• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.585-594
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• 2019

In-situ leaching could be one of the promising mining methods to extract the minerals from deep fractured rock mass. Constrained by the low permeability at depth, however, the performance does not meet the expectation. In fact, the rock mass permeability mainly depends on the pre-existing natural fractures and therefore play a crucial role in in-situ leaching performance. More importantly, fractures have various characteristics, such as aperture, persistence, and density, which have diverse contributions to the promising method. Hence, it is necessary to study the variation of fluid rate versus fracture parameters to enhance in-situ leaching performance. Firstly, the subsurface fractures from the depth of 1500m to 2500m were mapped using the discrete fracture network (DFN) in this paper, and then the numerical model was calibrated at a particular case. On this basis, the fluid flow through fractured rock mass with various fracture characteristics was analyzed. The simulation results showed that with the increase of Fisher' K value, which determine the fracture orientation, the flow rate firstly decreased and then increased. Subsequently, as another critical factor affecting the fluid flow in natural fractures, the fracture transmissivity has a direct relationship with the flow rate. Sensitive study shows that natural fracture characteristics play a critical role in in-situ leaching performance.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1139-1150
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• 1997

A model for predicting the relative density and the compressive strength of open-cell ceramics with three-dimensional network structure was proposed through the interpretation of their macrostructure and fracture mechanics. The equation predicting the relative density was derived under the assumption that the open-cell structure was a periodic array of the tetrakaidecahedron unit cell consisting of cylindrical struts containing the internal hollow with the shape of a triangular prism. The model for compressive strength of open-cell ceramics with the hollow strut was also developed by modifying conventional model which based on fracture behavior of them subjected to the compressive stress. Both the relative density and the compressive strength were expressed in terms of the ratio of the strut diameter to the length together with the ratio of the hollow size to the strut diameter. The proposed model for the relative density and the compressive strength of the alumina-zirconia composite with open-cell structure were accorded well with the experimental values, whereas Gibson-Ashby and Zhang's model did not show such a good agreement.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.361-362
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• 2001

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1998

The fracture size among geometric parameters of the fracture system is treated as one of the most important factors in the geotechnical and hydrogeological analysis. However, several uncertainties in data acquisition and analysis pmcess about the fracture size are not clear yet. This study presents the current status on the estimation of the fracture size and verifies the estimating method using forward modeling approach. The factors considered are the variation of fracture intersection probabilities with different assumptions on the orientation of sampling planes and fracture size by using a simulated tleee dimensional fracture network model. If it is possible to analyze precisely the fracture intersection probabilities and the characteristics of probabilistic distnbution fiom cavern walls, outcrops or boreholes,the actual fracture size developed in rock rnass can be estimated confidently.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 2016

Results from multiple high profile experiments on the parameters influencing the impacts that cause skull fractures to the frontal, temporal, and parietal bones were gathered and analyzed. The location of the impact as a binary function of frontal or lateral strike, the velocity, the striking area of the impactor, and the force needed to cause skull fracture in each experiment were subjected to statistical analysis using the JMP statistical software pack. A novel neural network model predicting skull fracture threshold was developed with a high statistical correlation ($R^2=0.978$) and presented in this text. Despite variation within individual studies, the equation herein proposes a 3 kN greater resistance to fracture for the frontal bone when compared to the temporoparietal bones. Additionally, impacts with low velocities (<4.1 m/s) were more prone to cause fracture in the lateral regions of the skull when compared to similar velocity frontal impacts. Conversely, higher velocity impacts (>4.1 m/s) showed a greater frontal sensitivity.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.37-56
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• 2001

As a preliminary study to establish fracture network model in crystalline rocks, detail investigation on fracture characteristics were performed. Five fracture sets were determined on the basis of regional survey of geological structures and fractures on outcrops. Among the fracture sets, S1 set has the highest density and longest trace length of fractures which was identified on surface in the study area. S4 and S5 sets are composed of foliations and foliation parallel shear joints of gneisses, which are very important sets at the aspect of weighting of fracture length. For characterization of subsurface fractures, detail core logging was performed to identify fractures and fracture zones from five boreholes. Acoustic televiewer logging and borehole geophysical loggings produced images, orientations and geophysical properties of fractures which intersect with boreholes. According to the result of the investigations, subsurface fractures can be grouped as three preferred orientations(B1, B2 and B3), which correspond to S1, S2 and S4/S5 of surface fracture sets, respectively. Actually, B1 set is expected to be intensely developed at subsurface. However, it has low frequency of intersection with boreholes due to its parallel or sub-parallel direction to boreholes. According to the inference of conductive fractures, B1 and B3 sets have possibilities of water flow and their intersection lines are also thought to consist of important conduits of groundwater flow. In particular, faults which are parallel to foliations control major groundwater flow in the study area.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2009

This paper presents the numerical investigation for the hydraulic behavior of a fractured rock mass with a hydromechanical interaction which may be considered during the in-situ hydraulic injection test. These experiments consist in a series of flow meter injection tests for fractures existing along an open hole section installed in a borehole, and experimental results are applied for testing a numerical model developed to the analysis and prediction of such hydromechanical interactions. Field experimental results show that conductive fractures form a dynamic and interdependent network, that individual fractures cannot be adequately modeled as independent systems, that new fluid intaking zones generate when pore pressure exceeds the minimum principal stress magnitude in that borehole, and that pore pressures much larger than this minimum stress can be further supported by the circulated fractures. In this study, these characteristics are investigated numerically how to influence the morphology of the natural fracture network in a rock mass by using a discrete fracture ntework model.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2000

A three-dimensional discrete fracture network model based on probabilistic characteristics of fracture geometry and transmissivity was designed to calculate the conductivity tensor and to estimate theanisotropy of conductivity. The conductivities, $K_p$, obtained from the numerical simulation of single-holepacker test corresponded well to those from the field tests. From this, it can be concluded that thefracture network model designed in this study can represent hydraulic characteristics of in-situ fractured rock mass. Block-scale conductivities, $K_b$, estimated from the modelling of steady-state flow through the REV-scale block were ranged between the arithmetic mean and harmonic mean of theconductivity estimates from packer tests. The conductivity along north-south direction was 1.4 timesgreater than that along the east-west direction. It was concluded that the anisotropy of conductivitywas insignificant. It was also found that there was a little correlation between $K_b$ and $K_p$. This would be to that the conductivities from the packer test simulation was strongly dependent on thetransmissivity and the number of fractures within the packer test intervals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.102-105
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• 2002

A new finite difference model is developed for solute transport in a fractured medium that can consider advection, adsorption, first-order decay, and scale-dependent dispersivity of individual fractures. In the model, the dispersivity of individual fractures is employed as a variable increasing with travel distance from a source. The model is verified using an analytical solution for a single fracture. A solution from the new model is independent of the outlet boundary condition of fractures, and has little numerical dispersion error.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.593-609
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• 2021

We proposed a numerical method for the thermo-mechanical behavior of rock fracture using a grain-based distinct element model (GBDEM) and simulated thermally induced fracture slip. The present study is the benchmark simulation performed as part of DECOVALEX-2023 Task G, which aims to develop a numerical method to estimate the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes within the crystalline rock fracture network. We represented the rock sample as an assembly of Voronoi grains and calculated the interaction of the grains (blocks) and their interfaces (contacts) using a distinct element code, 3DEC. Based on an equivalent continuum approach, the micro-parameters of grains and contacts were determined to reproduce rock as an elastic material. Then, the behavior of the fracture embedded in the rock was characterized by the contacts with Coulomb shear strength and tensile strength. In the benchmark simulation, we quantitatively examined the effects of the boundary stress and thermal stress due to heat conduction on fracture behavior, focusing on the mechanism of thermally induced fracture slip. The simulation results showed that the developed numerical model reasonably reproduced the thermal expansion and thermal stress increment, the fracture stress and displacement and the effect of boundary condition. We expect the numerical model to be enhanced by continuing collaboration and interaction with other research teams of DECOVALEX-2023 Task G and validated in further study experiments.