• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.167-178
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• 2002

Properties of discontinuity for Seoul Granite in northeastern part of Seoul City were analyzed by dividing structural domains into Surak and Bulam Mtn. areas. Important parameters measured among several engineering properties of a rock during tunnel excavation and road construction are as follows: 1) Orientation of joint, 2) joint spacing, 3) joint density, and 4) uniaxial compressive strength. Orientation, spacing, and density of joints can be directly measured during field investigation using scanline survey, circle-inventory method, and window survey. Uniaxial compressive strength of the rock was calculated by a simple correlation equation although it is originally necessary to prepare core samples in measuring it. Major orientations of joints measured from both areas are 3 sets of joints with different orientations. In other words, they are 2 sets of orthogonal joint and 1 set of sheet joint that is dipping at low angle, and have very similar orientations in both areas. Joint densities in both areas range from 0.039 and 0.066/cm, and average joint length are between 1.30 and 4.52m. Average joint spacing also has values from 10.3cm up to 59.6cm, and shows significant difference along specific orientation of scanlines measured. Values of uniaxial compressive strength calculated on the basis of Schmidt hammer rebound values range from 217 to 335 MPa, which indicates very strong rock type by classification of wall strength.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.659-665
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• 2016

The limit equilibrium method (LEM) is commonly used for slope design and stability analysis because it is easy to simulate slope and requires short calculating time. However, LEM cannot adequately simulate ploughing failure in a footwall slope with a joint set dipping parallel with slope, e.g. bedding joint set. This study performed parametric study to analyze the influence factors on ploughing failure using UDEC which is a commercial two-dimensional DEM (Distinct Element Method)-based numerical program. The influence of joint structure and properties on stability of a footwall slope against ploughing failure was investigated, and the factor of safety was estimated using the shear strength reduction method. It was found that the stability of footwall slope against ploughing failure strongly relies on dip angle of conjugate joint, and the critical bedding joint spacing and the critical length of slab triggering ploughing failure are also affected by dip angle of conjugate joint. The results obtained from this study can be used for effective slope design and construction including reinforcement.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 2020

In this study, a procedure was introduced to estimate strength and deformation modulus of the 3-D discrete fracture network(DFN) systems using the distinct element method(DEM). Fracture entities were treated as non-persistent square planes in the DFN systems. Systematically generated fictitious fractures having similar mechanical characteristics of intact rock were combined with non-persistent real fractures to create polyhedral blocks in the analysis domain. Strength and deformation modulus for 10 m cube domain of various deterministic and stochastic 3-D DFN systems were estimated using the DEM to explore the applicability of suggested method and to examine the effect of fracture geometry on strength and deformability of DFN systems. The suggested procedures were found to effective in estimating anisotropic strength and deformability of the 3-D DFN systems.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 1993

In this study, laboratory direct shear tests on 37 core specimens of gneiss were performed to examine the characteristics of shear behavior on fractures by using a portable direct shear box. The multi-stage shear testing method was used and normal stress applied to specimens ranges from 5.60 to $25.67kg/\textrm{cm}^2$. On the basis of test results, the empirical equations for the shear strength on fractures were suggested. The methanical parameters that can influence the shear behavior were derived and compared between each parameter. The values of shear stiffness have a trend showing rapid increase with the increase of normal stress and joint roughness coeffident, and the average value of secant shear stiffness for all specimens is about $110.68kg/\textrm{cm}^3$ under the range of normal stress applied in this test In addition, the relationship between the length of specimen and shear stiffness is inversely correlated due to the size effect. Therefore, even the specimens with the same joint roughness coeffident show the trend of decreasing shear stiffness in case of the specimens being the longer length.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2016

A program code was developed to calculate block hydraulic conductivity of the 2-D DFN(discrete fracture network) system based on equivalent pipe network, and implemented to examine the effect of joint orientation distribution on the hydraulic characteristics of fractured rock masses through numerical experiments. A rock block of size $32m{\times}32m$ was used to generate the DFN systems using two joint sets with fixed input parameters of joint frequency and gamma distributed joint size, and various normal distributed joint trend. DFN blocks of size $20m{\times}20m$ were selected from center of the $32m{\times}32m$ blocks to avoid boundary effect. Twelve fluid flow directions were chosen every $30^{\circ}$ starting at $0^{\circ}$. The directional block conductivity including the theoretical block conductivity, principal conductivity tensor and average block conductivity were estimated for generated 180 2-D DFN blocks. The effect of joint orientation distribution on block hydraulic conductivity and chance for the equivalent continuum behavior of the 2-D DFN system were found to increase with the decrease of mean intersection angle of the two joint sets. The effect of variability of joint orientation on block hydraulic conductivity could not be ignored for the DFN having low intersection angle between two joint sets.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2009

When a rock slope is excavated adjacent to a existing tunnel, the behavior of the existing tunnel in the jointed rock masses is greatly influenced by the joint conditions and slope status. In this study, the effects of joint dip and slope angle close to a tunnel are investigated through a large scale model using a biaxial test equipment ($3.1\;m\;{\times}\;3.1\;m\;{\times}\;0.50\;m$ (width $\times$ height $\times$ length)). The jointed rock masses were built by concrete blocks. The diameter of the modeled tunnel is 0.6 m and the dip angles of joint vary in the range of $0-90^{\circ}$. In addition, the excavated slope angle varies within $30{\sim}90^{\circ}$. Deformational behaviors of the tunnel were analyzed in consideration of joint dip and slope angle. With increase of the joint dip and slope angle, the magnitude of tunnel distortion and the moment of tunnel lining were increased. Rock mass displacement in horizontal was also dependent on the joint dip and the excavated slope angle, which indicated the optimal slope reinforcement for a specific rock mass conditions.

• Journal of the Speleological Society of Korea
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.14-26
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• 1979

최근에 와서 석회암 지형에 대한 조사연구는 활발히 진행되고 있다. 특히 석회동굴을 중심으로 하여 관광 학술면에서 그 활동 방향이 진행되고 있으나 이와같은 동굴의 형성도 석회암지형의 발달과 관련하여 그 형성이 규명되어야 하고 동굴의 형성과 지하수면과의 관계 종유동 형성의 시간적 길이, 절리, 단층 등이 동굴형태와의 관계도 종합적인 석회암지형을 연구함으로써 지형학적, 지질학적 제문제가 해결되리라 생각된다.(중략)

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.497-510
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• 2022

Monthly monitoring, 3D scan survey, and electrical resistivity survey were conducted from January 2018 to August 2022 to identify the cause of rockfall occurring in Daljeon-ri Columnar Joint (Natural Monument No. 415), Pohang. A total of 3,231 rocks fell from the columnar joint over the past 5 years, and 1,521 (47%) of the falling rocks were below 20 cm in length, 978 (30.3%) of 20-30 cm, and 732 (22.7%) of rocks over 30 cm. While the number of rockfalls by year has decreased since 2018, the frequency of rockfalls bigger than 30 cm tends to increase. Large-scale rockfalls occurred mainly during the thawing season (March-April) and the rainy season (June-July), and the analysis of the relationship between cumulative rainfall and rockfall occurrence showed that cumulative rainfall for 3 to 4 days is also closely related to the occurrence of rockfall. Smectite and illite, which are expansible clay minerals, were observed in XRD analysis of the slope material (filling minerals) in the columnar joint, and the presence of a fault fracture zone was confirmed in the electrical resistivity survey. In addition, the confirmed fault fracture zone and the maximum erosion point analyzed through 3D precision measurement coincided with the main rockfall occurrence point observed by the BTC-6PXD camera. Therefore, the main cause of rockfall at Daljeon-ri columnar joint in Pohang is a combination of internal factors (development of fault fracture zones and joints, weathering of rocks, presence of expansive clay minerals) and external factors (precipitation, rapid thawing phenomenon), resulting in large-scale rockfall. Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that the Pohang-Gyeongju earthquake, which was continuously raised, was not the main cause.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-57
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• 2022

A workflow is presented to estimate the size of a representative elementary volume and 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor based on fluid flow analysis for a discrete fracture network (DFN). A case study is considered for a Cretaceous granitic rock mass at Gijang in Busan, Korea. The intensity and size of joints were calibrated using the first invariant of the fracture tensor for the 2-D DFN of the study area. Effective hydraulic apertures were obtained by analyzing the results of field packer tests. The representative elementary volume of the 2-D DFN was determined to be 20 m square by investigating the variations in the directional hydraulic conductivity for blocks of different sizes. The directional hydraulic conductivities calculated from the 2-D DFN exhibited strong anisotropy related to the hydraulic behavior of the study area. The 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor for the fractured rock mass of the study area was estimated from the directional block conductivities of the 2-D DFN blocks generated for various directions in 3-D. The orientations of the principal components of the 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor were found to be identical to those of delineated joint sets in the study area.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.63-70
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• 2000

The quantitative analyses and the mechanical interpretation of discontinuity planes are the most important factor for the study of strength and deformation properties of rock masses containing discontinuity planes. However, the relationship between the factors investigated in the field and the actual mechanical properties of discontinuity planes is not fully understood. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of density, length, and spacing of joints on elastic modulus of rock masses as these values vary. A new parameter which has a direct relation with the elastic modulus of discontinuity planes is also preposed in this study. The combination of finite element methods and homogenization methods has been used for the numerical analyses of a uintcell with discontinuity planes, which is generated using random-number generation methods. The elastic modulus of the discontinuity plane is found from the numerical analyses. The final results propose not only the relation between the investigation parameters of discontinuity planes and the elastic modulus of rock masses but also a new parameter, an effect area ratio having a linear relation with the elastic modulus of rock masses.