrography and weatherings to find a proper consolidants. In the experiments, the OH 100 reagent proved stable aspect and the lowest transition rate in terms of weight and chromaticity. Also, it showed the highest increase in ultrasonic velocity, improving the physical properties of the rocks. In the case of applying the OH 100 with antihygro, an swelling inhibitors on the sedimentary rocks, the chromaticity indicated an stable transition aspect. When it comes to the physical properties, the antihygro also decreases the porosity effectively. Thus, the most proper method for the fossil site of Haman Formation is to apply antihygro and OH 100 reagents since the rocks includes clay minerals that show swelling characteristics. However, this result is deduced from an indoor application experiments, leaving the necessity of verification how these reagents would affect the bird tracks site under the field condition.