• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.53-66
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• 2022

The national ground survey database (GeoInfo) distributes numerous ground survey data nationwide. Many standard penetration test results exist in this database; however, the number of shear wave velocity (V_S) data is small. Hence, to use abundant standard penetration test-N values to predict V_S, this study proposed a new empirical N-V_S relationship model using GeoInfo data. The proposed N-V_S model is a single equation regardless of geological layer types; the layer type only specifies the upper limit of V_S. To validate the proposed model, residual analysis was performed using a test dataset that was not used for the model development. Therefore, this study's proposed model performed better than N-V_S models from previous studies. Since the N-V_S model in this study was developed using sufficient data from GeoInfo, we expect that it is the most applicable to GeoInfo dataset for V_S prediction.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.1C
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• pp.63-74
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• 2008

Site response analyses were performed based on equivalent linear technique using the local geologic and dynamic site characteristics, which include soil profiles, shear wave velocity profiles and depth to bedrock for 125 sites collected in Korean Peninsula. From the results of site response analyses, 2-parameters site classification system based on the combination of mean shear wave velocity of soil and depth to bedrock was newly recommended for regions of shallow bedrock depth in Korea. First, as the borders of bedrock depth (H) for site classification were determined as 10m and 20m, the soil sites were divided into 3 classes as $H_1$, $H_2$ and $H_3$ sites. And then, the 3 site classes were subdivided into 7 classes based on the mean shear wave velocity of soil ($V_{s,soil}$). The feasibility of new site classification system was verified and the representative site coefficients ($F_a$ and $F_v$) and design response spectrum were suggested by analyzing uniform trend and dispersion of site coefficients for each site class. The suggested site coefficients and the regression curves present the nonlinear characteristics of soils according to the change of rock outcrop acceleration with uniform trend effectively. From the comparison between the mean values of response spectrum which was acquired from the site response analysis and the suggested design response spectrum, there was a little difference in some of site classes and it was verified to adjust the integration interval to make it more suitable for the site condition in Korea.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.4 s.50
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• pp.1-13
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• 2006

Soil and rock dynamic properties such as shear wave velocity $(V_s)$, compressional wave velocity $(V_p)$ and corresponding Poisson's ratio (v) are very important geotechnical parameters in predicting deformational behavior of structures as well as practicing seismic design and performance evaluation. In an effort to measure the parameter efficiently and accurately, various bore-hole seismic testing techniques have been, thus, developed and used during past several decades. In this study, cross-hole seismic testing technique which is known as the most reliable seismic method was adopted for obtaining geotechnical dynamic properties. To perform successfully the cross-hole test for rock as well as soil layers regardless of the ground water level, spring-loaded source which impact laterally a subsurface ground in vertical bore-hole was developed and applied at three study areas, which contain four sites composed of two existing port sites and two new LNG storage facility sites. The geotechnical dynamic properties such as $V_s,\;V_p$ and v with depth from the soil surface to the engineering and seismic bedrock were efficiently determined from the laterally impacted cross-hole seismic tests at study sites, and were provided as the fundamental parameters for the seismic performance evaluation of the existing ports and the seismic design of the LNG storage facilities.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.17-27
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• 2022

To characterize the dynamic properties of Gimhae Plains sediments, we calculated natural frequencies using microtremor horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios and derived shear wave velocity profiles by inversion of Rayleigh-wave dispersion curves obtained by the high frequency-wavenumber and modified spatial autocorrelation methods. Our results suggest that in this region, strong amplification of ground motion is expected in the vibration frequency (f ≥ 1 Hz). Additionally, obtained velocity profiles show that shear wave velocities are ~200 and 400 m/s for the shallow marine and old fluvial sediments, respectively. Bedrock is possibly encountered at depths of 60-100 m at most sites. We developed a simplified shear wave velocity model of shallow sediments based on the obtained profiles. Our results suggest that a large area in the Gimhae Plains could be categorized as an S6 site based on the Korean seismic design code (KDS 17 10 00).

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.207-224
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• 2006

It has been widely known that the seismic piezo-cone penetration test (SCPTu) is one of the most useful techniques for investigating the geotechnical characteristics such as static and dynamic soil properties. As practical applications in Korea, SCPTu was carried out at two sites in Busan and four sites in Incheon, which are mainly composed of alluvial or marine soil deposits. From the SCPTu waveform data obtained from the testing sites, the first arrival times of shear waves and the corresponding time differences with depth were determined using the cross-over method, and the shear wave velocity $(V_S)$ profiles with depth were derived based on the refracted ray path method based on Snell's law. Comparing the determined $V_S$ profile with the cone tip resistance $(q_t)$ profile, both trends of profiles with depth were similar. For the application of the conventional CPTu to earthquake engineering practices, the correlations between $V_S$ and CPTu data were deduced based on the SCPTu results. For the empirical evaluation of $V_S$ for all soils together with clays and sands which are classified unambiguously in this study by the soil behavior type classification index $(I_C)$, the authors suggested the $V_S-CPTu$ data correlations expressed as a function of four parameters, $q_t,\;f_s,\;\sigma'_{v0}$ and $B_q$, determined by multiple statistical regression modeling. Despite the incompatible strain levels of the downhole seismic test during SCPTu and the conventional CPTu, it is shown that the $V_S-CPTu$ data correlations for all soils, clays and sands suggested in this study is applicable to the preliminary estimation of $V_S$ for the soil deposits at a part in Korea and is more reliable than the previous correlations proposed by other researchers.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.33-46
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• 2007

HWAW (Harmonic Wavelet Analysis of Wave) method, which is non-destructive method using body and surface waves, has the advantages of obtaining 2D subsurface imaging because it uses a short receiver spacing to obtain the $V_s$ profile of whole depth. Even though the reliability of HWAW method has already been verified by using the numerical simulation in the various layered models, it is very difficult to evaluate the reliability of HWAW in the field because the exact $V_s$ values of the experimental site are unknown. In this study, a model testing site where the material properties and layer information could be controlled was constructed to verify the reliability of HWAW method. The detailed geometry of the testing site was strictly measured by surveying, and 140 vertical and horizontal geophones were established at the boundary of each layer to evaluate the dynamic material properties. Using the interval travel times between the upper and lower geophones, the body wave velocities of each layer were 2 dimensionally obtained as reference data, and comparative study using HWAW method was performed. By comparing 2D Vs profile obtained by HWAW method to the reference data, the reliability of HWAW method was verified.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.29-37
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• 2021

Since many geotechnical structures are constructed on a weathered granite layer, it is important to evaluate their characteristics. As a seismic design is the more important nowadays, the demands to estimate a shear wave velocity (V_S) based on acceptable methods are increasing. In this study, an empirical equation predicting V_S of the weathered granite layer is suggested based on the nonlinear multiple variable regression analysis whose independent variables are both SPT (Standard penetration test)-N₆₀ and chemical weathering index. It is concluded that the accuracy of the empirical equation estimating V_S of the weathered granite layer increases when it considers the chemical weathering index as an additional independent variable compared to the result of simple regression analysis using only N₆₀.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.1 s.50
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• pp.1-13
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• 2007

In order to evaluate the local site effects at two town fortress areas in Korea where stone parapets were col-lapsed by historical earthquakes, site characteristics were assessed using site investigations such as borehole drillings and seismic tests. Equivalent-linear site response analyses were conducted based on the shear ways velocity ($V_s$) profiles and geotechnical characteristics determined from site investigations. The study sites are categorized as site classes C and B according to the mean $V_s$ to 30 m ranging from 500 to 850 m/s, and their site periods are distributed in the short period range of 0.06 to 0.16 sec, which contains the natural period of fortress wall and stone parapet. From the results of site response analyses in the study areas, for site class C indicating most of site conditions, contrary to site class B, the short-period (0.1-0.5 sec) and mid-period (0.4-2.0 sec) site coefficients, $F_a$ and $F_v$ specified in the Korean seismic design guide, underestimate the ground motion in short-period band and overestimate the ground motion in mid-period band, respectively, due to the high amplification in short period range, which represent the site-specific seismic response characteristics. These site-specific response characteristics indicate the potential of resonance in fortress walls during earthquake and furthermore could strongly affect the collapse of parapets resulted from seismic events in historical records.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.386-392
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• 2008

Recently, an earthquake-resistant has become essential to the large-scale structures at Gyeonggi and Gyeongsangnam province in Korea, but it is generally compared the measured data with foreign references because of the lack of the research data. It will be presented the characteristics of suitable dynamic elastic modulus in Korean geology, which characteristics are characterized the seismic wave velocities($V_p,\;V_s$) and correlation with dynamic elastic modulus($E_d,\;G_d\;K_d$) by each rock type of Korean granite, because it is very different between the values of foreign references and Korean geological characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.5-17
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• 2007

Various field setup and filtering criteria have been suggested to avoid the near field effects in surface wave methods. Unlike other surface wave methods HWAW method uses the near field component positively. It is possible by using maximum energy point based on time-frequency map and inversion method to consider receiver locations from the source point and body wave component. To verify the HWAW method in the near field numerical study was performed and the wave propagation in the stratified soil media was simulated due to a surface point load. All of five representative soil models were used. The experimental dispersion curves, determined by HWAW method at the various receiver distances in the region of near field, all coincided well with the theoretical dispersion curves determined by 3D forward modeling (Kausel's method). Consequently, it was considered that the HWAW method can provide reliable $V_s$ profiles effectively in the near field.