• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.631-642
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• 2013

The standard CPT(Cone Penetration Test), which can be easily performed to investigate in-situ soil engineering properties, has been widely used. CPT are also widely being utilized in centrifuge model tests. In this study, a miniature cone with 10mm diameter was developed and its applicability in the centrifuge was evaluated. The developed miniature cone was equipped with a four degree-of-freedom in-flight robot. A series of cone penetration tests was performed under four centrifuge acceleration levels. As results, the cone resistances measured at the same confining stress within shallow penetration depth were affected by the centrifugal accelerations. The critical depth was proportional to the cone diameter and relative density. Cone resistances results below the critical depth and soil parameters obtained from the laboratory tests were compared with those by previously proposed empirical relations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.194-205
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• 2009

In geotechnical engineering, the mechanical characteristics of soil, the main material of geotechnical engineering, is highly related to the confining stress. Reduced-scale physical modeling is often conducted to evaluate the performance or to verify the behavior of the geotechnical systems. However, reduced-scale physical modeling cannot replicate the behavior of the full-scale prototype because the reduced-scale causes difference of self weight stress level. Geotechnical centrifuges are commonly used for physical model tests to compensate the model for the stress level. Physical modeling techniques using centrifuge are widely adopted in most of geotechnical engineering fields these days due to its various advantages. In this paper, fundamentals of geotechnical centrifuge modeling and its application area are explained. State-of-the-art geotechnical centrifuge equipment is also described as an example of KOCED geotechnical centrifuge facility at KAIST.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.21 no.B
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• pp.187-193
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• 2001

This paper is results of extensive centrifuge model experiments about design factors influencing the bearing capacity and the settlement behaviors of SCP (Sand Compaction Pile). Centrifuge model tests were carried out changing design factors for SCP method such as replacement area ratio (as= 20, 40, 70%), improvement ratio to footing width (W/B = 1, 2, 3), and amount of fines in sand pile (#200 = 5, 10, 15). Therefore, the effects of these design factors on the bearing capacity and the settlement behavior of SCP were investigated and changes of stress concentratio rato due to such an design factors were also investigated. Centrifuge model testing technique for preparing and installing centrifuge model of sand compaction pile, using freezing them, was also developed. As results of centrifuge model tests, more fines in sand compaction pile increases the bearing capacity of SCP. Optimum improvement ratio to footing width was found to be 2. Values of stress concentration ratio was in the ranges of 1.5 - 3.5. The depth of bulging in sand piles was found in the range of 2.0 - 2.5 times of pile diameter.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.22 no.A
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• pp.145-151
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• 2002

This paper is results of extensive centrifuge model experiments about design factors influencing the bearing capacity and the settlement behaviors of SCP (Sand Compaction Pile). Centrifuge model tests were carried out changing design factors for SCP method such as replacement area ratio (as= 20, 40, 70%), Improvement ratio to footing width (W/B = 1, 2, 3), and amount of fines m sand pile (#200 = 5, 10, 15). Therefore, the effects of these design factors on the bearing capacity and the settlement behavior of SCP were investigated and changes of stress concentratio rato due to such an design factors were also investigated. Centrifuge model testing technique for preparing and installing centrifuge model of sand compaction pile, using freezing them, was also developed. As results of centrifuge model tests, more fines in sand compaction pile increases the bearing capacity of SCP. Optimum improvement ratio to footing width was found to be 2. Values of stress concentration ratio was in the ranges of 1.5 - 3.5. The depth of bulging in sand plies was found in the range of 2.0 - 2.5 times of pile diameter.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.59-67
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• 2006

The centrifuge and 1-g shaking table tests were performed simultaneously to compare the dynamic behaviors of loose sands of the same geotechnical properties. The prototype soils were 10 m thick liquefiable loose sands. The geometric scaling factors were 20 for 1-g and 40 for centrifuge tests. The excess pore pressure, surface settlement, and acceleration in the soil were measured at the same locations in the 1-g and centrifuge tests. The total excess pore pressure from development to dissipation was measured. In the centrifuge test, viscous fluid was used as the pore water to eliminate the time scaling difference between dynamic time and dissipation time. In the 1-g tests, the steady state concept was applied to determine the unit weight of the model soil, and two different time scaling factors were applied for the dynamic time and the dissipation time. It is concluded that the 1-g tests can simulate the excess pore pressure of the prototype soil if the permeability of the model soil is small enough to prevent dissipation of excess pore pressure during shaking and the dissipation time scaling factor is properly determined.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.285-293
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• 2016

Soil-foundation-structure interaction (SFSI) is one of the important issues in the seismic design for evaluating the exact behavior of the system. A seismic design of a structure can be more precise and economical, provided that the effect of SFSI is properly taken into account. In this study, a series of the dynamic centrifuge tests were performed to compare the seismic response of the single degree of freedom(SDOF) structure on the various types of the foundation. The shallow and pile foundations were made up of diverse mass and different conjunctive condition, respectively. The test specimen consisted of dry sand deposit, foundation, and SDOF structure in a centrifuge box. Several types of earthquake motions were sequentially applied to the test specimen from weak to strong intensity of them, which is known as a stage test. Results from the centrifuge tests showed that the seismic responses of the SDOF structure on the shallow foundation and disconnected pile foundation decreased by the foundation rocking. On the other hand, those on the connected pile foundation gradually increased with intensity of input motion. The allowable displacement of the foundation under the strong earthquake, the shallow and the disconnected pile foundation, have an advantage in dissipating the earthquake energy for the seismic design.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.33-38
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• 2003

Marine sediment capping is a technique where clean sand is placed over contaminated sediment to reduce the migration of contaminants to the environment. The design of in-situ caps placed over marine sediment must take into consideration the self-weight consolidation of the cap and the consolidation of the sediment as a result of adding the cap layer. Centrifuge tests were adopted to simulate the effects of consolidation settlement of capped marine sediment caused by the placement of a clean sand layer. The modeling of models technique was utilized to verify the correct modeling procedures used in this study. Two centrifuge tests were conducted with the same boundary conditions at different gravitational accelerations of 100 g and 50 g. There was good agreement between these tests. It can be concluded that the centrifuge experiment is able to model consolidation settlement of capped marine sediment.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.793-802
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• 2019

The centrifuge model test is usually used for two-dimensional deformation and instability study of the soil slopes. As a typical loose slope, the municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill is easy to slide with large deformation, under high water levels or large earthquakes. A series of centrifuge model tests of landfill slide induced by rising water level and earthquake were carried out. The particle image velocimetry (PIV), laser displacement transducer (LDT) and marker tracer (MT) methods were used to measure the deformation of the landfill under different centrifugal accelerations, water levels and earthquake magnitudes. The PIV method realized the observation of continuous deformation of the landfill model, and its results were consistent with those by LDT, which had higher precision than the MT method. The deformation of the landfill was mainly vertically downward and increased linearly with the rising centrifugal acceleration. When the water level rose, the horizontal deformation of the landfill developed gradually due to the seepage, and a global slide surface formed when the critical water level was reached. The seismic deformation of the landfill was mainly vertical at a low water level, but significant horizontal deformation occurred under a high water level. The results of the tests and analyses verified the applicability of PIV in the two-dimensional deformation measurement in the centrifuge model tests of the MSW landfill, and provide an important basis for revealing the instability mechanism of landfills under extreme hydraulic and seismic conditions.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.447-463
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• 2021

Caisson-type structures are widely used as quay walls in coastal areas. In Korea, for a long time, many caisson-type quay walls have been constructed with a low front water depth. These facilities can no longer meet the requirements of current development. This study developed a new technology for deepening existing caisson-type quay walls using grouting and rubble mound excavation to economically reuse them. With this technology, quay walls could be renovated by injecting grout into the rubble mound beneath the front toe of the caisson to secure its structure. Subsequently, a portion of the rubble mound was excavated to increase the front water depth. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the seismic behavior of a renovated quay wall in comparison to that of an existing quay wall using centrifuge tests and numerical simulations. Two centrifuge model tests at a scale of 1/120 were conducted on the quay walls before and after renovation. During the experiments, the displacements, accelerations, and earth pressures were measured under five consecutive earthquake input motions with increasing magnitudes. In addition, systematic numerical analyses of the centrifuge model tests were also conducted with the PLAXIS 2D finite element (FE) program using a nonlinear elastoplastic constitutive model. The displacements of the caisson, response accelerations, deformed shape of the quay wall, and earth pressures were investigated in detail based on a comparison of the numerical and experimental results. The results demonstrated that the motion of the caisson changed after renovation, and its displacement decreased significantly. The comparison between the FE models and centrifuge test results showed good agreement. This indicated that renovation was technically feasible, and it could be considered to study further by testbed before applying in practice.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.109-119
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• 2007

As the number of CFRD constructions increases, the necessity of an accurate assessment on its behavior also has been increasing. The performance of concrete faced rockfill dam (CFRD) under different water levels is a great concern of dam engineers and designers in the world. However, domestic research on CFRD design and construction has not been performed sufficiently. This study deals with three centrifuge model tests, mainly investigates quantitatively the deformation of the concrete faced slabs and settlements on the crest with different face slab stiffness. The prototype of a centrifugal model dam is half size of domestic CFRD dam. Detailed material preparation, model design, model set-up, model instrumentation and testing procedures are presented. In order to simulate the prototype concrete faced slab, three kinds of thin fiberglass plates with different thickness were adopted in three model tests. Finally, the centrifuge test results were compared with field measurements of domestic dams, which showed that the centrifuge tests were performed successfully.