• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.637-648
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• 2023

When an earth pressure balance (EPB) shield machine bores a tunnel in gravelly sand stratum, the excavated natural soil is normally transformed using foam and water to reduce cutter wear and the risk of direct muck squeezing out of the screw conveyor (i.e., muck spewing). Understanding the undrained shear behavior of conditioned soils under pressure is a potential perspective for optimizing the earth pressure balance shield tunnelling strategies. Owing to the unconventional properties of conditioned soil, a pressurized vane shear apparatus was utilized to investigate the undrained shear behavior of foam-conditioned gravelly sands under normal pressure. The results showed that the shear stress-displacement curves exhibited strain-softening behavior only when the initial void ratio (e₀) of the foam-conditioned sand was less than the maximum void ratio (e_max) of the unconditioned sand. The peak and residual strength increased with an increase in normal pressure and a decrease in foam injection ratio. A unique relation between the void ratio and the shear strength in the residual stage was observed in the e-ln(τ) space. When e₀ was greater than e_max, the fluid-like specimens had quite low strengths. Besides, the stick-slip behavior, characterized by the variation coefficient of measured shear stress in the residual stage, was more evident under lower pressure but it appeared to be independent of the foam injection. A comparison between the results of pressurized vane shear tests and those of slump tests indicated that the slump test has its limitations to characterize the chamber muck fluidity and build the optimal conditioning parameters.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2015

The foam concrete was fabricated by adding the foaming agent which composite ordinary Portland cement with plant and animal protein into cement paste, and the electromagnetic wave absorption properties were studied for the first time as well. The studies showed that the electromagnetic waves can be absorbed by multiple reflections and scattering within the porous material. Thickness and filling ratio have a great influence on the electromagnetic wave absorbing properties in 2-18 GHz of the foam concrete, the greater the thickness, the better the performance of absorption; filling ratio was about 52 vol.%, the absorbing properties achieved the best.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.328-335
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• 2019

Nb-doped $TiO_2$(NTO) coated NiCrAl alloy foam for hydrogen production is prepared using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis deposition(USPD) method. To optimize the size and distribution of NTO particles based on good physical and chemical stability, we synthesize particles by adjusting the weight ratio of the Nb precursor solution(5 wt%, 10 wt% and 15 wt%). The morphological, chemical bonding, and structural properties of the NTO coated NiCrAl alloy foam are investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy(XPS), and Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy(FESEM). As a result, the samples of controlled Nb weight ratio exhibit a common diffraction pattern at ${\sim}25.3^{\circ}$, corresponding to the(101) plane, and have chemical bonding(O-Nb=O) at 534 eV. The NTO particles with the optimum weight ratio of N (10 wt%) show a uniform distribution with a size of ~18.2-21.0 nm. In addition, they exhibit the highest corrosion resistance even in the electrochemical stability estimation. As a result, the introduction of NTO coated NiCrAl alloy foam by USPD improves the chemical stability of the NiCrAl alloy foam by protecting the direct electrochemical reaction between the foam and the electrolyte. Thus, the optimized NTO coating can be proposed for excellent protection of NiCrAl alloy foam for hydrocarbon-based steam methane reforming(SMR).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.18-23
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• 2014

Foam extinguishing agent is widely used for extinguishing combustible liquid fires. Compared to other foam type extinguishing agents, protein foam has relatively low cost and low toxicity and produces stable foam blanket which is excellent in heat resistance and sealability, despite it has weak fluidity. Therefore the study investigated foaming characteristics followed by various factors affecting the fluidity of the protein foam extinguishing agent. The extinguishing characteristics differentiated by the changes in fluidity were also experimented. Foaming performance was compared by measuring the expansion ratio and the 25% drainage time. Moreover, the 25% drainage time and the extinguishing time was compared. The results showed that the 25% drainage time and the expansion ratio were increased as the pressure of nozzle and the concentration of hydrolyzed protein liquid enlarged. However the foaming and extinguishing performance were not improved when the condition exceeded certain level of pressure and concentration. The fastest fire extinguishing condition was the nozzle pressure 4bar with the 85wt.% of concentration of hydrolyzed protein liquid.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.165-169
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• 2003

Current volume reduction methods for wasted expandable polystyrene (EPS) foam are summarized and compared each other. Wasted EPS foam has not been recycled effectively because of its large volume to weight ratio. This has prevented from its proper recycling because of high cost of transportation to recycling plant. Successful recycling of wasted EPS foam results directly from successful, i.e. economically and environmentally, volume reduction of wasted EPS foam. This paper deals with various methods for volume reduction methods of wasted EPS foam. Five typical methods of volume reduction are introduced and they are compared each other in terms of expected PS properties after volume reduction, cost effectiveness of each process, possible effects on environment caused by the volume reduction process, and possible recycled products. The methods include thermal, solvent, far infrared and mechanical compaction. Comparison in this paper is made mostly in qualitative manner. The focus in this study is concentrated on summarizing and comparing existing methods of volume reduction for wasted EPS foam.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.48-52
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• 2015

In this study, we have evaluated whether the mixing ratio is proper by creating a mixing device for foam proportioner that mainly is employed in practice utilizing a metering venturi type. In case of the mixing ratio for 3%, water under pressure of 76 mm in diameter and the original liquid of a foam fire extinguishing agent of 31.75 mm in diameter have showed up the fluctuation rate just as much as 3.1~3.5% of the mixing ratio. Because water under pressure of 101.6 mm in diameter and the original liquid of a foam fire extinguishing agent of 38.1 mm in diameter have showed up 3.3~3.7% of the fluctuation rate, water under pressure of 101.6 mm in diameter and the original liquid of a foam fire extinguishing agent of 38.1 mm in diameter have satisfied 3.0~3.9% of performance criterion. And also, in case of the 6% of mixture rate, water under pressure of 76.2 mm in diameter and the original liquid of a foam fire extinguishing agent of 31.75 mm in diameter have showed up the fluctuation rate just as much as 6.4~6.8% of the mixing ratio. Because water under pressure of 101.6 mm in diameter and the original liquid of a foam fire extinguishing agent of 38.1 mm in diameter have showed up 6.0~6.8% of the fluctuation rate, water under pressure of 101.6 mm in diameter and the original liquid of a foam fire extinguishing agent of 38.1 mm in diameter have satisfied 6.0~7.0% of performance criterion.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.63-70
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• 2009

This study is part of an ongoing research project on the development of a sound-absorbing lightweight foamed concrete manufactured by a hydro-thermal reaction between silica and calcium. As the silica source, pulverized bottom ash was used, and as several cementitious powders of ordinary portland cement, alumina cement and calcium hydroxide were used. Manufacture of foamed concrete was accomplished using the pre-foaming method to make a continuous pore system, which is the method of making the foam by using a foaming agent, then making the slurry by mixing the foam, water, and powders. The experiment factors are W/B, foam agent dilution ratio, and foam ratio, and test items are compressive strength, dry density, void ratio, and absorption rate, as evaluated by NRC. The experiment results showed that the sound absorption of lightweight foamed concrete satisfied NRC requirements for the absorbing materials in most of the experiments. It is thus concluded that foam ratio was the most dominant factor, and significantly affected all properties of lightweight foamed concrete in this study. W/B rarely affected total void ratio and continuous void ratio as well as compressive strength, and dry density and foam agent dilution ratio also had little effect onalmost all properties. The analysis of the correlation between NRC, absorption time, continuous void ratio, and absorption time showed that the interrelationship of the continuous void ratio was high.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.680-683
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• 2004

This study is to obtain basic data concerned with properties of foam for foamed concrete and foaming method. Main factors of this study are types of foaming agents, temperature of solution with foaming agents, and types of foam generator. Testing items are size distribution of foam, foaming ratio to solution, and stability of foam. The results of this study were shown as follow. It is optimum condition of foam generator that length/diameter of foaming tube is 2.0, bead size within foaming tube is $4\~6mm$, and nozzle size of foaming tube is 10mm. AES and AOS are good results to produce high quality foam, and stability of foam is good in foaming temperature of $20^{\circ}C$.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.414-422
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• 2013

As structure-borne sound, the floor impact sound is one of the serious noises in residential building. Most of heating system applied to the typical Korean residential building is floor heating system which is called ondol. The ondol usually consists of finishing material, mortar with heating coil, light-weight aerated concrete and reinforced concrete. This study focused on the isolation of heavy-weight impact sound and modification of mortar and light-weight aerated concrete. Specifically the glass foam aggregate was added on light-weight aerated concrete. Also, water-cement ratio and amount of cement on mortar were revised. The sound pressure level of heavy-weight impact was measured in reverberation chamber using both bang-machine and impact ball. The size of specimen was 1 m by 1 m. Substitution ratio of glass foam aggregate on light-weight aerated concrete shows relationship with heavy-weight impact sound pressure level. In addition, heavy-weight impact sound pressure level was decreased with increment of water-cement ratio and amount of cement on mortar.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.471-479
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• 2024

In urban areas, appropriate backfilling design is necessary to prevent surface subsidence and subsurface cavities after excavation. Expandable foam grout (EFG), a mixture of cement, water, and an admixture, can be used for cavity filling because of its high flowability and volume expansion. EFG volume expansion induces a porous structure that can be quantified by the entrapped air content. This study observed the unit weight variations in the EFG before and after expansion depending on the various admixture-cement and water-cement ratios. Subsequently, the air content before and after expansion and the gravimetric expansion ratios were estimated from the measured unit weights. The air content before expansion linearly increased with an increase in the admixture-cement ratio, resulting in a decrease in the unit weight. The air content after the expansion and the expansion ratio increased nonlinearly, and the curves stabilized at a relatively high admixture-cement ratio. In particular, a reduced water-cement ratio limits the air content generation and expansion ratio, primarily because of the short setting time, even at a high admixture-cement ratio. Based on the results, the relationship between the maximum expansion ratio of EFG and the mixture ingredients (water-cement and admixture-cement ratios) was introduced.