• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.197-209
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• 2020

Evidence of liquefaction during the 2017 Pohang earthquake has highlighted the urgent need to evaluate the current seismic design standard for liquefaction in Korea, particularly the liquefaction triggering standard. With the simplified method, which is the most popular method for evaluating liquefaction triggering, the factor of safety for liquefaction triggering is calculated via the cyclic stress ratio (CSR) and the cyclic resistance ratio (CRR). The parameters in the CSR and CRR have undergone changes over time based on new research findings and lessons learned from liquefaction case-histories. Hence, the current design standard for liquefaction triggering evaluation in Korea should also reflect these changes to achieve seismic safety during future earthquakes. In this study, liquefaction susceptibility criteria were discussed initially and this was followed by a review of the current liquefaction triggering codes/guidelines in other countries and Korea. Next, the parameters associated with the CSR such as the maximum ground acceleration, stress reduction factor, magnitude scaling factor, and overburden correction factor were discussed in detail. Then, the evaluation of the CRR using the SPT N-value and CPT qc-value was elaborated along with overburden and clean-sand correction factors. Based on this review of liquefaction triggering evaluation standards, recommendations are made for improving the current seismic design standard related to liquefaction triggering in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.35-44
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• 2022

The cyclic triaxial strength test is commonly applied as a laboratory test for evaluating the liquefaction resistance ratio. However, the test procedure was not standardized in South Korea until recently; thus, the test results could significantly differ depending on the performer and apparatus, even when identical soil is used. In this study, the American and Japanese standards for the cyclic triaxial strength test were analyzed and the Korean standard was developed considering domestic circumstances. To verify the effectiveness of the standardization of liquefaction laboratory tests, several cases of cyclic triaxial strength tests were conducted and analyzed (1) following the Korean standard and (2) without following any specific instructions for the test procedure. Under (1), the deviation of the liquefaction resistance ratio dramatically decreased.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.35-43
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the liquefaction behaviour and predict deviator stress with matric suction, of unsaturated silty sand. The unsaturated soil tests were conducted using a modified triaxial cell and specimens were prepared using the moisture tamping method. The axis translation technique was used to create the desired matric suctions in the specimen. Undrained triaxial compression tests were carried out at matric suction of 0, 2, 5, 10 and 25 kPa. The specimens were sheared to axial strains of about 20% to obtain steady state conditions. The results showed that liquefaction of silty sand only occurs at matric suction of 0 kPa and 2 kPa. The results also show that at matric suctions of 5, 10 and 25 kPa, the resistance to liquefaction increases. As the suction increases, the undrained effective stress path approached the drained stress path. Also, the predicted and measured maximum deviator stress for unsaturated soils using the effective stress concept showed good agreement as matric suction increases. The deviator stress increase is nonlinear as matric suction increases.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.89-98
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• 2006

In this paper the behavior of saturated sand deposits where liquefaction occurred before is studied for successive earthquakes. The relationship between past pore pressure generation and reliquefaction resistance is examined by using cyclic direct simple shear tests. If the soil sample in direct simple shear produced nearly 90% of excess pore pressure during first time loading, its liquefaction resistance increased during following cyclic loading after consolidation. However, a fully liquefied soil during first time loading has a densely packed condition but shows less liquefaction resistance for the following cyclic loading. UBCSAND model that can account for pore pressure change and stiffness loss of soil during shaking is used to analyze the centrifuge test simulating reliquefaction. The pore pressure rise during first time cyclic loading controls liquefaction resistance. The measurements from reliquefaction centrifuge test are compared with numerical predictions. By considering frequent earthquakes having occurred at the Southern Korea near Japan, such effective stress approach is necessary for reliquefaction study.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.247-258
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• 2024

Tailings are waste materials of mining operations, consisting of a mixture of clay, silt, sand with a high content of unrecoverable metals, process water, and chemical reagents. They are usually discharged as slurry into the storage area retained by dams or earth embankments. Poor knowledge of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of tailings has often resulted in a high rate of failures in which static liquefaction has been widely recognized as one of the major causes of dam collapse. Many studies have dealt with the static liquefaction of coarse soils in saturated conditions. This research provides an extension to the case of silty tailings in unsaturated conditions. The static liquefaction resistance was evaluated in terms of stress-strain behavior by means of monotonic triaxial tests. Its dependency on the preparation method, the volumetric water content, the void ratio, and the degree of saturation was studied and compared with literature data. The static liquefaction response was proved to be dependent mainly on the preparation technique and degree of saturation that, in turn, controls the excess of pore pressure whose leading role is investigated by means of the relationship between the -B Skempton parameter and the degree of saturation. A preliminary interpretation of the static liquefaction response of Stava tailings is also provided within the Critical State framework.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.23-29
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• 2007

The performance of the improved soil against liquefaction depends upon the chemical density, and it has been decided on the basis of the unconfined compressive strength of the improved soil up to date. On the other hand, several authors have proposed that the stiffness degradation could be treated as the clue for the judgment of the possibility of liquefaction. In this study, therefore, the stiffness degradation of the improved soil was estimated as the resistance against liquefaction by using the strain controlled cyclic triaxial test equipment. Based on the test results, it is concluded that the chemically treated sand can resist against the liquefaction in aspect of the reduction in effective stress and in the stiffness. Furthermore, even in the case of low chemical density, such as 2% in this study, has enough liquefaction resistance when compared with the 5~6% which often used in practical design. Considering this fact, the design of chemical density based on the unconfined strength can lead the overestimation in chemical density, and chemical density can be reduced when considering the stiffness reduction shown in this study.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2020

Recently, as the number of earthquakes increases in the Korean Peninsula and surrounding area, the importance of earthquake countermeasures and seismic design has been increasing. As a result, interest and concerns about liquefaction, which is one of the problems that concern the earthquake, are increasing. There are various methods that can assess the possibility of liquefaction by using geotechnical information for specific ground. However, direct comparisons of each method are not yet available. In this study, the two methods using the SPT-N value and the shear wave velocity among the methods for estimating the Cyclic Resistance Ratio (CRR) value required for the simplified liquefaction assessment method were compared. And the correction of the ground information required to use the two methods respectively was compared. As a result, more accurate evaluation results were obtained when the CRR value is calculated using the SPT-N values.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.25-35
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• 2017

Liquefaction is one of the major seismic damage, and several methods have been developed to evaluate the possibility of liquefaction. Recently, a probabilistic approach has been studied to overcome the drawback of deterministic approaches, and to consider the uncertainties of soil properties. In this study, the spatial variability of cone penetration resistance was evaluated using CPT data from three locations having different variability characteristics to perform the probabilistic analysis considering the spatial variability of soil properties. Then the random fields of cone penetration resistance considering the spatial variability of each point were generated, and a probabilistic analysis of liquefaction induced settlement was carried out through CPT-based liquefaction evaluation method. As a result, the uncertainty of soil properties can be overestimated when the spatial variability is not considered, and significant probabilistic differences can occur up to about 30% depending on the allowable settlement.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.47-57
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• 2007

In this study, the analysis of density characteristics of some dredged and reclaimed ground sites, which is necessary for liquefaction evaluation of a dredged and reclaimed ground, was conducted. From analyzing a simplified liquefaction potential evaluation using SPT-N values which have been applied as domestic earthquake-resistant design criterion, improvement scheme is suggested. Based on the analysis result of density characteristics, it was found out that the relative density and the intial N-value ranged respectively $40{\sim}50%\;and\;5{\sim}8$. In the case of applying Liao & Whitman's equation to correct effective overburden pressure, liquefaction resistance of the upper ground that is relatively weaker than that of lower ground is overestimated. So, Skempton's equation is recommended. And the N value with depth which is applied for design process should be estimated by the exponential equation, $N=1.35{\sigma}'^{0.75}$.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.77-94
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• 2016

Cyclic triaxial and resonant column tests were conducted to understand the beneficial effects of various grouted sands on liquefaction resistance and dynamic properties. The test procedures were performed on a variety of grouted sands, such as silicate-grouted sand, silicate-cement grouted sand and cement-grouted sand. For each type of grout, sand specimen was mixed with a 3.5% and 5% grout by volume. The specimens were tested at a curing age of 3, 7, 28 and 91 days, and the results of the cyclic stress ratio, the maximum shear modulus and the damping ratio were obtained during the testing program. The influence of important parameters, including the type of grout, grout content, shear strain, confining pressure, and curing age, were investigated. Results indicated that sodium silicate grout does not improve the liquefaction resistance and shear modulus; however, silicate-cement and cement grout remarkably increased the liquefaction resistance and shear modulus. Shear modulus decreased and damping ratio increased with an increase in the amplitude of shear strain. The effect of confining pressure on clean sand and sodium silicate grouted sand was found to be insignificant. Furthermore, a nonlinear regression analysis was used to prove the agreement of the shear modulus-shear strain relation presented by the hyperbolic law for different grouted sands, and the coefficients of determination, $R^2$, were nearly greater than 0.984.