• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.5 s.64
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• pp.394-404
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• 2006

Dynamic behavior of rock structures depends largely on the dynamic characteristics of ground and input earthquake wave. For blocky rocks with intense discontinuities, the mechanical characteristics of blocks and structural and mechanical characteristics of discontinuities affect overall behavior. In this study, UDEC was adopted to evaluate the dynamic behavior of rocks with various structural characteristics. Obtained results were compared to those of $FLAC^{2D}$, a continuum analysis, and the validity of the method was examined for dynamic analysis of discontinuous rocks for earthquake. Analysis considering the discontinuity showed significant changes in structural shape by the influence of joint behavior, and the behavior by continuum analysis was overestimated.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.1-16
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• 2010

This study focuses on the phenomenon that the blast damaged zone developed on rock slope surfaces can be affected by joint characteristics rather than by explosive power when the pre-splitting is applied to excavate a jointed rock slope. The characteristics of rock joints on a slope were investigated and categorized them into 4 cases. Also an image processing system has been used for comparing the distribution pattern of rock blocks. From this investigation, it was found that the rock blocks bigger than 2,000 mm occupied 42% in the case of single joint set and it showed the well efficiency of pre-splitting blast. In cases of 2~3 parallel joint sets and 2~3 intersecting joint sets are developed on rock surfaces, the rock blocks in the range of 1,000~2,000 mm occupied 43.6% and 35.8%, respectively, and it showed that the efficiency of pre-splitting was decreased. When more than 3 joint sets are randomly developed, however, the rock blocks in the range of 250~500 mm occupied 35% and there was no block bigger than 1,000 mm. This denotes that the blasting with pre-splitting was not effective. The numerical analysis using PFC2D showed that the blast damaged zone in a rock mass could be directly influenced by the pre-splitting. It is, therefore, required to investigate the discontinuity pattern on rock surfaces in advance, when the pre-splitting method is applied to excavate jointed rock slopes and to apply a flexible blating design with a consideration of the joint characteristics.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.561-577
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• 2021

The compacted bentonite buffer in a geological repository for high-level radioactive waste disposal is saturated due to groundwater inflow. Saturation of the bentonite buffer results in bentonite swelling and bentonite penetration into the rock discontinuities present around the disposal hole. The penetrated bentonite is exposed to groundwater flow and can be eroded out of the repository, resulting in bentonite mass loss which can affect the physical integrity of the engineered barrier system. Hence, the evaluation of buffer-rock interactions and coupled behavior due to groundwater inflow and bentonite penetration is necessary to ensure long-term disposal safety. In this study, the effects of the bentonite penetration and swelling on the physical properties of jointed rock mass were evaluated using the quasi-static resonant column test. Jointed rock specimens with bentonite penetration were manufactured using Gyeongju bentonite and hollow cylindrical granite rock discs obtained from the KAERI underground research tunnel. The effects of vertical stress and saturation were assessed using the P-wave and S-wave velocities for intact rock, jointed rock and jointed rock with bentonite penetration specimens. The joint normal and joint shear stiffnesses of each joint condition were inferred from the wave velocity results assuming an equivalent continuum. The joint normal and joint shear stiffnesses obtained from this study can be used as input factors for future numerical analysis on the performance evaluation of geological waste disposal considering rock discontinuities.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.1 s.60
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• pp.26-37
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• 2006

This study addresses the applicability of box fractal dimension, $D_B$, as an index of statistical homogeneity of fractured rock mass. The box-count method's capability in quantifying the combined effect of fracture density and size distribution is examined systematically. Total of 129 two-dimensional fracture configurations were generated based on different combinations of fracture size distribution and fracture density. $D_B$was calculated for the generated fracture network systems using the box-counting method. It was found that was standard deviation of trace length and fracture orientation have no effect on calculated $D_B$. The estimated $D_B$ was found to increase with increasing total density and/or mean trace length. To explore the field applicability of this study, the statistical homogeneity of fractured rock mass was investigated at the rock slope and the underground facility using the box-counting method as well as conventional contingency table analysis. The results obtained in this study clearly show that the methodologies given in this paper have the capability of determining the statistical homogeneity of fractured rock mass.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.279-288
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• 2001

Jointed rock mass can be analyzed by either continuum model or discontinuum model. Finite element method or finite difference method is mainly used for continuum modelling. Although discontinuum model is very attractive in analyzing the behavior of each block in jointed blocky rock masses, it has shortcomings such that it is difficult to investigate each joint exactly with the present technology and the amount of calculation in computer becomes trio excessive. Moreover, in case of the jointed blocky rock mass which has more than 2 dominant joint sets, it is impossible to model the behavior of each block. Therefore, a model such as ubiquitous joint model theory which assumes the rock mass as a continuum, is required. In the case of tunnels, unlike slopes, it is not easy to obtain safety factor by utilizing analysis method based on limit equilibrium method because it is difficult to assume the shape of failure surface in advance. For this reason, numerical analyses for tunnels have been limited to analyzing stability rather than in calculating the safety factor. In this study, the behavior of a tunnel excavated in jointed rock mass is analyzed numerically by using ubiquitous joint model which can incorporate 2 joint sets and a method to calculate safety factor of the tunnel numerically is presented. To this end, stress reduction technique is adopted.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.283-292
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• 2016

A computer program code was developed to estimate hydraulic behavior of the 2-D connected pipe network system, and implemented to evaluate the effect of joint aperture on hydraulic parameters of fractured rock masses through numerical experiments. A total of 216 stochastic 2-D DFN(discrete fracture network) blocks of $20m{\times}20m$ were prepared using two joint sets with fixed input parameters of joint orientation, frequency and size distribution. Two different cases of joint aperture variation are considered in this study. The hydraulic parameters were estimated for generated 2-D DFN blocks. The hydraulic anisotropy and the chance for equivalent continuum behavior of the DFN system were found to depend on the variability of joint aperture.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.35-81
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• 1998

Distinct Element Method(DEM) has a great advantage to model the discontinuous behaviour of jointed rock masses such as rotation, sliding, and separation of rock blocks. Geometrical data of joints by a field monitoring is not enough to model the jointed rock mass though the results of DE analysis for the jointed rock mass is most sensitive to the distributional properties of joints. Also, it is important to use a properly joint law in evaluating the stability of a jointed rock mass because the joint is considered as the contact between blocks in DEM. In this study, a stochastic modelling technique is developed and the dilatant rock joint is numerically modelled in order to consider th geometrical and mechanical properties of joints in DE analysis. The stochastic modelling technique provides a assemblage of rock blocks by reproducing the joint distribution from insufficient joint data. Numerical Modelling of joint dilatancy in a edge-edge contact of DEM enable to consider not only mechanical properties but also various boundary conditions of joint. Preprocess Procedure for a stochastic DE model is composed of a statistical process of raw data of joints, a joint generation, and a block boundary generation. This stochastic DE model is used to analyze the effect of deviations of geometrical joint parameters on .the behaviour of jointed rock masses. This modelling method may be one tool for the consistency of DE analysis because it keeps the objectivity of the numerical model. In the joint constitutive law with a dilatancy, the normal and shear behaviour of a joint are fully coupled due to dilatation. It is easy to quantify the input Parameters used in the joint law from laboratory tests. The boundary effect on the behaviour of a joint is verified from shear tests under CNL and CNS using the numerical model of a single joint. The numerical model developed is applied to jointed rock masses to evaluate the effect of joint dilation on tunnel stability.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.539-544
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• 2023

The subject of this study is the Maae Buddha statue in granodiorite of the Mesozoic Cretaceous period, which is concerned about stability as a standing stone cultural property located in ◯◯-dong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. For stability analysis, three-dimensional face mapping, geological properties of joints, three-dimensional scanning, ultrasonic velocity, polarization microscopy, electron microscopy analysis and XRD analysis were performed. In addition, the safety factor of the Maaebul was calculated by analyzing the damage status investigation, stereographic projection analysis, rock classification, and limit equilibrium analysis. The types and scales of damage and possible collapse by section depend on the degree of weathering of the rock and the orientation and characteristics of the joints, but wedge-failure and toppling-failure are expected to be small-scale. The safety factor of Maaebul in dry and wet conditions is less than 1.2, so stability is concerned. The types of damage were mainly observed, such as exfoliation, cracking, granular decomposition, and vegetation growth. The Maaebul rock is granodiorite, and the surface discoloration materials are K, Fe, and Mg. The 4 sets of joints are developed, J1 is tensile joint and the others are shear joint. The uniaxial compressive strength estimated by ultrasonic exploration is 514kgf/cm2, which corresponds to most soft rocks and some weathered rocks. Rock classification(RMR) is estimated to be grade 5, very poor rock mass. These technique along with the existing methods of safety diagnosis of cultural properties are expected to be a reasonable tool for objective interpretation and stability review of stone cultural properties.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.304-311
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• 2002

This study reports the influence of vocid geometry on fracture closure and permeability from numerical experiments. As the aperture distributions of rock fractures are characterized by statistical methods, synthetic fractures have successfully been simulated in this way. Based on the generated fracture models, models for fracture closure and flow calculation have been developed. A fracture closure model has been developed by considering the asperity compression and half-space deformation, and flow calculations have been performed using a finite difference method adopting a local cubic law. The results of numerical experiments have shown that the increase in the aperture spatial correlation leads the fracture closure and the decrease in fracture permeability to increase. Also, it has been indicated that there is an implicit relation between fracture normal stiffness and permeability. The importance of this study is to enhance the understanding the hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured rock massed due to engineering projects.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.1 s.50
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• pp.135-142
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• 2007

Although rock itself has high strength or low permeability, engineering properties of rock masses are significantly influenced by discontinuities such as cracks and joints. Considered with possibility of groundwater flow in massive rock mass of deep subsurface, the connectivity of micro cracks should be analyzed as a conduit of ground-water flow. The objective of this study is to estimate permeability characteristics of granite dependent on damage process with application of joint distribution analysis and modeling of permeability analysis in rock masses. In case of average permeability coefficients, the modeling results based on micro cracks data are well matched with the results from permeability tests. Based on the visualization result of three dimensional model, the average permeability coefficients through the discharge plane have a positive relationship with the number of microcrack induced by rock damage.