• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.258-276
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• 2018

The accurate and quantitative ground information on the hydraulic conductivity characteristics of rock mass is one of the key factors for evaluation of the hydro-geological behaviour of rock mass around an excavated opening under high water pressure. For tunnel and rock structures in seabed, where the sea acts as an infinite source of water, its importance become greater with increasing construction depth below sea level. In this study, to improve the problems related with poor system configuration and incorrect data acquisition of previous hydraulic packer testing equipment, we newly developed an integrated main frame and 30 bar level waterproof downhole sonde apparatus, which were optimized for deep hydraulic packer test in seabed rock mass. Integration of individual test equipment into one frame allows safe and efficient field testing work on a narrow offshore drilling platform. For the integrated type main frame, it is possible to make precise stepwise control of downhole net injection pressure at intervals of $2.0kg_f/cm^2$ or less with dual hydraulic oil volume controller. To ensure the system performance and the operational stability of the prototype mainframe and downhole sonde apparatus, the field feasibility tests were completed in two research boreholes, and using the developed apparatus, the REV(Representative Elementary Volume) scale deep hydraulic packer tests were successfully carried out at a borehole located in the basalt region, Jeju. In this paper, the characteristics of the new testing apparatus are briefly introduced and also some results from the laboratory and in-situ performance tests are shown.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.187-196
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• 2005

Since the allowable bearing capacities of piles in weathered/fractured rock are mainly governed by settlement, the load-displacement behavior of pile should be known accurately. To predict pile head settlement at the design stage, the exact understanding of the load-transfer mechanisms is essential. Therefore, in this research, the load-transfer mechanism of drilled shaft socketed into weathered rock was investigated. For the investigation, five cast-in-place concrete piles with diameters of 1,000 mm were socketed into weathered gneiss. The static axial load tests and the load-transfer measurements were performed to examine the axial resistant behavior of the piles. A comprehensive field/laboratory testing program on weathered rock at the Held test sites was also performed to describe the in situ rock mass conditions quantitatively. And then, the effect of rock mass condition on the load transfer mechanism was investigated. The f-w (side shear resistance-displacement) curve of the pile in moderately weathered rock reached to yielding point at a for millimeter displacements, and after yielding point, the rate of resistance increment dramatically decreased. However, the f-w curve in the highly/completely weathered rock did not show the obvious yielding point, and the resistance gradually increased showing the hyperbolic pattern until relatively high displacement (>15 mm). The q-w (end bearing resistance-displacement) curves showed linear response at least until the base displacement of approximately 10 mm, regardless of rock mass conditions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.495-508
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• 2013

Recently, stable isotopes (${\delta}^{18}O$ and ${\delta}D$) of water are increasingly analyzed using laser-based technologies. These methods have advantages over Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) in that they can be used for in-situ measurements and require much less maintenance and preparation work. Two types of laser-based methods are currently available, which have different analytical principles; OA-ICOS (off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy) and WS-CRDS (wavelength-scanned cavity ring-down spectroscopy). In the WS-CRDS instrument, water is vaporized at controlled environment and transferred to an optical cavity by nitrogen carrier gas, and stable isotopic compositions of water vapor are measured using the degree of absorbance of specific wavelengths and the ratios of attenuation time of the laser intensity with the sensitivity of ppb to tens of ppt level. In this study, we introduce the principle of the WS-CRDS technology and the performance results including stability and comparisons with Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) and suggest possible applications of various topics in isotope hydrology.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.236-247
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• 2009

Overpopulation has significantly increased the use of underground spaces in urban areas, and led to the developments of shallow-depth underground space. Due to unexpected rock fall, however, it is very necessary to understand and categorize the rock mass behaviors prior to the tunnel excavation, by which unnecessary casualties and economic loss could be prevented. In case of cave-in, special attention should be drawn since it occurs faster and greater in magnitude compared to rock fall and plastic deformation. Types of cave-in behavior are explained and categorized using seven parameters - Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS), Rock Quality Designation (RQD), joint surface condition, in-situ stress condition, ground water condition, earthquake & ground vibration, tunnel span. This study eventually introduces a new index called Cave-in Behavior Index (CBI) which explains the behavior of cave-in under given in-situ conditions expressed by the seven parameters. In order to assess the mutual interactions of the seven parameters and to evaluate the weighting factors for all the interactions, survey data of the experts' opinions and Rock Engineering Systems (RES) were used due to lack of field observations. CBI was applied to the tunnel site of Seoul Metro Line No. 9. UDEC analyses on 288 cases were done and occurrences of cave-in in every simulation were examined. Analyses on the results of 288 cases of simulations revealed that the average CBI for the cases when cave-in for different patterns of tunnel support was estimated by a logistic regression analysis.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.223-235
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• 2020

In this study, pulse tests were undertaken at an underground research facility, as part of in-situ hydraulic tests, to derive the hydrogeological characteristics of crystalline rock. The applicability of pulse tests for estimating the transmissivity of a fractured rock mass was evaluated by comparing the results to those from a slug test. Results from the pulse and slug tests were very similar for the test section, with both tests indicating low transmissivity. A slight difference between the results of pulse and slug tests, however, was observed in the section with the transmissivity larger than 1 × 10^-8 ㎡/s, which is likely due to the difference in the radii of influence of the tests. Furthermore, when the pulse test was conducted in permeable zones where transmissivity was larger than 1 × 10^-7 ㎡/s, it was difficult to produce accurate results. This lack of accuracy was due to the rapid recovery of the hydraulic head in these permeable test zones. When performing pulse tests, it was important to accurately measure the pressure when valves were opened and closed in order to apply the head change in the test section. Although it is difficult to derive the hydrogeological characteristics from pulse tests in areas with high permeability, these tests can be used as an economical test method for identifying hydrogeological characteristics in a relatively short time, especially when deriving the transmissivity of rocks with low permeability.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.247-261
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• 2023

Due to the non-uniform distribution of meso-structure, the diffusion of chloride ions in concrete show the characteristics of characteristics of randomness and fuzziness, which leads to the non-uniform distribution of chloride ions and the non-uniform corrosion of steel rebar in concrete. This phenomenon is supposed as the main reason causing the uncertainty of the bearing capacity deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. In order to analyze and predict the durability of reinforced concrete structures under chloride environment, the random features of chloride ions transport in concrete were studied in this research from in situ meso-structure of concrete. Based on X-ray CT technology, the spatial distribution of coarse aggregates and pores were recognized and extracted from a cylinder concrete specimen. In considering the influence of ITZ, the in situ mesostructure of concrete specimen was reconstructed to conduct a numerical simulation on the diffusion of chloride ions in concrete, which was verified through electronic microprobe technology. Then a stochastic study was performed to investigate the distribution of chloride ions concentration in space and time. The research indicates that the influence of coarse aggregate on chloride ions diffusion is the synthetic action of tortuosity and ITZ effect. The spatial distribution of coarse aggregates and pores is the main reason leading to the non-uniform distribution of chloride ions both in spatial and time scale. The chloride ions concentration under a certain time and the time under a certain concentration both satisfy the Lognormal distribution, which are accepted by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Chi-square test. This research provides an efficient method for obtain mass stochastic data from limited but representative samples, which lays a solid foundation for the investigation on the service properties of reinforced concrete structures.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.5-12
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• 2009

As rock bolts become one of the main support systems in tunnels and underground structures, the integrity of the rock bolts affects the safety of these structures. The purpose of this study is the evaluation of rock bolt integrity using wavelet transforms of the guided ultrasonic waves by using transmission test in the field. After several rock bolts with various defect ratios are embedded into a large scale concrete block and rock mass, guided waves are generated by a piezo disk element and measured by an acoustic emission (AE) sensor. The captured signals are analyzed in the time-frequency domain using the wavelet transform based on a Gabor wavelet. Peak values in the time-frequency domain represent the interval of travel time of each echo. The energy velocities of the guided waves increase with an increase in the defect ratio. The suitable curing time for the evergy velocity analysis is proposed by the laboratory test, and in-situ tests are performed in two tunnelling sites to verify the applicability of rock bolt integrity tests performed after proposed curing time. This study proves that time-frequency domain analysis is an effective tool for the evaluation of the rock bolt integrity.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.480-493
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• 2021

Since the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion (GHB) provides an efficient way of identifying its strength parameter values with the consideration of in-situ rock mass condition via Geological Strength Index (GSI), this criterion is recognized as one of the standard rock mass failure criteria in rock mechanics community. However, the nonlinear form of the GHB criterion makes its mathematical treatment inconvenient and limits the scope of its application. As an effort to overcome this disadvantage of the GHB criterion, the explicit approximate analytical equations for the minimum principal stress, which is associated with the maximum principal stress at failure, are formulated based on the Taylor polynomial approximation of the original GHB criterion. The accuracy of the derived approximate formula for the minimum principal stress is verified by comparing the resulting approximate minimum principal stress with the numerically calculated exact values. To provide an application example of the approximate formulation, the equivalent friction angle and cohesion for the expected plastic zone around a circular tunnel in a GHB rock mass are calculated by incorporating the formula for the approximate minimum principal stress. It is found that the simultaneous consideration of the values of mi, GSI and far-field stress is important for the accurate calculation of equivalent Mohr-Coulomb parameter values of the plastic zone.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.468-482
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• 2016

To understand variations in the seawater quality of Asan Bay over four seasons form December 2011 to February 2013, we applied two methods: an in-situ observation of water quality and a comparison study of nutrient budgets among three parts (No. 1, 2, and 3) of Asan Bay. We found a significantly high nutrient concentration in the central part of the bay (No. 2) in July 2012 both in the mass balance study and in situ observation. We presumed the source of these nutrients to be both benthic effluence from old dam reservoirs and incompletely-treated municipal waste-water. This elevated nutrient concentration in the central part of Asan Bay (No. 2) expended to off-shore area and eventually triggered an intense Chl-a concentration in Asan Bay. Based on this result, we suggest improved waste-water quality control around the drainage area of Asan Bay.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2003

This research examined the presence of hazardous materials in chemical workplace field using an integrated chemical/biological monitoring. Chemical workplace field air for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) analysis was collected using a collection tube packed with Tena.x TA adsorbent 400 mg. Workplace field air samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Simultaneously, Tradescantia BNL 4430 clone was exposed in situ to monitor hazardous materials in chemical workplace field. GC/MS analysis showed the presence of various VOCs such as trichloroethylene, toluene, ethylbenzene, (m,p,o)-xylenes, styrene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene. The results showed that in situ monitoring of VOCs with the Tradescantia-micronucleus (Trad-MCN) assay gave positive results in chemical workplace field and negative response at outdoor air. In conclusion, inhalation of these field air by workers may affect chronic demage to their health by inducing micronuclei formation in Tradescantia pollen mother cells. The combination of chemical/biological monitoring is very effective to evaluate hazardous materials in workplace field and can be alternatively used for screening hazardous materials.