• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.29 no.6C
• /
• pp.303-311
• /
• 2009

In this study, weakly cemented sand was cured at air dry condition with different periods (3, 7, 14, 21, 28 days) and its unconfined compressive strength was evaluated. As a result, the strength of specimens with low cement ratios such as 4 and 8% increases until 7 days curing but, after 7 days, their strength continuously decreases. The strength of specimens with relatively high cement ratios such as 12 and 16% increases up to 7 days curing and then stays almost constant until 21 days. After 21 days curing, their strength suddenly dropped down, which is much lower than the strength of 3 days curing specimen. A cemented sand and gravel called CSG, which is highly permeable, could be exposed to repetitive drying and wetting conditions due to rainfall or groundwater table change during curing. In this study, the weakly cemented sand is exposed to repetitive drying and wetting and then its unconfined compressive strength was evaluated. As a result, the strength of a specimen with 27 days drying condition following 1 day wetting was at maximum 35% lower than the one cured under 28 days drying. The strength degradation due to wetting decreases as a cement ratio increases. However, the strength of a specimen with repetitive drying and wetting increases as the number of wetting increases until 3 cycles. After 3 cycles of drying and wetting, the rate of strength increase decreases due to an insufficient water for hydration or stays constant. If the sufficient water supply is provided to cemented sand during curing, the target or design strength increase can be achieved. Otherwise, the strength degradation due to wetting should be considered at the design stage.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.97-109
• /
• 2022

This study focused on the physicochemical effects of bottom ash dissolved precipitation on the soil and groundwater environment. The iced column and percolation experiments showed that most of the bottom ash particles were drained as the ash-dissolved solution, while the charcoal powder was filtered through the soil. Ion species of Al, As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Fe, Mn, Ca, K, Si, F, NO₃, SO₄ were analyzed from the eluates collected during the 24 h column test. In the charcoal powder eluates, a high concentration of K was detected at the beginning of the reaction, but it decreased with time. The concentrations of Al and Ca were observed to increase with time, although they existed in trace amount. In the bottom ash eluates, the concentrations of Ca and SO₄ decreased by 30 mg·L^-1 and 67 mg·L^-1, respectively, over 24 h. It is regarded that the infiltration patterns of the bottom ash and biochar in the unsaturated zone were different owing to their particle sizes and solvent properties. It is expected that a significant amount of the bottom ash will mix with the precipitation and percolate below the water table, especially in the case of thin and highly permeable unsaturated zone. The biochar was filtered through the unsaturated zone. The biochar did not dissolve in the groundwater, although it reached the saturation zone. For these reasons, it is considered that the direct contamination by the bottom ash and biochar are unlikely to occur.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.111-122
• /
• 2014

For accurate laboratory evaluations of soil deposits, it is essential that the samples are undisturbed. An artificial ground-freezing system is the one of the most effective methods for obtaining undisturbed samples from sand deposits. The objective of this study is to estimate the shear strengths and the characteristics of elastic waves of frozen-thawed and unfrozen specimens through the undrained triaxial compression test. For the experiments, Jumunjin standard sands are used to prepare frozen and unfrozen specimens with similar relative densities (60% and 80%). The water pluviation method is used to simulate the fully saturated condition under the groundwater table. When thawing the frozen specimens, the temperature is measured every minute. After the specimens are completely thawed, undrained triaxial compression tests are conducted using the same procedures as for the unfrozen specimens. During the triaxial tests (saturation, consolidation, and shear phase), compressional and shear waves are measured. The results show that the freeze-thaw process has minor effects on the peak deviatoric stress and shear strength values, and that the process does not affect the internal friction angle. The compressional wave velocity increases with increasing B-value to 1800 m/s in the saturation phase, but tends to remain constant in the process of consolidation and shearing. The shear wave velocity decreases with increasing B-value in the process of saturation, but changes velocity in accordance with the change in effective stress in the processes of consolidation and shearing. The compressional wave velocity has similar values regardless of the freeze-thaw process, but values of shear wave velocity are slighly lower in frozen-thawed specimens than in unfrozen specimens. This study is a preliminary experiment for estimating the shear strength and characteristics of elastic wave velocity in undisturbed frozen specimens that have been obtained using the artificial ground-freezing method.