• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.156-169
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• 2018

The relationship between the mechanical and textural properties of sedimentary rocks has been studied for decades. However, inconsistencies in the results have arisen from both the inhomogeneity of natural rocks and the difficulties encountered in controlling just one textural factor of interest in each experiment. This work produced artificial sedimentary rocks to enable control of every independent parameter at all times. Their homogeneity lowered the deviation of the results, and thus they produced clearer correlations than for natural rocks. The samples were made by mixing bassanite powder with water and silica sand, which produced rocks consisting of sand and gypsum cement. The effect of grain content and size on mechanical properties such as uniaxial compressive strength, Young's modulus, and seismic velocity was estimated. Increasing grain content lowered the compressive strength but raised Young's modulus and seismic velocity. Overall, grain size did not linearly affect the mechanical properties of the samples, but affected them in some way. In future, these results can be compared and integrated with similar experiments using different cement or grain types. This should allow comparison of the effects of the rock constituents themselves and their interactions, with applicability to all kinds of sedimentary rocks.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.537-546
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• 2020

Oil and natural gas reserves have been recognised abundantly in clayey rich rock formations in deep costal reservoirs. It is necessary to understand the sedimentary history of those reservoir rocks to well explore these natural resources. This work designs a group of laboratory experiments to mimic the physical process of the sedimentary clay-rich rock formation. It presents characterisation results of the physical properties of the artificial clayey rocks synthesized from illite clay, quartz sand and brine water by high-pressure consolidation tests. Special focus is given on the effects of illite clay content and high-stress consolidation on the physical properties. Multi-step loaded consolidation experiments were carried out with stress up to 35 MPa on mixtures constituting of the illite clay, quartz sand and brine water with five initial illite clay contents (w=85%, 70%, 55%, 40% and 25%). Compressibility and void ratio were characterised throughout the physical compaction process of the mixtures constituting of five illite clay contents and their water permeability was measured as well. Results show that the applied stress induces a great reduction of clayey rock void ratio. Illite clay contents has a significant influence on the compressibility, void ratio and the permeability of the physically synthesized clayey rocks. There is a critical illite clay content w=70% that induces the minimum void ratio in the physically synthesised clayey rocks. The SEM study indicates, in the high-pressure synthesised clayey rocks with high illite clay contents, the illite clay minerals are located in layers and serve as the material matrix, and the quartz minerals fill in the inter-mineral pores or are embedded in the illite clay matrix. The arrangements of the minerals in microscale originate the structural anisotropy of the high-pressure synthesised clayey rock. The test findings can give an intuitive physical understanding of the deep-buried clayey rock basins in energy reservoirs.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.321-333
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• 2008

Considering risks and artificial enrichments of metals in the soils of the study area, the study aims to analyze geology, grain size and geochemistry. Geology is mainly composed of gneisses and phyllites of metamorphic rocks, sandstones, siltstones, shales, tuffs of sedimentary ones and granites and andesites of igneous ones in the area. In the area, mean contents of metals are not meaningful in accordance with petrogenesis. The soil textures of the area are of S, lS and sL of sandy soil, L, scL, cL of loam and C, zC and sC of clayey soil. Mean contents of Ni, Cr, Co and Cu are meaningfully high in loam and clayey soil relative to sandy soil, whereas Ni, Zn, Cd contents are higher in clayey soil than in loam. Those differences imply the metallic contents are dependent to grain size. Based on the metal contents in the soils of the study area, Cu and Zn in loams and Pb in sandy soils are corresponded to soil contamination warning standards, and As showing 75mg/kg of maximum content in loams is assigned to soil contamination countermeasure standards, respectively. Artificial enrichment factor minimized wall rock and grain size relations is over 1 in Cr, Ni and Cu, but the factor is below 1 in average of other metals.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.74-85
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• 2003

To increase the yield from groundwater wells in various rock types by hydrofracturing, tests of 12 wells were carried out as a part of sustainable groundwater development and artificial recharge project. Test wells are selected 5 wells in Jurassic granites, 2 wells in Cretaceous volcanics, 4 wells in Cretaceous sedimentary rocks and one well in Pre-Cambrian gneiss. The results show that specific capacity of II wells increased about 7% to 366%, while a well in Cretaceous sedimentary rock decreased about 43.4% owing to plugging of fault clay. Meanwhile, impact distances influenced due to hydrofracturing ranged from 5.4 m to 82.7 m from the test wells, actual drawdown data measured during the pumping test after hydrofracturing are more or less decreased and reveals balanced drawdown.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2005

This paper presents the application of a neural network for prediction of the unconfined compressive strength from physical properties and schmidt hardness number on rock samples. To investigate the suitability of this approach, the results of analysis using a neural network are compared to predictions obtained by statistical relations. The data sets containing 55 rock sample records which are composed of sandstone and shale were assembled in Daegu area. They were used to learn the neural network model with the back-propagation teaming algorithm. The rock characteristics as the teaming input of the neural network are: schmidt hardness number, specific gravity, absorption, porosity, p-wave velocity and S-wave velocity, while the corresponding unconfined compressive strength value functions as the teaming output of the neural network. A data set containing 45 test results was used to train the networks with the back-propagation teaming algorithm. Another data set of 10 test results was used to validate the generalization and prediction capabilities of the neural network.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 2015

Geochemical characteristics, water quality, $NO_3{^-}$ contamination and the origin of $NO_3{^-}$ were analyzed for the groundwater located at Ogcheon, Korea. The water qualities were weakly acidic to weakly alkalic and redox potentials indicated reduction condition. Compared to granitic rocks, metamorphic sedimentary rocks with intercalations of limestones and dolomites tended to be more effectively dissolved, resulting in higher pH and higher concentrations of dissolved ingredients. Contamination of heavy metals was not revealed. Geochemical reactions of carbonate rocks and influxes of artificial contamination ingredients seemed to simultaneously determine the geochemical characteristics and water qualities in the study area. From the results of ${\delta}^{15}N$ isotope analysis, the origin of $NO_3{^-}$ was estimated to be influenced dominantly by agricultural activities and human feces and urine.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2003

Geochemical characteristics of groundwater in the different kinds of various lithology such as Haman formation, Panyaweol formation, Jusan andesitic formation and Palgongsan granite is distinguished by mineralogical and chemical compositions. The Concentration of the majority of solutes in groundwaters of Haman and Panyaweol formation is higher than in that of andesite and granite. Higher concentration of $HCO_3^{-}{\;}and{\;}SO_4^{2-}$ anions in the groundwater is peculiar. High concentrations of $Ca^{2+},{\;}Mg^{2+},{\;}HCO_3^{-}$ in the groundwaters of the sedimentary rocks result mainly from reaction of $CO^{2-}$ charged water with calcite and weathered feldspars. With the Piper diagram, the groundwaters of Haman formations are mainly plotted in $CaSO_4-CaCl_2$ type, whereas those of Panyaweol formations are plotted in the bothside of $Ca(HCO_3)_2{\;}and{\;}CaSO_4-CaCl_2$ type. Thses two different types of $Ca(HCO_3)_2{\;}and{\;}CaSO_4-CaCl_2$ groundwater were originated from dissolution of calcite($Ca(HCO_3)_2)$ and the oxidation of pyrite($CaSO_4-CaCl_2$), respectively. And it also is influenced by anthropogenic contamination. Three factors were extracted from the factor analysis for chemical data. Factor 1, controlled by $SO_4^{2-},{\;}Na^{+},{\;}Ca^{2+}$ and Fe, explains the dissolution of calcite, plagioclase and oxidation of pyrite. Factor 2, controlled by $HCO_3^{-}{\;}and{\;}Mg^{2+}$, mainly explains the dissolution of Mg-carbonates and dolomitization. Factor 3, controlled by $Cl^{-},{\;}K^{+}{\;}and{\;}NO_3^{-}$, is subject to the influence of artificial pollution including industrial waste water disposal. In this study area, some industrial complex which is close to Keumho river show the higher score of factor 3.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.74-93
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• 2019

The Bird Track Site in the Haman Formation in Yongsanri (Natural Monument No. 222) was reported on the named Koreanaornis hamanensis and Jindongornipes kimi sauropod footprint Brontopodus and ichnospecies Ochlichnus formed by Nematoda. This site has outstanding academic value because it is where the second-highest number of bird tracks have been reported in the world. However, only 25% of the site remains after being designated a natural monument in 1969. This is due to artificial damage caused by worldwide fame and quarrying for flat stone used in Korean floor heating systems. The Haman Formation, including this fossil site, has lithofacies showing reddish-grey siltstone and black shale, alternately. The boundary of the two rocks is progressive, and sedimentary structures like ripple marks and sun cracks can clearly be found. This site was divided into seven formations according to sedimentary sequences and structures. The results of a nondestructive deterioration evaluation showed that chemical and biological damage rates were very low for all formations. Also, physical damage displayed low rates with 0.49% on exfoliation, 0.04% on blistering, 0.28% on break-out; however, the joint crack index was high, 6.20. Additionally, efflorescence was observed on outcrops at the backside and the northwestern side. Physical properties measured by an indirect ultrasonic analysis were found to be moderately weathered (MW). Above all, the southeastern side was much fresher, though some areas around the column of protection facility appeared more weathered. Furthermore, five kinds of discontinuity surface can be found at this site, with the bedding plane showing the higher share. There is the possibility of toppling failure occurring at this site but stable on plane and wedge failure by means of stereographic projection. We concluded that the overall level of deterioration and stability were relatively fine. However, continuous monitoring and conservation treatment and management should be performed as situations such as the physicochemical weathering of the fossil layer, and the efflorescence of the mortar adjoining the protection facility's column appear to be challenging to control.