• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.541-555
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• 2020

The grouting method is used for reinforcing and waterproofing the soft ground, increasing the bearing capacity of structures damaged by lowering or subsidence due to rise and vibration, and for ordering. This study attempted to develop a blast furnace slag-based cementless grout material to increase the strength and hardening time of the grout material using reinforcing fibers. In this regard, in this study, it was used in combination with calcium hydroxide, which is an alkali stimulant of the three fine powders of blast furnace slag, and the content of calcium hydroxide was used by substituting 10, 20, and 30% of the fine powder of blast furnace slag. In addition, in order to compare the strength according to the presence or absence of reinforcing fibers, an experiment was performed by adding 0.5% of each fiber. As the content of carbon fibers and aramid fibers increased, the uniaxial compressive strength increased, and it was confirmed that the crosslinking action of the fibers in the grout material increased the uniaxial compressive strength. In addition, it was confirmed that the gel time sharply decreased as the content of the alkali stimulate increased.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.67-81
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• 2021

Grouting is used for reinforcement and waterproofing of soft ground to increase its bearing capacity, reduce the impacts of rising or lowering groundwater levels, and reduce subsidence due to vibration and general causes. This study investigated the enhancement of grout strength and hardening time by the addition of reinforcing fibers, and the development of non-cement grouting materials from blast furnace slag. An experiment was performed to measure the increase in grout strength resulting from the addition of 0.5% increments of aramid and carbon reinforcing fibers. The results show that the uniaxial compressive strength of grout increases with increasing content of reinforcing fiber. Comparison of three admixtures of finely powdered blast furnace slag and 10%, 20%, and 30% calcium hydroxide stimulating agent showed that the uniaxial compressive strength of the mixture increases with increasing content of alkaline stimulant; however, the strength was lower than for 100% pure cement. The reaction of calcium hydroxide with blast furnace slag powder, which increases the strength of the grout, is more effective if injected as a solution rather than a powder.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2023

South Korea has recently witnessed an increasing number of seismic events, leading to a surge in studies focusing on seismic earth pressures, as well as the attributes of geological layers and ground where foundations are established. Consequently, earthquake-resistant design has become imperative to ensure the safety of subterranean structures. The slurry wall method, due to its superior wall rigidity, excellent water resistance, and minimal noise and vibration, is often employed in constructing high-rise buildings in urban areas. However, given the separation between panels that constitute the wall, slurry walls possess limited resistance to seismic loads in the longitudinal direction. As a solution, several studies have probed into the possibility of interconnecting slurry wall panels to augment their seismic performance. In this research, we developed and evaluated a method for linking slurry wall panels using mechanical joints, including concrete-confined steel pipes and headed bars, through mock-up tests. We also assessed the constructability of the suggested method and compared it with other analogous methods. Any challenges identified during the mock-up test were discussed to guide future research in resolving them. The results of this study aid in enhancing the seismic performance of slurry walls through the development of an interconnected panel method. Further research can build on these findings to address the identified issues and improve the efficacy and reliability of the proposed method.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.209-222
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• 2024

The Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is widely used for underground tunnel construction for its advantages, such as eliminating the need for additional facilities compared to the slurry shield TBM, which requires Slurry Treatment Plant (STP). During EPB shield TBM excavation, a soil conditioning technique is employed to enhance the physical properties of the excavated soil by injecting additives, thus broadening the range of applicable ground conditions to EPB shield TBMs. This study explored the use of xanthan gum, a type of biopolymer, as an alternative to the commonly used polymer additive. Biopolymers, derived from biological sources, are fully biodegradable. In contrast to traditional polymers such as polyacrylic acid, which contain environmentally harmful components, xanthan gum is gaining attention as an eco-friendly material due to its minimal toxicity and environmental impact. Test conditions with similar workability were established through slump tests, and the rheological characteristics were assessed using a laboratory pressurized vane shear test apparatus. The experiments demonstrated that, despite exhibiting similar workability, the peak strength in the flow curve decreased with increasing the content of xanthan gum. Consequently, a correlation between the xanthan gum content and peak strength was established. Replacing the traditional polymers with xanthan gum could enable stable EPB shield TBM operation by reducing equipment load, in addition to offering environmental benefits.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.33-40
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• 2022

Sedimentation and pH neutralization has been investigated as preteatment of acid contaminate water. The settling and neutralizing process derive more effective degradation efficiency as the pre-treatment process before the removal process of adsorption, volatile, biodegradation, or oxidation. Settling velocity, uniformity coefficient, coefficient of curvature, and grain size index can define in the sedimentation process for characteristics of the soil. The stainless steel sieve has been used to separate each particle size of the dry soil by assembling in order of 4, 10, 20, 40, 80, 100, and 200 mesh sizes. The soil from Gamcheon Port in Busan drops upper side of the sieve and shakes back and forth to separate each different size of the particle. The 1L of Imhoff cone and 200 mL of the mass cylinder were used as settling tanks to calculate settling velocity. Stokes' equation was used to figure out the average density of dry soil with a value from settling velocity. In the results, the average particle density and lowest settling velocity were 1.93 g/cm³ and 0.11 cm/s, respectively. These values can detect the range of settling points of sediment to prevent chemical accidents. In pH neutralization, the initial pH of 2, 3, 4, and 5 of nitric acid and sulfuric acid are used as an acid solution; 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 M of sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide are used as a base solution. The main goal of this experiment is to figure out the volume percentage of the acid solution becomes pH 7. The concentration of 0.001 M of base solution exceeds all the conditions, 0.01 M exceeds partially, and 0.1 M does not exceed 5 v/v% except pH 2. Calcium hydroxide present less volume than sodium hydroxide at pH neutralization both sulfuric and nitric acid.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 2007

The site effects of seismic stations were evaluated by conducting a simultaneous inversion of the stochastic point-source ground-motion model (STGM model; Boore, 2003) parameters based on the accumulated dataset of horizontal shear-wave Fourier spectra. A model parameter $K_0$ and frequency-dependent site amplification function A(f) were used to express the site effects. Once after a H/V ratio of the Fourier spectra was used as an initial estimate of A(f) for the inversion, the final A(f) which is considered to be the result of combined effect of the crustal amplification and loca lsite effects was calculated by averaging the log residuals at the site from the inversion and adding the mean log residual to the H/V ratio. The seismic stations were classified into five classes according to $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f), the maximum level of the site amplification function in the range of 1 Hz < f < 10 Hz, i.e., A: $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.2, B: 0.2 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.4, C: 0.4 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.6, D: 0.6 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.8, E: 0.8 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f). Implication of the classified result was supported by observing a shift of the dominant frequency of average A(f) for each classified stations as the class changes. Change of site classes after moving seismic stations to a better site condition was successfully described by the result of the station classification. In addition, the observed PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration)-values for two recent moderate earthquakes were well classified according to the proposed station classes.