• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.5-14
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• 2016

The leakage of water under sewer pipelines is one of main sources of sinkholes in urban areas. We performed laboratory model tests to investigate the presence of cavities using impact-echo method, which is a nondestructive test method. To simulate a concrete sewer pipe, a thin concrete plate was built and placed over container filled with sand. The cavity was modeled as an extruded polystyrene foam box. Two sets of tests were performed, one over sand and the other on cavity. A new impact device was developed to apply a consistent high frequency impact load on the concrete plate, thereby increasing the reliability of the test procedure. The frequency and transient characteristics of the measured reflected waveforms were analyzed via fast Fourier transform and short time Fourier spectrum. It was shown that the shapes of Fourier spectra are very similar to one another, and therefore cannot be used to predict the presence of cavity. A new index, termed resonance duration, is defined to record the time of vibration exceeding a prescribed intensity. The results showed that the resonance duration is a more effective parameter for predicting the presence of a cavity. A value of the resonance period was proposed to estimate the presence of cavity. Further studies using various soil types and field tests are warranted to validate the proposed approach.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.127-145
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• 1998

Unlike water or air quality standards that have been established by legislation using potential human health impact as the primary criterion, soil quality depends on the soils primary function and its relevant environmental factors, which is much more site- and soil specific. A properly characterized soil quality assessment system should serve as an indicator of the soil capacity to produce safe and nutritious food, to enhance human and animal health, and to overcome degrative processes. For our proposed example, a high quality soil with regard to maintaining an adequate soil productivity as a food production resources must accommodate soil and water properties, food chain, sustainability and utilization, environment, and profitability, that (i) facilitate water transfer and absorption, (ii) sustain plant growth, (iii) resist physical degradation of soil, (iv) produce a safe food resources, (v) cost-effective agricultural management. Possible soil quality indicators are identified at several levels within the framework for each of these functions. Each indicator is assigned a priority or weight that reflects its relative importance using a multi-objective approach based on principles of systems to be considered. To do this, individual scoring system is differentiated by the several levels from low to very high category or point scoring ranging from 0 to 10, And then weights are multiplied and products are summed to provide an overall soil quality rating based on several physical and chemical indicators. Tlne framework and procedure in developing the soil quality assessment are determined by using information collected from an alternative and conventional farm practices in the regions. The use of an expanded framework for assessing effects of other processes, management practices, or policy issues on soil quality is also considered. To develop one possible form for a soil quality index, we should permit coupling the soil characteristics with assessment system based on soil properties and incoming and resident chemicals. The purpose of this paper is to discuss approaches to defining and assessing soil quality and to suggest the factors to be considered.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.238-247
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• 2023

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is an attractive fuel for ships considering its current technology and economic viability. However, safety guidelines for LPG-fueled ships are still under development, and there have been no cases of applying LPG propulsion systems to small and medium-sized ships in Korea. The purpose of this study was to perform an objective risk assessment for the first marine LPG engine system and propose safe operational standards. First, hazard and operability (HAZOP) analysis was used to divide the engine system into five nodes, and 58 hazards were identified. To compensate for the subjectivity of qualitative evaluation using HAZOP analysis, fuzzy set theory was used, and additional risk factors, such as detectability and sensitivity, were included to compare the relative weights of the risk factors using a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process. As a result, among the five risk factors, those with a major impact on risk were determined to be the frequency and severity. Finally, the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was applied to select the risk rank more precisely by considering the weights of the risk factors. The risk level was divided into 47 groups, and the major hazard during the operation of the engine system was found through the analysis to be gas leakage during maintenance of the LPG supply line. The technique proposed can be applied to various facilities, such as LPG supply systems, and can be utilized as a standard procedure for risk assessment in developing safety standards for LPG-powered ships.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.301-310
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• 2007

For the improvement of air quality in the metropolitan area, Korea has enforced the air pollutant emission cap regulation from the 1st of July, 2007, and the companies that intend to install a new or an enlarged facility in the metropolitan area will be restricted. However, the current regulation on permission does not describe a standard of judgement distinctly. In this study, therefore, a method of permission on the installation of a new or an enlarged facility was developed by supplementing the law in force based on the foreign cases. To develop a specific permit regulation and procedure, the developed nations' cases such as US, Canada, EU were reviewed thoroughly. Also, an appropriate method was suggested to apply domestically for a new or an enlarged facility permit within the regulations of the metropolitan special law. The method consists of first, calculating the possible permit quantity from the difference between an estimated annual emission cap and the annual emission provided by the implementation plan in each region. Second, permitting a new or an enlarged facility construction within the difference of the emission between the regional emission cap and the implementation plan in 2014. Third, distributing emissions allowable to each performance year based on the regional emission cap and the implementation plan in 2014. Fourth, making use of the emission difference between the implementation plan and the performance result in each year. Considering the general domestic conditions, the convenience of the permit authority and permitted companies, the most reasonable method was to use the fourth. To enforce the suggested permit method in a more flexible way, parts of the related regulations need to be revised and continuous research and analysis on the results from the implemented system and on foreign cases is necessary to develop this method a suitable system for domestic conditions and to settle the air pollutant emission cap system.

• Proceedings of the KOR-KST Conference
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• 1995.02a
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• pp.3-32
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• 1995

The Highway Capacity Manual specifies procedures for evaluating intersection performance in terms of delay per vehicle. What is lacking in the current methodology is a comparable quantitative procedure for ass~ssing the safety-based level of service provided to motorists. The objective of the research described herein was to develop a computational procedure for evaluating the safety-based level of service of signalized intersections based on the relative hazard of alternative intersection designs and signal timing plans. Conflict opportunity models were developed for those crossing, diverging, and stopping maneuvers which are associated with left-turn and rear-end accidents. Safety¬based level-of-service criteria were then developed based on the distribution of conflict opportunities computed from the developed models. A case study evaluation of the level of service analysis methodology revealed that the developed safety-based criteria were not as sensitive to changes in prevailing traffic, roadway, and signal timing conditions as the traditional delay-based measure. However, the methodology did permit a quantitative assessment of the trade-off between delay reduction and safety improvement. The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) specifies procedures for evaluating intersection performance in terms of a wide variety of prevailing conditions such as traffic composition, intersection geometry, traffic volumes, and signal timing (1). At the present time, however, performance is only measured in terms of delay per vehicle. This is a parameter which is widely accepted as a meaningful and useful indicator of the efficiency with which an intersection is serving traffic needs. What is lacking in the current methodology is a comparable quantitative procedure for assessing the safety-based level of service provided to motorists. For example, it is well¬known that the change from permissive to protected left-turn phasing can reduce left-turn accident frequency. However, the HCM only permits a quantitative assessment of the impact of this alternative phasing arrangement on vehicle delay. It is left to the engineer or planner to subjectively judge the level of safety benefits, and to evaluate the trade-off between the efficiency and safety consequences of the alternative phasing plans. Numerous examples of other geometric design and signal timing improvements could also be given. At present, the principal methods available to the practitioner for evaluating the relative safety at signalized intersections are: a) the application of engineering judgement, b) accident analyses, and c) traffic conflicts analysis. Reliance on engineering judgement has obvious limitations, especially when placed in the context of the elaborate HCM procedures for calculating delay. Accident analyses generally require some type of before-after comparison, either for the case study intersection or for a large set of similar intersections. In e.ither situation, there are problems associated with compensating for regression-to-the-mean phenomena (2), as well as obtaining an adequate sample size. Research has also pointed to potential bias caused by the way in which exposure to accidents is measured (3, 4). Because of the problems associated with traditional accident analyses, some have promoted the use of tqe traffic conflicts technique (5). However, this procedure also has shortcomings in that it.requires extensive field data collection and trained observers to identify the different types of conflicts occurring in the field. The objective of the research described herein was to develop a computational procedure for evaluating the safety-based level of service of signalized intersections that would be compatible and consistent with that presently found in the HCM for evaluating efficiency-based level of service as measured by delay per vehicle (6). The intent was not to develop a new set of accident prediction models, but to design a methodology to quantitatively predict the relative hazard of alternative intersection designs and signal timing plans.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.307-319
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• 2009

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology has been regarded as one of the most possible and practical option to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and consequently to mitigate the climate change. Korean government also have started a 10-year R&D project on $CO_2$ storage in sea-bed geological structure including gas field and deep saline aquifer since 2005. Various relevant researches are carried out to cover the initial survey of suitable geological structure storage site, monitoring of the stored $CO_2$ behavior, basic design of $CO_2$ transport and storage process and the risk assessment and management related to $CO_2$ leakage from engineered and geological processes. Leakage of $CO_2$ to the marine environment can change the chemistry of seawater including the pH and carbonate composition and also influence adversely on the diverse living organisms in ecosystems. Recently, IMO (International Maritime Organization) have developed the risk assessment and management framework for the $CO_2$ sequestration in sub-seabed geological structures (CS-SSGS) and considered the sequestration as a waste management option to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. This framework for CS-SSGS aims to provide generic guidance to the Contracting Parties to the London Convention and Protocol, in order to characterize the risks to the marine environment from CS-SSGS on a site-specific basis and also to collect the necessary information to develop a management strategy to address uncertainties and any residual risks. The environmental risk assessment (ERA) plan for $CO_2$ storage work should include site selection and characterization, exposure assessment with probable leak scenario, risk assessment from direct and in-direct impact to the living organisms and risk management strategy. Domestic trial of the $CO_2$ capture and sequestration in to the marine geologic formation also should be accomplished through risk management with specified ERA approaches based on the IMO framework. The risk assessment procedure for $CO_2$ marine storage should contain the following components; 1) prediction of leakage probabilities with the reliable leakage scenarios from both engineered and geological part, 2) understanding on physio-chemical fate of $CO_2$ in marine environment especially for the candidate sites, 3) exposure assessment methods for various receptors in marine environments, 4) database production on the toxic effect of $CO_2$ to the ecologically and economically important species, and finally 5) development of surveillance procedures on the environmental changes with adequate monitoring techniques.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.12-22
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• 2014

Over the last decade, Saudi Arabia has experienced significant economic increases as evidenced by the 30% growth in its gross domestic product; furthermore, the construction industry has increased 10% in the same time period. Due to this significant growth, the construction industry is encountering issues related to construction quality resulting in significant waste and associated environmental impacts. In this research, we applied our previously developed framework that integrates three different methods-Lean, Green, and Six-sigma - to a residential construction complex in Saudi Arabia. Our aim of this case study was to explore the application of the framework in practice to glean quantitative results and further validate the framework. In the case study, we used the developed framework to identify a significant issue related to quality and delays - final completion of 53 residential units was delayed because of failed exterior buildings surfaces. We then used the framework to define the causes behind the defects via a field investigation of the 53 units. Of the defect, construction execution was responsible for 43% of the defect, 31% untrained workers, 19% unfavorable construction weather condition, with 7% accounting for other issues. A procedure was developed in concert with the construction manager and overall developer reducing the amount of rework and waste causes revealed by the field examination and the framework. Although two steps were added to the original construction process to overcome waste causes, still save a lot of resources and reduces environmental impact. In summary, we found that the Lean, Green, Six-sigma framework increased productivity, quality, and reduced waste.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.18-36
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• 1997

This study was conducted to analyze the text relating to the environmental conservation and ecology among the text of the constitution of Korea and collect the domestic laws(40 statutes, 1 guide, 1 leading case) and the foreign laws(1 constitution, 34 statutes, 2 ordinances, 3 leading cases). To make the text of the collected domestic and foreign laws a comparative analysis of the conceptual principle, plan establishment and project operation, types, policy and allied projects, rights and duties, allowed and restricted acts, environmental impact assessment and administration procedure and system of the environmental conservation and ecology by items, it was considered to the mutual relation with lots of laws which are scattered with the various laws and studied to how to set the many foreign countries on their laws connected with the environmental conservation and ecology from the other department and carry out the advanced environmental works.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2017

Background: Surgeon satisfaction and patient analgesia during the procedure of laparoscopic surgery are important issues. The aim of this work was to study if an intrathecal (IT) Bupivacaine combined with Magnesium sulfate may or may not provide good surgeon satisfaction in addition to improvement of intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. Methods: Sixty female patients were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial study. All patients were operated for gynecological laparoscopic surgery under spinal anesthesia. Patients were divided into two groups (Bupivacaine and Magnesium). Group Bupivacaine (30 patients) received intrathecal Bupivacaine 0.5% only (15 mg), while 30 patients in group Magnesium received intrathecal Bupivacaine (15 mg) in addition to intrathecal Magnesium sulfate (50 mg). The sensory block level, the intensity of motor block, the surgeon satisfaction, the intraoperative visual analog scale (VAS) for pain assessment, the postoperative VAS, and side effects were recorded during the intraoperative period and within the first 24 hours after surgery in the post-anesthesia care unit. Results: Surgeon satisfaction, intraoperative shoulder pain, postoperative pain after 2 h, and perioperative analgesic consumption (ketorolac) were significant better in group Magnesium than in group Bupivacaine. (P < 0.05). The onset of motor and sensory blocks was significant longer in group Magnesium than the other one. The incidence of PONV, pruritus and urinary retention was insignificant statistically between both groups. Conclusions: Magnesium sulfate if used intrathecally as an adjuvant to Bupivacaine would provide a better surgeon satisfaction and would improve the analgesic effect of spinal anesthesia used for gynecological laparoscopic surgery.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 1987

The prediction of driving stresses in piles is necessary for optimum selection of driving hammers, better design of precast piles, enact assessment of drivabilities and complete description of piling specifications. However, the existing pile-driving formulas based on the theory of Newtonian impact have some defects and shortcomings; the numerical method by the wave equation analysis using electronic computer usually Involves various uncertainties and limitations which can yield erroneous outcomes because it employs soil constants of which the nature is unknown as essential parameters and ignores the effect of residual stresses set up in the pile .after each hammer blow; and the electronic measuring technique needs extra time and expense. The method developed herein is presented for the purpose of giving field engineers a reliable and convenient analytical procedure for the prediction of driving stresses along the full length of pile using the most effetive parameters without resort to electronic computer. This method is based on the fundamental mechanics of stress waves in elastic rods and takes into account the effect of residual stresses induced by reversed friction in piles.