• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.627-643
• /
• 2022

Water-rock interactions have a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of rocks. In this study, uniaxial compression and tension tests on different water-treated sandstone samples were conducted. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and micro-pore structure detection were carried out. Water-rock interactions and their effects on rock mechanical behavior were discussed. The results indicate that water content significantly weakens rock mechanical strength. The sensitivity of the mechanical parameters to water treatment, from high to low, are Poisson ratio (𝜇), uniaxial tensile strength (UTS), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), elastic modulus (E), and peak strain (𝜀). After water treatment, AE activities and the shear crack percentage are reduced, the angles between macro fractures and loading direction are minimized, the dynamic phenomenon during loading is weakened, and the failure mode changes from a mixed tensile-shear type to a tensile one. Due to the softening, lubrication, and water wedge effects in water-rock interactions, water content increases pore size, promotes crack development, and weakens micro-pore structures. Further damage of rocks in fractured and caved zones due to the water-rock interactions leads to an extra load on the adjoining coal and rock masses, which will increase the risk of dynamic disasters.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2022

In Korea, accidents related to the collapse of deteriorated aging reservoirs occur every year. The grouting method is generally applied to reinforce an aging reservoir. However, when using this method, different reinforcing effects appear depending on the ground conditions. Thus, new construction methods and materials capable of providing consistent reinforcing effects are required. In this study, the direct shear test (DST), model test, and simulation analysis were performed to evaluate the impact of surface stabilizers, generally used to reinforce roads, rivers, and slopes of roads, applied using surface curtain walls on aging reservoirs. The DST results indicate that when the surface stabilizer was mixed with in-situ soil, the increase in cohesion was the highest at a mixing ratio of 9%. No changes in the friction angle were evident; therefore, 9% was determined to be the optimal mixing ratio. In addition, the model test and simulation analysis showed that when 9% of the surface stabilizer was mixed and applied to the aging reservoir, the seepage quantity of water and the saturated area were reduced by approximately 42% and 73%, respectively. Moreover, the comprehensive analysis of results showed that the grouting method could be completely replaced by surface stabilizers applied through surface curtain walls because the technique could secure stability by decreasing the seepage in the aging reservoir.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.449-460
• /
• 2022

Safe underground construction in a rock mass requires adequate ground investigation and effective determination of rock conditions. The estimation of rock mass behavior is difficult, because rock masses are innately anisotropic and heterogeneous at different scales and are affected by various environmental factors. Quantitative rock mass classification systems, such as the Q-system and rock mass rating, are widely used for characterization and engineering design. The measurement of rock classification parameters is subjective and can vary among observers, resulting in questionable accuracy. Geophysical investigation methods, such as seismic surveys, have also been used for ground characterization. Torsional shear wave propagation characteristics in cylindrical rods are equal to that in an infinite media. A probabilistic quantitative relationship between the Q-value and shear wave velocity is thus investigated considering long-wavelength wave propagation in equivalent continuum jointed rock masses. Individual Q-system parameters are correlated with stress-dependent shear wave velocities in jointed rocks using experimental and numerical methods. The relationship between the Q-value and the shear wave velocity is normalized using a defined reference condition. This relationship is further improved using probabilistic analysis to remove unrealistic data and to suggest a range of Q-values for a given wave velocity. The proposed probabilistic Q-value estimation is then compared with field measurements and cross-hole seismic test data to verify its applicability.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.155-165
• /
• 2023

Hurricane Katrina swept New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, in 2005, causing more than 1,000 fatalities and severe damage to the flood protection system. Recovery activities are complete, however, clarifying failure mechanisms and devising resilient and cost-effective retrofitting techniques for the flood protection system are still of utmost importance to enhance the general structural integrity of water retaining structures. This study presents extensive centrifuge test results to find various failure mechanisms and effective retrofitting techniques for a levee system. The result confirmed the rotational failure and translational failure mechanisms for the London Ave. Canal levee and 17^th St. Canal levee, respectively. In addition, it found that the floodwalls with fresh waterstop in their joints perform better than those with old/weathered waterstop by decreasing pore water pressure build-up in the levee. Structural caps placed on the top of the joints between I-walls could also prevent local failure by spreading the load to surrounding walls. At the same time, the self-sealing bentonite-sand mixture installed along the riverside of floodwalls could mitigate the failure of floodwalls by blocking the infiltration of seepage water into the gap formed between levee soils and floodwalls.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.523-533
• /
• 2022

Several prediction model of penetration rate (PR) of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been focused on applying to design stage. In construction stage, however, the expected PR and its trends are changed during tunneling owing to TBM excavation skills and the gap between the investigated and actual geological conditions. Monitoring the PR during tunneling is crucial to rescheduling the excavation plan in real-time. This study proposes a sequential prediction method applicable in the construction stage. Geological and TBM operating data are collected from Gunpo cable tunnel in Korea, and preprocessed through normalization and augmentation. The results show that the sequential prediction for 1 ring unit prediction distance (UPD) is R²≥0.79; whereas, a one-step prediction is R²≤0.30. In modeling algorithm, a gradient boosted regression tree (GBRT) outperformed a least square-based linear regression in sequential prediction method. For practical use, a simple equation between the R² and UPD is proposed. When UPD increases R² decreases exponentially; In particular, UPD at R²=0.60 is calculated as 28 rings using the equation. Such a time interval will provide enough time for decision-making. Evidently, the UPD can be adjusted depending on other project and the R² value targeted by an operator. Therefore, a calculation process for the equation between the R² and UPD is addressed.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.65 no.1
• /
• pp.75-79
• /
• 2022

Antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibition, and anticoagulant effects of 80% ethanolic extract from mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) were investigated. The yield and polyphenol content of the mistletoe extract were 30.9±0.4% and 57.6±1.5 mg gallic acid equivalents/g, respectively. The antioxidant effects of the mistletoe extract such as free and cationic radical scavenging ability, nitrite scavenging ability, and reducing power increased in proportion to its concentration. Also the mistletoe extract inhibited the activity of α-glucosidase, and delayed plasma coagulation mainly by inhibiting the extrinsic and common pathways in blood coagulation system.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.121-125
• /
• 2001

This case is about 68-year-old woman patient, who suffered from 'fever of unknown origin, abdominal distension and diarrhea'. She was diagnosed as Taeumin and diarrhea as that of 'The Interior Disease of Taeumin'. So she was given Galgeunhaegitang and had gotten better in her symptoms.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.329-339
• /
• 2023

The objective of this study is to develop a Stability Evaluation System for retaining walls to assess their safety in real-time during excavation. A ground investigation is typically conducted before construction to gather information about the soil properties and predict wall stability. However, these properties may not accurately reflect the actual ground being excavated. To address this issue, the study employed a differential evolution algorithm to estimate the soil parameters of the actual ground. The estimated results were then used as input for an artificial neural network to evaluate the stability of the retaining walls. The study achieved an average accuracy of over 90% in predicting differential settlement, wall displacement, anchor force, and structural stability of the retaining walls. If implemented at actual excavation sites, this approach would enable real-time prediction of wall stability and facilitate effective safety management. Overall, the developed Stability Evaluation System offers a promising solution for ensuring the stability of retaining walls during construction. By incorporating real-time soil parameter analysis, it enhances the accuracy of stability predictions and contributes to proactive safety management in excavation projects.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.109-119
• /
• 2023

Ground subsidence in urban areas due to excessive development and degraded underground facilities is a serious problem. Geophysical surveys have been conducted to estimate the distribution and scale of cavities and subsidence. In this study, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was performed near an area of road subsidence in an urban area. The subsidence arose due to groundwater leakage that carried soil into a neighboring excavation site. The ERT survey line was located between the main subsidence area and an excavation site. Because ERT data are affected by rapid topographic changes and surrounding structures, the influence of the excavation site on the data was analyzed through field-scale numerical modeling. The effect of an excavation should be considered when interpreting ERT data because it can lead to wrong anomalous results. A method for performing 2D inversion after correcting resistivity data for the effect of the excavation site was proposed. This method was initially tested using a field-scale numerical model that included the excavation site and subsurface anomaly, which was a loosened zone, and was then applied to field data. In addition, ERT data were interpreted using an existing in-house 3D algorithm, which considered the effect of excavation sites. The inversion results demonstrated that conductive anomalies in the loosened zone were greater compared to the inversion that did not consider the effects of excavation.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.149-166
• /
• 2024

The acoustic emission (AE) technique is utilized to estimate the rock failure status in underground spaces. Understanding the AE characteristics under loading conditions is essential to ensure the reliability of AE monitoring. The AE characteristics depend on the material properties (p-wave velocity, density, UCS, and Young's modulus) and damage stages (stress ratio) of the target rock mass. In this study, two groups of granite specimens (based on the p-wave velocity regime) were prepared to explore the effect of material properties on AE characteristics. Uniaxial compressive loading tests with an AE measurement system were performed to investigate the effect of the rock properties using AE indices (count index, energy index, and amplitude index). The test results were analyzed according to three damage stages classified by the stress ratio of the specimens. Count index was determined to be the most suitable AE index for evaluating rock mass stability.