• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.65-76
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• 2014

For soil improvement, sand mats or sand compaction piles are often constructed on soft marine clays. In such cases, some amounts of sand and clay are inevitably mixed. Sand or gravel often exists in the weathered soils near the slope surface. This research investigates the effect of mixing sand content on consistency limits and shear strength of clays. Firstly, sand was mixed with kaolinite or bentonite at 0, 9, 17, 23, 29, 33, 50% and then liquid and plastic limits were measured. Both plastic and liquid limits decreased as a sand content increased. The water content of clay-sand mixtures with different sand content increased by 10% or 20% step by step and then their undrained shear strength was measured using a portable vane shear device called Torvane. For all cases, undrained shear strength of clay-sand mixtures decreased rapidly until reaching a certain value. Their state changed from undrained to drained state gradually as the sand content increased, which caused their undrained shear strength to decrease. On the other hand, a series of direct shear tests were also conducted on such clay-sand mixtures to investigate the effect of sand content on cohesion and angle of internal friction. It was found from clay-sand mixtures that their cohesion decreased but angle of internal friction increased as the sand content increased.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.39-49
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• 2011

Recently PBD method, one of acceleration of consolidation methods is used in the soft ground to shorten consolidation time for fast settlement during construction. It is economical and easy to work. Discharge capacity of PBD is sensitive in proportion to thickness of soft ground layer, and drainage of PBD declines due to disturbance effect in surrounding ground by mandrel used for vertical drainage setting and setting machines and type. Also, deviation of discharge capacity is large according to ground condition, construction condition and soil properties. In addition, when embankment loading is not conducted instantly after PBD setting due to rain or lack of embankment material supply, it causes leaving period problems. But cause and analysis of those problems for discharge capacity is lack. So, in this test, ground improvement and discharge capacity is investigated by implementing composite discharge capacity test for analysis of an effect factor of PBD discharge capacity with leaving period. After fixing the vertical drain on a cylindrical cylinder, put churned sample into the cylinder. Then leave 0day, 30day, 60day and 90day. And then, load following the loading step of 30, 70 and 120kPa using a pressure device. As a result, the longer leaving period, discharge capacity is reduced. It is caused by a decrease of discharge area caused by creep transformation moisture absorption of PBD filter after long leaving period.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.25-37
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• 2022

In this paper, a small-scale model testing system was developed using a series of small-scale model tests to analyze the mechanism of compaction pile formation and evaluate the quality of controlled grading aggregates proposed as an alternative material to the sand compaction pile (SCP) method and granular compaction pile (GCP). These are the most typical ground improvement methods in field practice, particularly for soft grounds. However, the SCP has faced difficulties due to the supply shortage of natural sand and the corresponding price surge of sand. The GCP is limited in marine soft grounds because of the failure occurring at the pile tip caused by excessive expansion of the deeper bulbs, leading to uneven bulb formation. The uniformity of compacted pile bulbs is critical to ensuring the bearing capacity and quality of the compaction pile. This study aims to evaluate the performance of the new material and controlled grading aggregates using small-scale model tests simulating field compaction process to investigate its potential application in comparison with SCP. The compaction piles are examined in four cases according to different materials used for compaction pile and clay strength. The compaction pile materials, which are made of sand and controlled grading aggregates, used in this study were compared to reveal the mechanism of the bulb creation. The experimental data confirm that the bulb formation quality of the traditional sand and the new material, controlled grading aggregates are comparable. The compaction pile made of controlled grading aggregates presents higher bearing capacity than that of marine sand.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.35-40
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• 2007

The vertical drain method recently being used in Korea is divided into the sand drain method, the pack drain method, the paper drain method, and the PBD method according to the drainage. However, these methods generate the disturbed zone called the smear zone when the drainage is penetrated into the in-situ ground. The characteristics of the smear zone generated cause the problems that the coefficient of permeability decreases and the consolidation time becomes longer than expected in the design. Although the size of the smear zone is a very important factor directly influencing the degree of consolidation, in the existing studies, the general value for the size of the smear zone proposed has been used in the design. However, the size of the smear zone proposed by the existing studies cause a loss of economical efficiency because of the inaccuracy of the design. Hence, in this study, the characteristics on the size of the smear zone were analyzed by carrying out the three dimensional numerical analysis and the method to determine the conversion size of the smear zone considering the change of the coefficient of permeability was proposed in order to consider the change of the coefficient of permeability in the actual design.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.15-21
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• 2008

The advantages of prefabricated vertical drains over conventional sand drains include their relatively low costs, less disturbance to the soil mass, the easinees of installation, and their flexibility which ensures the integrity of the drains during installation. This study tested the change of discharge capacities with respect to the hydraulic gradients for each lateral pressure. From the test results, as increases the overburden pressure, the clay soil is being consolidated, and also lateral pressure to the PVD specimen is increased. Therefore, the discharge capacity is decreased. The size of opening space in the core of PVDs is proportionally related to the discharge capacity. The numerical analysis was performed with utilizing computer simulation with considering field conditions. The results of numerical analysis are compared well with the field measurements.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.468-474
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• 2010

최근 국내에서 연약지반개량을 위하여 적극 도입되기 시작한 차세대 지반처리기술인 경량혼합토공법의 배합설계에 대한 고찰을 하였다. 경량혼합토는 건설잔토나 준설토 및 현장에서 발생하는 점토나 실트질 흙을 사토처리 하지 않고 현장에서 유용할 수 있는 매우 경제적이고 환경적인 공법으로서 일본에서는 지난 10여년에 연간 수백만톤의 경량혼합토를 생산하여 건설현장에 적용한 실적을 보유하고 있다. 특히 폐자원(폐타이어가루, 왕겨)을 경량혼합토에 첨가하여 건설재료 재활용을 위한 역학적 실험을 수행하였다. 본 연구에서는 경량혼합토를 제작하기 위해 필요한 배합설계변수인 원료토의 중량, 함수비 및 기포재와 첨가할 물의 양, 그리고 강도를 발현하기 위하여 필요한 고화재로서 시멘트첨가량에 대한 최적의 배합설계에 대한 분석을 하였다. 지금까지 제안된 시멘트함유량은 초기의 경량혼합토 목표강도가 주어지면 원료토의 조건에 따라 원하는 비중과 강도를 토대로 적절하게 현장에 적합하게 결정하는 단계에 있으나 일부 현장에서 지나친 목표강도 설정으로 과대한 시멘트를 사용하는 사례가 많아 국가적으로 막대한 손실을 초래하고 있다. 본 논문에서는 경량혼합토의 목표강도을 분석하고 그에 따른 최적의 시멘트함유량을 제시하고자 한다.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.239-249
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• 2018

Typically, soft clay improvement is carried out using installation of PVD and surcharge method. According to circumstances, installed PVD has left for a long time due to the change in construction schedule. Therefore, for simulation of this kind of condition, discharge capacity tests were carried out under a series of temperature condition (30, 35, $40^{\circ}C$). The results indicated that under water confinement, the discharge capacities significantly reduced with elapsed time. And, the empirical equation by Miura and Chai (2000) was used for estimating the long-term in-clay discharge capacity. Based on the test results, it is recommended that in term of long-term discharge capacity, Miura and Chai's equation and reliability evaluation using discharge capacity tests under a series of temperature condition may be used.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.69-83
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• 1999

The permeability of converter slag, replacing material of sand mat on improving soft clay foundation, was evaluated in the laboratory. The effects of grain size, flow water time and aging were investigated using sea and fresh water. In the case of converter slag submerged with fresh water, the coefficients of permeability in A and B samples less than 10 mm grain sizes were measured as $6.52\times10^{-2}cm\; per\; sec\; and\; 5.99\times10^{-1}/cm$ per sec respectively, while they were $1.88\times10^{-2}/cm\; per\; sec,\; 3.86\times10^{-1}/cm$ per sec respectively under sea water condition. Also, the condition of turbulent flow may exit and was experimentally identified from the relationship between hydraulic gradient and seepage velocity. After 100 days under sea water condition, the coefficients of permeability of A and B samples decreased ten times than initial values. The reduction of permeability coefficient was considered to result from the filling of voids in high-calcium quicklime(CaO).

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.69-76
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• 2007

The sands which use for soil improvement of soft ground at coastal area contain more or less amount of shells. In this research the effects of shell contents on the liquefaction resistance of the shelly sand were studied. NGI cyclic simple shear tests were performed for the shell-sands with shell contents of 0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30% under the effective vertical stress of 50kPa, 100kPa and 150kPa for 40% and 55% of relative density, respectively. Cyclic simple shear test results showed that for the low effective vertical stress, the liquefaction resistance increased rapidly with increase of shell contents in both 40% and 55% relative density. On the other hand, for the high effective vertical stress, the liquefaction resistance increased slightly in 40% relative density and was almost same in 55% relative density. Liquefaction resistance decreased with increasing effective vertical stress for both 40% and 55% relative density. In the same effective vertical stress and shell contents, liquefaction resistance increased with the increase of relative density.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2010

At present, the sand mat method is actively used for improvement of soft ground. But, there are some problems related with sand mat which has been used as a way to accelerate consolidation settlement. First of all, insufficiency of sand due to imbalances in market supply and demand is the one of the biggest problems, which makes price high of sand and delays a term of total construction work. Moreover, it is necessary to preserve integrity of environment from natural disruption caused by indiscreet quarrying and dredging operation to supply sand for soil improvement construction site. This paper presents the feasibility study to use of Precious Slag Ball instead of sand mat as the replacing material through the basic soil property tests, the medium of discharge capacity test and analysis of settlement property. It is also evaluates the performance of Precious Slag Ball as a sand mat in terms of discharge capacity, ground settlement by the K-Embank program based on field experimental work.