• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.37-45
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• 2010

Salt cementation, a typical naturally-cemented phenomenon, may occur due to water evaporation under the change of climate. Capillary force may influence the distribution of cement in granular soils. This study addresses the effect of capillary force on salt cementation using five different techniques: cone penetration test, electrical conductivity measurement, photographic imaging technique, nondestructive imaging technique, and process monitoring by elastic wave. Glass beads modeling a particulate media was mixed with salt water and then dried in an oven to create the cementation condition. Experimental results show that salt cementation highly concentrates at the top of the small particle size specimens and at the middle or the bottom of the large particle specimens. The predicted capillary heights are similar to the locations of high salt concentration in the cemented specimens. Five suggested methods show that the behavior of salt-cemented granular media heavily depends on the capillary force.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.199-210
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• 2003

The development of strain localization within shear zones is frequently observed during soil deformation. In fact, the phenomenon appears to be more often the norm rather than the exception. Conceptually, any soil condition that renders negative work increment is prone to localization. In this study, a broad range of soil and loading conditions are investigated to test this criterion, including: dilative soil subjected to drained shear (standard case), contractive soil sheared under undrained conditions, cavitation in dilative soil in undrained shear, inhomogeneous soils, particle alignment in contractive soils made of platy particles, soils that experience particle crushing, and the shear of low-moisture and/or lightly cemented loose soils. Unique specimens and test procedures are designed to separately test each of these soil conditions in the laboratory According to experimental test results, soil specimens with post-peak strain softening behavior are prone to progressive failure, localization of deformations, and shear banding. The state of stress, the soil density, inherent mechanical and geometrical properties of soil particles, low water content, and heterogeneity can contribute to triggering strain localization. Considering all possible cases of localization, the best method to obtain the critical state line in the laboratory is to use contractive homogeneous specimens subjected to drained shear.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.75-83
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• 2002

This paper is to investigate the mechanical characteristics of light-weighted soils (LWS) consisting of expanded polystyrene(EPS), dredged clays and cement by using both uniaxial and triaxial compression tests. The mechanical characteristics of the compressive strength of LWS are analysed with varying initial water contents of dredged clays, EPS ratio, cement ratio, and curing stress. In the triaxial compression state, it is found that the compressive strength of LWS containing EPS is independent on the effective confined stress. As the EPS ratio decreases($A_E$<2%) and cement ratio increases($A_c$>2%), the behavior characteristics of triaxial compressive strength-strain relationship is similar to that of cemented soil which decreases rapidly in compressive strength after ultimate compressive strength. For the applications of LWS to ground improvements which require the compressive strength of up to 200kPa, the optimized EPS ratio and initial water content of dredged clay are estimated to be 3~4% and 165~175%, respectively. Also, the ultimate compressive strength under both triaxial test and uniaxial compression states are almost constant for a cement ratio of up to 2% and then critical cement ratio of this LWS shall be 2%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.689-697
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• 2005

The soil nailing system at permanent slope reinforcement is used with various facing methods in Korea. Also, pressure-injected grout technique is variously applied to many structures. However, most design of the pressure-injected grout technique have been carried out empirically because of complicated mechanisms associated with the behavior of surrounding soils and the hardening process of cement grout. Therefore this study, a newly modified soil nailing technology named as the PGSN (Pressure Grouting Soil Nailing) system with fabric form is developed to increase the global stability. Up to now, the PGSN system has been estimated mainly focusing on an establishment of the design procedure. In the present study, numerical study are carried out to evaluate potential failure surface and minimum factor of safety including facing stiffness and expanded radius of cemented grout by SSR (Shear Strength Reduction) technique. Also, results of numerical analysis are carried out for the typical section of soil nails slope using $FLAC^{2D}$ program for expanded effective radius by pressure grouting.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.45-56
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• 2013

In this study, a blast furnace slag with latent hydraulic property is used to cement granular soils without using Portland cement. When the blast furnace slag reacts with an alkaline activator, it can cement soils. The effect of amounts of blast furnace slag and types of alkaline activator on soil strength was investigated for resource recycling. Four different amounts of slag and six different activators (two naturals and four chemicals) were used for preparing specimens. The specimens were air-cured for 3 or 7 days and then tested for unconfined compressive strength (UCS). The UCS of cemented sand with slag increased, in the order of specimens mixed with potassium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. Chemical alkaline activator was better than natural alkaline activator. The maximum UCS of 3-days cured specimens was 3 MPa for 16% of slag with potassium hydroxide, which corresponded to 37% of one with 16% of high-early strength portland cement. As the amount of slag increased, the UCS and dry density of a specimen increased for all alkaline activator cases. As the curing time increased from 3 days to 7 days, the UCS increased up to 97%. C-S-H hydrates were found in the cemented specimens from XRD analyses. Cement hydrates were more generated with increasing amount of slag and they surrounded sand particles, which resulted in higher density.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.71-79
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• 2012

Sand compaction pile and stone column replacement methods have been commonly used for improving soft ground in the nearshore. Recently, DCM (Deep cement mixing) method, which can harden soft clays by mixing with cement, is more popularly used in such soft ground improvement. Sandy soils also exist in the seashore. Therefore, in this study, the effect of salinity in sea water and curing methods on the strength of cemented sand was evaluated in terms of unconfined compressive strength (UCS). The sand was mixed with five different cement ratios and distilled water or sea water, and then compacted into a cylindrical specimen. They were cured for 3 days under sea water for DCM construction condition and air cured for onshore curing condition. When a specimen was cured under sea water without confinement, it was easily collapsed due to initiation of cracks. When the cement ratio and curing method were the same, the UCS of the specimen without sea water was at maximum 3.5 times higher than those with sea water. The sea water used for mixing sand had more influence on strength reduction than the sea water used for curing. When the cement ratio was the same, the UCS of air-cured specimen was at average 2 times higher than those of water-cured specimen, regardless of water used.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.09a
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• pp.527-532
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• 2010

Soil-cement has been broadly used for eco friendly pavement, slope protection and soft soil improvement since it used for the increase of soil strength with cement. Recently, additional agents are mixed with existing soil-cement so as to improve specific properties or functions such as strength, color and permeability of it. This study aims at figuring out the physical and mechanical properties of a soil-cement mixed with crashed oyster shell and loess. The study is specially focused on the applicability of oyster shell as an alternative material for sands. To have his objective achieved a series of uniaxial compression tests were conducted. As a result, it appears that usage of oyster shell may have effect on strength improvement of mixed soils.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.93-101
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• 2014

In this study, a blast furnace slag having latent hydraulic property with an alkaline activator for resource recycling was used to solidify sand without using cement. Existing chemical alkaline activators such as $Ca(OH)_2$ and NaOH were used for cementing soils. An alkaliphilic microorganism, which is active at higher than pH 10, is tested for a new alkaline activator. The alkaliphilic microorganism was added into sand with a blast furnace slag and a chemical alkaline activator. This is called the microorganism alkaline activator. Four different ratios of blast furnace slag (4, 8, 12, 16%) and two different chemical alkaline activators ($Ca(OH)_2$ and NaOH) were used for preparing cemented specimens with or without the alkaliphilic microorganism. The specimens were air-cured for 7 days and then tested for the experiment of unconfined compressive strength (UCS). Experimental results showed that as a blast furnace slag increased, the water content and dry density increased. The UCS of a specimen increased from 178 kPa to 2,435 kPa. The UCS of a specimen mixed with $Ca(OH)_2$ was 5-54% greater than that with NaOH. When the microorganism was added into the specimen, the UCS of a specimen with $Ca(OH)_2$ decreased by 11-60% but one with NaOH increased by 19-121%. The C-S-H hydrates were found in the cemented specimens, and their amounts increased as the amount of blast furnace slag increased through SEM analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.75-86
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• 2009

Salt, one of the most common soluble materials in engineering soil, may have an effect on mechanical behaviors of soils under its cementation process. In order to investigate this natural phenomenon, non-soluble material by using glass beads is mixed with salt electrolyte and cemented by using oven to evaporate water. Three different sizes of glass bead particles, 0.26, 0.5, and 1.29 mm, with different salt concentration, 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0M, are explored by using P- and S-waves, excited by bender elements and piezo disk elemets, respectively. The velocities of the P-wave and S-wave of the particulate medium cemented by salt show three stages with the degree of saturation: 1) S-wave velocities increase while P-wave velocities reduce with degree of saturation changing from 100% to 90%; 2) Both velocities are stable with degree of saturation varying from 90% to 10%; 3) The velocities change enormously when the specimens are nearly dry with degree of saturation from 10% to 0%. Besides, the resonance frequencies of S-wave show similar stages to the S-wave velocities. This study demonstrates meaningful trends of elastic wave characteristics of geo-materials according to the cementation of dissolved salt.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.383-391
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• 2019

Bio-grouting based on microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is recently emerging as a novel and environmentally friendly technique for improvement of coarse-grained ground. To date, the mechanical behaviour of bio-grouted coarse-grained soil with different calcite contents and grain sizes still remains poorly understood. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the influence of calcite content on the mechanical properties of bio-grouted coarse-grained soil with different grain sizes. This is achieved through an integrated study of uniaxial loading experiments of bio-grouted coarse-grained soil, 3D digitization of the grains in conjunction with discrete element modelling (DEM). In the DEM model, aggregates were represented by clump logic based on the 3D morphology digitization of the typical coarse-grained aggregates while the CaCO₃ was represented by small-sized bonded particle model. The computed stress-strain relations and failure patterns of the bio-grouted coarse-grained soil were validated against the measured results. Both experimental and numerical investigation suggest that aggregate sizes and calcite content significantly influence the mechanical behaviour of bio-cemented aggregates. The strength of the bio-grouted coarse-grained soil increases linearly with calcite content, but decreases non-linearly with the increasing particle size for all calcite contents. The experimental-based DEM approach developed in this study also offers an optional avenue for the exploring of micro-mechanisms contributing to the mechanical response of bio-grouted coarse-grained soils.