• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-55
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• 2021

Peatland is distributed in China widely, and organic matters in soil frequently induce problems in the construction and maintenance of highway engineering due to the high permeability and compressibility. In this paper, a selected site of Dali-Lijiang expressway was surveyed in China. A numerical model was built to predict the settlement of the foundation of the selected section employing the soft soil creep (SSC) model in PLAXIS 8.2. The model was subsequently verified by the result of field observance. Consequently, the parameters of 17 types of soils from different regions in China with organic contents varying from 1.1-74.9% were assigned to the numerical model to study the settlement characteristics. The calculated results showed that the duration of primary consolidation and proportion of primary settlement in the total settlement decreased with increasing organic content. Two empirical equations, for total consolidation settlement and secondary settlement, were proposed using multiple linear regression based on the calculated results from the numerical models. The analysis results of the significances of certain soil parameters demonstrated that the natural compression index, secondary compression index, cohesion and friction angle have significant linear relevance with both the total settlement and secondary settlement, while the initial coefficient of permeability exerts significant influence on the secondary settlement only.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.41-49
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to fabricate a full scale road embankment using lightweight air foamed soil as a soil material on soft ground and to investigate its material characteristics and behavior in order to promote dredged soil utilization and minimize ground improvement. As a result of the laboratory test of the onsite mixed samples, the total unit weight of the specimens decreased almost linearly until curing 28 days. In particular, the total unit weight after 28 days of curing was reduced to about 81% of the slurry state before curing, which will be useful in the formulation of similar native soil materials in the future. The unconfined compressive strength began to decrease with the 14th day of curing as shown in the previous study. When the cement content is increased, the strength decreases sharply at a small strain change after the occurrence of the maximum compressive strength, and the maximum strength is exhibited in a range of a smaller axial strain than normal range. The settlement at the surface layer of the ground due to the lightweight embankment was about 1 / 2.75 of the soil embankment and was in agreement with the unit weight ratio (1 / 2.7) of the embankment materials. This indicates the cause and effect of the settlement due to the difference in self weight of the embankments. Also, the difference in settlement between soil and lightweight embankment increased with increasing depth. This shows that the difference in the point at which the settlement is terminated is clear. The ground horizontal displacement under the lightweight embankment was about 15~20% smaller than that of the soil embankment and the depth of occurrence was also 4.5~5.0m shallower in the lightweight embankment.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.109-120
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• 1994

One of problems being faced during construction of soil structures along the coastal regions is the stabilization of soft clay foundation, In this study, centrifugal model bests were conducted to investigate behavior effect of soft foundation reinforced by cement -soil piles for the stabilization of softs clay foundation during the embankment construction. This paper presents results of settlement and heaving behavior of reinforced and unreinforced foundation with time under the swaged loading for different best conditions. The test results have shown that the reductions of vertical settlement of the foundation and heaving of the ground surface adjacent to the embankment are greatly influenced by strength of improved pile, and moisture content, and especially the ratio of replacement area.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.255-264
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• 2017

Dynamic numerical simulation of pile-supported slab track system embedded in a soft soil and embankment was performed. 3D model was formulated in a time domain to consider the non-linearity of soil by utilizing FLAC 3D, which is a finite difference method program. Soil non-linearity was simulated by adopting the hysteric damping model and liner elements, which could consider soil-pile interface. The long period seismic loads, Hachinohe type strong motions, were applied for estimating seismic respose of the system, Parametric study was carried out by changing subsoil layer profile, embankment height and seismic loading conditions. The most of horizontal permanent displacement was initiated by slope failure. Increase of the embedded height and thickness of the soft soil layer leads increase of member forces of PHC piles; bending moment, and axial force. Finally, basic guidelines for designing pile-supported slab track system under seismic loading are recommended based on the analysis results.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.299-313
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• 2019

This research investigated the nonlinear compressibility, permeability, the yielding due to structural degradation and their effects on consolidation behavior of structured soft soils. Based on oedometer and hydraulic conductivity test results of natural and reconstituted soft clays, linear log (1+e) ~ $log\;{\sigma}^{\prime}$ and log (1+e) ~ $log\;k_v$ relationships were developed to capture the variations in compressibility and permeability, and the yield stress ratio (YSR) was introduced to characterize the soil structure of natural soft clay. Semi-analytical solutions for one-dimensional consolidation of soft clay under time-dependent loading incorporating the effects of soil nonlinearity and soil structure were proposed. The semi-analytical solutions were verified against field measurements of a well-documented test embankment and they can give better accuracy in prediction of excess pore pressure compared to the predictions using the existing analytical solutions. Additionally, parametric studies were conducted to analyze the effects of YSR, compression index (${\lambda}_r$ and ${\lambda}_c$), and permeability index (${\eta}_k$) on the consolidation behavior of structured soft clays. The magnitude of the difference between degree of consolidation based on excess pore pressure ($U_p$) and that based on strain ($U_s$) depends on YSR. The parameter ${\lambda}_c/{\eta}_k$ plays a significant role in predicting consolidation behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.13-21
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• 2006

Geosynthetic damage has attracted a major attention since the introduction of geotextiles for civil engineering applications. In this study 3 pilot trial embankments were carried out to investigate the behaviours of reinforced embankments over soft cohesive soils and to find the optimum methodology of embankments over soft soils. As the seamed part of polyester mat (PET, tensile strength 15 ton) used in the first full-scale field test was ruptured under progressing rotational slope failure because of unexpectedly rapid construction of embankments, the excessive pore water pressures were measured. On the soil behavior where tension explosion of mat was continued, pore pressure larger than the one caused by embankment height was measured. Especially, at the depth of 5.0 m under the ground pore pressure increased over long term. It was discussed with respect to the height of embankment and heaving behavior of soft soils.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 1994

To investigate the behaviour of the embankment on very soft foundation reinforced geotex- files,the laboratory model test in order to analyze the elementary effects of geotextile reinfor- cement and the finite element program analyzing the stresses and deformations characteristics was carried out. A two-dimensional nonlinear finite element program called GEOTEXT(a modification of ISBILD) for the static analysis of embankment on very soft foundation reinforced geotextiles has been developed. Both linear and nonlinear hyperbolic stress-strain soil models are inclu- ded, and incremental and stage construction can be simulated. However, the program GEO- TEXT is not developed herein as an adaptable design tool for practicing engineer. It was found that the geotextile reinforcement significantly reduced the shear stresses in the foundation and decreased the vertical differential settlements at the top of the embank- ment. This influence was more pronounced as the tensile strength of the geotextile was increased.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2019

This paper presents case history of railway embankment excess settlement on soft clay during service in southern region of Korea. A lot of field observations show that the measured settlements are a lot larger than settlements actually calculated in this area. Back analysis is carried out to verify the soil parameters which are intended to investigate in the subsurface exploration phase and later in a laboratory test program. Recommendations and causes for the engineering practice are suggested to review the determination of excess settlements and, consequently, to improve the settlement prediction. This enormous discrepancy is due to the passing over secondary consolidation, and the design filling did not meet to real construction filling. Immediate settlement could be subsidiary factor of excess settlement.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.89-99
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• 2012

The expansion of a road on soft ground could induce an additional settlement to the existing road because of the consolidation characteristics of the soft soil layer subjected to additional load by an adjacent banking. In such case, the existing road could be faced with various problems during the stages of the construction and maintenance, such as deterioration of not only the surface smoothness yielding the decrease in automobile performance safety but also the structural stability of the embankment. These kinds of problems are expected to occur more freguently especially for the deep ground level with a fairly thick soft soil layer. Therefore, they should be examined and studied adequately during the design stage. As a reference case study, this paper deals with the project named Namhae Expressway of 2nd Branch with the soft soil layer with the thickness upto about 50m. After a lengthy review of the original design, an improved design is proposed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.123-130
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• 1999

This paper presents a study of geotechnical treatment for artesian pressure after extensive investigation was performed on the distribution and characteristics of artesian condition which exists at Yangsan/Mulgeurn site. The result of analysis indicates that the artesian pressure seems to be up to 2.9M above the existing ground surface, originating from the higher ground water recharging sources in the surrounding hills and mountains. There is no harmful effect after the site development since the height of embankment is more than 4M above the existing ground surface.