• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.121-131
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• 2007

Recently, the probability of rock joints being exposed to free faces is getting higher for the scale of rock mass structures gets larger. Also, the frequency of occurring dynamic events such as earthquakes and blasting has been increasing. Thus, the shear behavior of rock joints under different conditions needs to be investigated. In this study, a series of direct shear tests were carried out under various conditions to examine the velocity-dependent shear behavior of saw-cut rock joints. Two types of direct shear test were carried out. The first was to examine the velocity-dependent shear behavior of saw-cut rock joints at seven different shear velocities, each with three different normal stresses. The second was to examine the shear behavior of saw-cut rock joints when three different instantaneous shear velocities changed. As a result, the coefficient of friction was affected by normal stress. The breakpoint velocity, the point when the change of shear velocity starts to affect the frictional behavior, became lower as normal stress increased. Also, as the shear velocity became lower, the degree of stress-drop on stick-slip behavior became larger. As a result of examining the changes of friction coefficient, velocity weakening (decrease of friction coefficient) was observed. The decrement of friction coefficient due to the changes of shear velocity under slow shear velocity was larger than that under fast shear velocity.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.265-280
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• 2021

Population density due to urbanization is making people interested in underground space development and much interest in TBM construction with low vibration and noise. This led to a lot of research on TBM. However, research on the characteristics of the cutterhead opening of the TBM equipment being occluded under the ground conditions under which it is excavated is insufficient. Accordingly, a study was conducted to investigate clogging of the cutterhead opening during the shield TBM rolling. To identify the clogging of cutterhead openings in SHIELD TBM equipment, the reduced model experiment was divided into clay rate (10%, 30%, 50%, 60%), cutterhead opening rate (30%, 50%, 60%), and cutterhead rotation direction (one-way, two-way) and rotational speed (3 RPM) and conducted in 36 cases. Results of scale model test on shield TBM clogging, it was analyzed that the ground condition containing clay soil increased the clogging effect in both directions than the unidirectional rotation, and that the lower the rotational speed of the cutterhead, the less the clogging effect. Accordingly, the direction of cutterhead rotation, rotational speed and opening rate are calculated by taking into account ground conditions during ground excavation, the clogging effect can be reduced. It is believed to be effective in saving air as the clogging effect is reduced. Therefore, this study is expected to be an important material for domestic use of shield TBM.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.395-409
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• 2022

To overcome the limitation of conventional rock excavation methods, the excavation with abrasive waterjet has been actively developed. The abrasive waterjet excavation method has the effect of reducing blasting vibration and enhancing the excavation efficiency by forming a continuous free surface on the rock. However, the waterjet cutting performance varies with rock fracturing characteristics. Thus, it is necessary to analyze the cutting performance for various rocks in order to effectively utilize the waterjet excavation. In this study, cutting experiments with the high pressure waterjet system were performed for basalt and granite specimens. Water pressure, standoff distance, and traverse speed were determined as effective parameters for the abrasive waterjet cutting. The cutting depth and width of basalt specimens were analyzed to compare with granite results. The averaged cutting depth of basalt was shown in 41% deeper than granite; in addition, the averaged cutting width of basalt was formed by 18.5% narrower than granite. The results of this study are expected to be useful basic data for applying rock excavation site with low strength and high porosity such as basalt.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.357-371
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• 2023

In cable tunnel construction using TBM, the vertical shaft is an essential structure for entrance and exit of TBM equipment and power lines. Since a shaft penetrates the ground vertically, it often encounters rock mass. Blasting or rock splitting methods, which are mainly used to the rock excavation, cause public complaints due to the noise, vibration and road occupation. Therefore, mechanical excavation using vertical shaft excavation machine are considered as an alternative to the conventional methods. However, at the current level of technology, the vertical excavation machine has limitation in its performance when applied for high strength rock with a compressive strength of more than 120 MPa. In this study, the potential utilization of waterjet technology as an excavation assistance method was investigated to improve mechanical excavation performance in the hard rock formations. Rock cutting experiments were conducted to verify the cutting performance of the abrasive waterjet. Based on the experimental result, it was found that ensuring excavation performance with respect to changing in ground conditions can be achieved by adjusting waterjet parameters such as standoff distance, traverse speed and water pressure. In addition, based on the relationship between excavation performance, uniaxial compressive strength and RQD, it was suggested that excavation performance could be improved by artificially creating joints using the abrasive waterjet. It is expected that these research results can be utilized as fundamental data for the introduction of vertical shaft excavation machines in the future.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.1 s.60
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• pp.11-25
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• 2006

The world's largest nucleon decay experiment facility is constructed at a depth of approximately 1,000 meters, in the Kamio Mine, Japan. The excavated cavern is consisted of a cylinder of 42.4 m high and a semi elliptical dome of 15.2 m high, with a bottom diameter of 40 m. The total excavation volume is approximately $69,000\;m^3$. Because of the character as a large cavern excavation in deep underground, there is many unknown factors in rock mechanics. Based on the results of rock test and numerical analysis, the monitoring of rock mass behavior accompanying progress of construction was performed by various instruments installed in the rock mass surrounding the cavern. The monitoring data was used in the study of measures for cavern stability.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.80-91
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• 2000

Open cut mining of limestone is generally considered to be more advantageous than underground mining in recovery, grade control, economics, and safety, but it causes substantial environmental pollutants such as ground vibration, noise, dust. It also changes ground surface and may destroy vegetation. The Halla limestone mine which lies adjacent to Baikdu mountains range is selected for a model study. To reduce environmental hazards, and to conserve original surface and woods, both open cut and underground mining methods must be adopted. In case of sub-level sloping. a unit block of 87m high, 70m wide, and 100∼l20m long is suggested with an estimated overall recovery of 42%. Some suggestions to reduce the environmental hazards are also included. The followings must be considered in determining the degree of fragmentation; the discontinuity conditions in the rock mass and the charge concentration both at the bottom and column of the hole. In addition to adopting a barrier wall for reducing environmental hazards, the probable production from underground mining is also discussed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.480-490
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• 2008

The drilling monitoring is a technique to assess rock mass properties by analyzing the mechanical quantities measured by drilling process. Since drilling survey can be conducted on real-time-basis for excavating blast holes or rockbolt holes, it may enables fast and quantitative prediction and evaluation of rock mass. Though a number of studies have been conducted on the drilling data, the selection of drilling parameters and numerical quantification of mechanical quantities or rock mass have not been well established yet. In this study, drilling tests were conducted with homogeneous rock specimen to identify drilling parameters and the relation of the drilling data. As a result, it is verified that above all drilling parameters, the percussion was the most important factor on the excavatability of hydraulic drilling.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.315-327
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• 1999

Rock fracture mechanics has been widely applied to blasting, hydraulic fracturing, rock slope and many other practical problems in rock engineering. But a measuring method for the fracture toughness of rock, one of the mort important parameters in fracture mechanics as an intrinsic property of rock, has not been yet well established. To obtain mode I rock fracture toughness, the more favorable disc-typed specimens such as CCNBD, SCB, chevron-notched SCB and BDT were used in this study. Rock fracture toughness under mixed-mode and mode II conditions was measured by using the STCA applied to the CCNBD specimen. Size effects such as specimen thickness, diameter and notch length on fracture toughness were investigated. From the mixed-mode results, fracture envelops were obtained by applying various regression curves. The mixed-mode results were also compared with three mixed-mode failure criteria. In each fracture toughness test, acoustic emission was measured to get the data for determining the load levels of different crack propagation patterns.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.307-319
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• 2011

Cyclic loading due to traffic, excavation and blasting causes microcrack growth in rocks over long period of time, and this type of loading often causes rock to fail at a lower stress than its monotonically determined strength. Thus, the crack growth and coalescence under cyclic loading are important for the long-term stability problems. In this research, experiments using gypsum as a model material for rock are carried out to investigate crack propagation and coalescence under monotonic and cyclic loading. Both monotonic and cyclic tests have a similar wing crack initiation position, wing crack initiation angle, cracking sequence and coalescence type. Three types of crack coalescence were observed; Type I, II and III. Type I coalescence occurs due to a shear crack and Type II coalescence occurs through one wing or tension crack. For Type III, coalescence occurs through two wing or tension cracks. Fatigue cracks appear in cyclic tests. Two types of fatigue crack initiation directions, coplanar and horizontal directions, are observed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.212-223
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• 2014

In this study, the stability analyses for metal mine roadways at a great depth were performed. In-situ stress measurements using hydrofracturing, numerous laboratory tests for rock cores and GSI & RMR classifications were conducted in order to find the physical properties of both intact rock and in-situ rock mass distributed in the studied metal mine. Through the scenario analysis and probabilistic assessment on the results of rock mass classification, the in-situ ground conditions of mine roadways were divided into the best, the average and the worst cases, respectively. The roadway stabilities corresponding to the respective conditions were assessed by way of the elasto-plastic analysis. In addition, the appropriate roadway shapes and the support patterns were examined through the numerical analyses considering the blast damaged zone around roadway. It was finally shown to be necessary to reduce the radius of roadway roof curvature and/or to install the crown reinforcement in order to enhance the stability of studied mine roadways.