• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.107-119
• /
• 2022

Excavation-Disturbed Zone (EDZ) is an important design factor in constructing final disposal facilities for spent nuclear fuel, since EDZ affects mechanical stability including a spacing between disposal holes, and the hydraulic properties within EDZ plays a significant role in estimating in-flow rate of groundwater as well as a subsequent corrosion rate of a canister. Thus, it is highly required to characterize in-situ EDZ with precision and control the EDZ occurrence while excavating disposal facilities and constructing relevant underground research facilities. In this report, we not only reviewed EDZ-related researches carried out in the ONKALO facility of Finland but also examined appropriate methods for field inspection and quality control of EDZ occurrence. From the review, GPR can be the most efficient method for in-situ characterization of EDZ since it does not demand drilling a borehole that may disturb a surrounding environment of caverns. And the EDZ occurrence was dominant at a cavern floor and it ranged from 0 to 70 cm. These can provide useful information in developing necessary EDZ-related regulations for domestic disposal facilities.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.67-75
• /
• 2008

It is interesting to note that distinct element method has been used extensively to model the response of micro and discontinuous behavior in geomechanics. Impressive advances related to response of distinct particles have been conducted and there were difficulties in considering fluid effect simultaneously. Current distinct element methods are progressively developed to solve particle-fluid coupling focused on fluid flow through soil, rock or porous medium. In this research, numerical simulations of fluid injection into particulate materials were conducted to observe cavity initiation and propagation using distinct element method. After generation of initial particles and wall elements, confining stress was applied by servo-control method. The fluid scheme solves the continuity and Navior-Stokes equations numerically, then derives pressure and velocity vectors for fixed grid by considering the existence of particles within the fluid cell. Fluid was injected as 7-step into the assembly in the x-direction from the inlet located at the center of the left boundary under confining stress condition, $0.1MP{\alpha}\;and\;0.5MP{\alpha}$, respectively. For each simulation, movement of particles, flow rate, fluid velocity, pressure history, wall stress including cavity initiation and propagation by interaction of flulid-paricles were analyzed.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.27-35
• /
• 2003

The study site located in an industrial complex has a Precambrian age gneiss as a bedrock. The poorly-developed, disturbed soils in the study site have loamy-textured surface soil (1 to 2 m) and gravelly sand alluvium subsurface (2 to 6 m) on the top of weathered gneiss bedrock. The depth of the groundwater table was about 3.5 m below ground surface and increased toward down-gradient of the site. The hydraulic conductivity of transmitted zone (gravelly coarse sand) was in the range of 5.0${\times}$10$\^$-2/∼1.85${\times}$10$\^$-1/ cm/sec. The fine sand layer was in the range of 1.5${\times}$10$\^$-3/ to 7.6${\times}$10$\^$-3/ cm/sec. and the reclaimed upper soil layer was less than 10$\^$-4/ cm/sec. Toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (TEX) was the major contaminant in the soil and groundwater. The average depth of the soil contamination was about 1.5 m in the gravelly sand alluvium layer. At the depth interval 2.4∼4.8 m, the highest contamination in the soil is located approximately 50 to 70 m from the suspected source areas. The concentration of TEX in the groundwater was highest in the suspected source area and a lesser concentration in the center and southwest parts of the site. The TEX distribution in the groundwater is associated with their distribution in the soil. Microbial isolation showed that Pseudomonas flurescence, Burkholderia cepacia, and Acinetobactor lwoffi were the dominant aerobic bacteria in the contaminated soils. The analytical results of the groundwater indicated that the concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate, and sulfate in the contaminated area were significantly lower than their concentrations in the none-contaminated control area. The results also indicated that groundwater at the contaminated area is under anaerobic condition and sulfate reduction is the predominant terminal electron accepting process. The total attenuation rate was 0.0017 day$\^$-1/ and the estimated first-order degradation rate constant (λ) was 0.0008 day$\^$-1/.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.887-894
• /
• 2011

To evaluate the effects of abiotic factors of paddy fields on greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions from rice paddy fields, $CH_4$ emission amounts were investigated from rice paddy fields by different soil organic matter contents, paddy types, and agricultural climatic zone in Yeongnam area during 3 years. $CH_4$ emission amounts according to soil organic matter contents in paddy field were conducted at having different contents of 5 soil organic matters fields (23.6, 28.7, 31.0, 34.5, and $38.0g\;kg^{-1}$), The highest $CH_4$ emission amount was recorded in the highest soil organic matters plot of $38.0g\;kg^{-1}$. High correlation coefficient (r=$0.963^{**}$) was obtained between $CH_4$ emissions from paddy fields and their soil organic matter contents. According to paddy field types, $CH_4$ emission amounts were investigated at 4 different paddy fields as wet paddy, sandy paddy, immature paddy, and mature paddy. The highest $CH_4$ emissions was recorded in wet paddy (100%) and followed as immature paddy 64.0%, mature paddy 46.8%, and sandy paddy 23.8%, respectively. For the effects of temperature on $CH_4$ emissions from paddy fields, 4 agricultural climatic zones were investigated, which were Yeongnam inland zone (YIZ), eastern coast of central zone (ECZ), plain area of Yeongnam inland mountainous zone (PMZ), and mountainous area of Yeongnam inland mountainous zone (MMZ). The order of $CH_4$ emission amounts from paddy fields by agricultural climatic zone were YIZ (100%) > ECZ (94.6%) > PMZ (91.6%) > MMZ (78.9%). The regression equation between $CH_4$ emission amounts from paddy fields and average air temperature of Jul. to Sep. of agricultural climatic zone was y = 389.7x-4,287 (x means average temperature of Jul. to Sep. of agricultural climatic zone, $R^2=0.906^*$)

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.26 no.4C
• /
• pp.247-254
• /
• 2006

Online testing method is one of the numerical experiment methods using experimental information for a numerical analysis directly. The method has an advantage in that analysis can be conducted without using an idealized mechanical model, because mechanical properties are updated from element test for a numerical analysis in real time. The online testing method has mainly been used for the geotechnical seismic engineering, whose major target is sand. A testing method that may be applied to a consolidation problem has recently been developed and laboratory and field verifications have been tried. Although related research thus far has mainly used a method to update average reaction for a numerical analysis by positioning an element tests at the center of a consolidation layer, a weakness that accuracy of the analysis can be impaired as the thickness of the consolidation layer becomes more thicker has been pointed out regarding the method. To clarify the effectiveness and possible analysis scope of the online testing method in relation to the consolidation problem, we need to review the results by applying experiment conditions that may completely exclude such a factor. This research reviewed the results of the online consolidation test in terms of reproduction of the consolidation settlement and the dissipation of excess pore water pressure of a clay specimen by comparing the results of an online consolidation test and a separated-type consolidation test carried out under the same conditions. As a result, the online consolidation test reproduced the change of compressibility according effective stress of clay without a huge contradiction. In terms of the dissipation rate of excess pore water pressure, however, the online consolidation test was a little faster. In conclusion, experiment procedure needs to improve in a direction that hydraulic conductivity can be updated in real time so as to more precisely predict the dissipation of excess pore water pressure. Further research or improvement should be carried out with regard to the consolidation settlement after the end of the dissipation of excess pore water pressure.