• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.6C
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• pp.431-443
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• 2006

As part of a fundamental characterization for subsurface layers in Korea, the weathering degree and shear wave velocity ($V_S$) were evaluated from the X-ray fluorescence analyses and the site investigations containing boring and in-situ seismic tests, respectively, for decomposed granite layer in Hongsung. The subsurface layers at Hongsung were composed of 10 to 40 m thickness of weathered layer in most sites. According to the results of weathering degree analyses in Hongsung, it was examined that three chemical weathering indexes such as MWPI, VR and WIP generally increased with decreasing depth. From the in-situ seismic tests, the $V_S$ was determined as the range between 200 and 500 m/s in weathered layer. Based on the $V_S$ and N value at borehole seismic testing sites, N-$V_S$ correlations were established for weathered layer. Furthermore, the relationships of three representative weathering indexes with the $V_S$ and N value indicated that the MWPI, WIP and 100/VR increased linearly as increasing $V_S$ and exponentially as increasing N value.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2006

Laboratory tests have revealed that the liquefaction resistance of sands depends strongly upon the degree of saturation, which is expressed in terms of the pore pressure coefficient, B. The velocity of compression waves(i.e. P-waves), which have been known to be influenced largely by the degree of saturation and can be measured conveniently in the field, appears as an indicator of saturation. In this paper, the Stokoe type torsional shear(TS) testing equipment is modified to saturate the specimen and measure the velocities of P-wave and S-wave and pore pressure buildup. The velocities of P-wave and S-wave for Toyoura sand from Japan is measured and compared at the various B-value (degree of saturation) which are partially saturated to fully saturated conditions. Additionally, the variation of the pore water pressure induced during undrained TS tests at the various B-value is measured and analyzed.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

Shear wave velocity($V_S$), which can be obtained using various seismic tests, has been emphasized as representative geotechnical dynamic characteristic mainly for seismic design and seismic performance evaluation in the engineering field. For the application of conventional geotechnical site investigation techniques to geotechnical earthquake engineering, standard penetration tests(SPT) and piezocone penetration tests(CPTu) together with a variety of borehole seismic tests were performed at many sites in Korea. Through statistical modeling of the in-situ testing data, in this study, the correlations between $V_S$ and geotechnical in-situ penetrating data such as blow counts(N value) from SPT and piezocone penetrating data such as tip resistance ($q_t$), sleevefriction($f_s$), and pore pressure ratio($B_q$) were deduced and were suggested as an empirical method to determine $V_S$. Despite the incompatible strain levels of the conventional geotechnical penetration tests and the borehole seismic tests, it is shown that the suggested correlations in this study are applicable to the preliminary estimation of $V_S$ for Korean soil layers.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.371-379
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• 2008

In this study, seismic elastic wave and dynamic elastic modulus properties are investigated by down-hole seismic tests that were applied to the 11 gneiss area. The research results show that the realtionship between the two properties are $V_s=0.5589{\times}V_p$ in gneiss. The relationship between the two properties are separated into two groups. Group 1 is influenced mainly by the specific gravity of rock, but group 2 is influenced mainly by the joint aperture. As weathering progresses, group 1 clearly shows a decreasing tendency. In fresh and slightly weathered rock-mass, correlations between $V_p$ and dynamic elastic modulus is expressed in linear line but in moderately-highly weathered rock-mass, correlations between $V_p$ and dynamic elastic modulus is expressed curve as a quadratic function. Correlations between $V_s$ and dynamic elastic modulus are analyzed similar with a $V_p$ case.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.273-281
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• 2014

In most current seismic design codes, design earthquake ground motions are defined by a reference spectrum, based on bedrock and site amplification factors that quantify the geotechnical dynamic conditions. Earthquake engineering bedrock is the fundamental geotechnical formation where the seismic waves are attenuated without amplification. To better define bedrock in an earthquake engineering context, shear wave velocity ($V_S$ ) data obtained from in-situ seismic tests were examined for several rock strata in Korea; these data were categorized by borehole drilling investigations. The $V_S$ values for most soft rock data in Korea are > 750 m/s, which is the threshold $V_S$ value for identifying engineering bedrock from a strong motion station. Conversely, VS values are < 750 m/s for 60% of $V_S$ data in weathered rock in Korea. Thus, the soft (or harder) rock strata below the weathered rock layer in Korea can be regarded as earthquake engineering bedrock.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.47-54
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• 2014

Although shear wave velocity ($V_s$) is an important design factor in seismic design, the measurement is not usually made in typical field investigation due to time and economic limitations. In the present study, an investigation was made to predict sand $V_s$ based on the standard penetration test (SPT) results by using artificial neural network (ANN) model. A total of 650 dataset composed of SPT-N value ($N_{60}$), water content, fine content, specific gravity for input data and $V_s$ for output data was used to build and train the ANN model. The sensitivity analysis was then performed for the trained ANN to examine the effect of the input variables on the $V_s$. Also, the ANN model was compared with seven existing empirical models on the performance. The sensitivity analysis results revealed that the effect of the SPT-N value on $V_s$ is significantly greater compared to other input variables. Also, when compared with the empirical models using Nash-Sutcliffe Model Efficiency Coefficient (NSE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), the ANN model was found to exhibit the highest prediction capability.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.25-31
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• 2015

Elastic behavior of the railway roadbed which supports the repeating dynamic loads of the train is mainly affected by the shear modulus of the upper roadbed. Therefore, shear wave velocity estimation of the uniformly compacted roadbed can be used to estimate the elastic behavior of the railway roadbed. The objective of this study is to suggest the relationship between the dynamic cone penetration index (DCPI) and the shear wave velocity ($V_s$) of the upper roadbed in order to estimate the shear wave velocity by using the dynamic cone penetration test (DCPT). To ensure the reliability of the relationship, the dynamic cone penetration test and the measurement of the shear wave velocity are conducted on the constructed upper roadbed. As a method for measurement of the shear wave velocity, cross hole is used and then the dynamic cone penetration test is performed at a center point between the source and the receiver of the cross hole. As a result of the correlation of the dynamic cone penetration index and the shear wave velocity at the same depths, the shear wave velocity is estimated as a form of involution of the dynamic cone penetration index with a determinant coefficient above 0.8. The result of this study can be used to estimate both the shear wave velocity and the strength of the railway roadbed using the dynamic cone penetrometer.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.1037-1047
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• 2013

A systematic laboratory compaction testing was performed with the laboratory seismic measurements of the compacted specimens sampled from various compaction fills and was supplemented with in-situ seismic testing to investigate the effects of compaction energy on the elastic wave velocities of the railway roadbed materials. The both variances of the compressive and shear wave velocities with moisture content curve ($V_p$-w and $V_s$-w curves) are similar to the general trend of the density-moisture content curve(${\gamma}_d$-w curve). At the wet side of optimal moisture content (OMC), either $V_p$ or $V_s$ does not significantly increase, which is well reflecting the no gaining in density with the increasing compaction energy exceeding modified-D compaction effort. $V_p$ increases linearly with ${\gamma}_d$ at the dry side of OMC, while it does exponentially at the wet side. The in-situ wave velocities were found to be influenced by the level of confinement and $V_s$ was more sensitive to compaction energy than $V_p$.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.41-48
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• 2022

The mass density of the medium (ρ) used to calculate the maximum shear modulus (G_max) of the saturated ground based on the shear wave velocity is unclear. Therefore, to determine the mass density, a verification formula and five scenarios were established. Laboratory tests were conducted, and the obtained results were compared. The mass density of the medium was assumed to be saturated (ρ_sat), wet (ρ_t), dry (ρ_dry), and submerged conditions (ρ_sub), and the V_s ratios of saturated to dry condition were obtained from each case. Assuming the saturated density (ρ_sat), the V_s ratio was consistent with the value from the resonant column test (RCT) results, and the value from the bender element test results was consistent with the wet density assumption (ρ_t). Considering the frequency range of earthquakes, it is concluded that applying the saturated density (ρ_sat) is reasonable as in the RCT results.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.250-256
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• 2013

Using shear wave velocity is more reasonable to estimate strength and integrity of rock compared with using compressional wave. It is often ambiguous to pick the dominant frequency caused by torsional wave when evaluating $V_S$ of rock specimen from FFRC method. It is also sometimes ambiguous to pick the first arrival point of S wave compared with P wave in the signals acquired from ultrasonic velocity method. Otherwise, the procedure of evaluating $V_P$ using ultrasonic velocity method and $V_L$ using FFRC method is relatively stable. Through the relationship between elastic modulus, poisson's ratio and $V_S$ can be obtained from $V_P$, $V_L$. Applicability was checked using model specimens having different material property and length and rock specimens sampled in mine area, and usefulness of proposed procedure was verified.