• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.9-18
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• 2018

The soil parameters important for the design of the soft ground are the compression index ($C_c$), the consolidation settlement and consolidation speed at the field. Compression index is obtained by laboratory consolidation test. In the laboratory consolidation test, sample disturbance always occurs. In order to correct the disturbance phenomena, the method of calculating the compression index proposed by Schmertmann (1955) is generally used. However, recent developments in sampling technology and Korean soil conditions are different from those proposed by Schmertmann. So it needs to be verified. In this study, each consolidation curve's cross void ratio is evaluated by doing consolidation test varying disturbance on high-plastic clay (CH), low-plastic clay (CL) and low-plastic silt (ML). The test results were $0.521e_0$ for low-plastic silt, $0.404e_0$ for low-plastic clay, and $0.458e_0$ for the high-plastic clay. This results were different from those of Schmertmann's suggested value of $0.42e_0$. Therefor we proposed a correction formula using the plastic index according to soil type. However, since the results of this study are limited test results, further studies on various korean soil are needed to suggest the compression index correction method according to the degree of plasticity index of soil.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.33-43
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• 2014

Recently, the case to construct the structure on the soft clayey ground has increased and in order to the reduction of the cost of construction and maintenance on the social infrastructure facilities we have been trying to improve the soft clayey ground using the existing methods such as the pre-loading method and the vertical drain method. Like this, when various ground improvement methods are applied on the soft clayey ground, a long-term consolidation settlement will be key issue due to low permeability coefficient of cohesive soil. According to existing research results that relate to the consolidation settlement, the loading periods for existing the standard consolidation test (Oedometer test) to obtain the consolidation parameters are needed for minimum ten days or more. Therefore, in this study, the standard consolidation test (24 hours step-loading) and constant strain rate consolidation test changed by strain rate was performed using the remolded marine clay on Gwangyang bay composed of a soft clayey ground of the south-west coast. From the laboratory test results, the characteristics of compression, strain-effective stress relations by constant strain rate and the variation characteristic of the pore water pressure by different of loading speed and the relation between consolidation parameters and constant strain rate are compared and analyzed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.3C
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• pp.115-125
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• 2009

The preconsolidation pressure has been commonly determined by oedometer test. However, it can also be determined by insitu test, such as piezocone test with theoretical and(or) empirical correlations. Recently, Neural Network (NN) theory was applied and some models were proposed to estimate the preconsolidation pressure or OCR. It was already found that NN model can come over the site dependency and prediction accuracy is greatly improved when compared with present theoretical and empirical models. However, since the optimization process of synaptic weights of NN model is dependent on the initial synaptic weights, NN models which are trained with different initial weights can't avoid the variability on prediction result for new database even though they have same structure and use same transfer function. In this study, Committee Neural Network (CNN) model is proposed to improve the initial weight dependency of multi-layered neural network model on the prediction of preconsolidation pressure of soft clay from piezocone test result. Prediction results of CNN model are compared with those of conventional empirical and theoretical models and multi-layered neural network model, which has the optimized structure. It was found that even though the NN model has the optimized structure for given training data set, it still has the initial weight dependency, while the proposed CNN model can improve the initial weight dependency of the NN model and provide a consistent and precise inference result than existing NN models.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.99-110
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• 2009

In order to provide the design criteria, the characteristics of consolidation for soft ground improvement have been investigated using the field banking test performed by the vertical drain method at the northern container section in Busan New Port. Field test results indicated that the estimated degree of consolidation in design stage decreased by about 7% compared with the measured one. This difference is attributed to the fact that the conservative geological properties were applied with relatively high amount of maximum clay mixture ratio during the design stage. Based on this findings, another laboratory oedometer test was implemented to consider various combination of mixture ratio. It was found that the consolidation degree increased in accordance with the increase of sand/silt mixture ratio. Also, the proportion of 10%, 50%, and 40% for sand, silt, and clay, respectively, was observed as the best combination of mixture ratio to the actual measurement, which is very similar to the average grain size distribution in the banking test area. Therefore, it is suggested that the overall geological characteristics as well as the grain size distribution should be considered in design stage to improve the soft ground that contains mixture of sand, silt, and clay.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.181-190
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• 1998

One-Dimensional Nonlinear Consolidation Model(NCM) ivas developed by using an Extended Power Function Model, which could represent the compressibility of soils. A nonlinear finite element program for NCM was developed to analyze the porewater pressure dissipation and the settlement of saturated soils. Parameters used in compressibility model could be easily obtained from conventional oedometer test data. This model has been applied to Yansan-Mulgum area for the comparison with the results of CONSOL program and that of Terzaghi theory. A Good The rates of consolidation predicted by this model and CONSOL were faster than that of conventional Tergaghi theory, for they consider the nonlinear characteristics of soils. Consolidation curves of this model were located between Terzaghi and CONSOL curves. Consolidation curves near drainage boundary, where effective stress valied rapidly, seemed to reflect the variations of compressibility of sails. Consolidation curves near drainage boundary obtained from this model were composed of two parabolic curves. Intersection of the parabolic curves occurred when effective stress reached the value of preconsolidation stress. Moreover, thin model could be used to represent the effect of magnitude of applied load. whereas CONSOL and Terazghi theory could not.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.31-41
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• 2008

Consolidation characteristics of reclamated ground with dredged soil and methods of evaluating them are investigated in this paper. For a dredged and reclamated ground with a very high water content, self-weight consolidation being progressed, its consolidation characteristics are difficult to find since it is almost impossible to have a undisturbed sample. In order to overcome such a problem, methods of laboratory tests with disturbed sample were studied to obtain consolidation parameters required to analyze consolidation settlement in practices, using the conventional infinitesimal consolidation theory, were evaluated by carrying out various laboratory tests with disturbed soils such as oedometer test, constant rate of deformation test, Rowe-cell tests with ring diameters of 60 mm, 100 mm and 150 mm and the centrifuge model tests with 40 g-levels. Constitutive relations of void ratio - effective vertical stress - permeability were evaluated by using the inverse technique implemented with the finite strain consolidation theory and results of centrifuge model tests. Design soil parameters related to consolidation such as compression index, swelling index, coefficient of volume change and vertical and horizontal consolidation coefficients were proposed properly by analyzing the various test results comprehensively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.1115-1123
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• 2008

When constructing projects such as road embankments, bridge approaches, dikes or buildings on soft, compressible soils, significant settlements may occur due to the consolidation of these soils under the superimposed loads. The compressibility of the soil skeleton of a soft clay is influenced by such factors as structure and fabric, stress path, temperature and loading rate. Although it is possible to determine appropriate relations and the corresponding material parameters in the laboratory, it is well known that sample disturbance due to stress release, temperature change and moisture content change can have a profound effect on the compressibility of a clay. The early research of Tezaghi and Casagrande has had a lasting influence on our interpretation of consolidation data. The 24 hour, incremental load, oedometer test has become, more or less, the standard procedure for determining the one-dimensional, stress-strain behavior of clays. An important notion relates to the interpretation of the data is the ore-consolidation pressure ${\sigma}_p$, which is located approximately at the break in the slope on the curve. From a practical point of view, this pressure is usually viewed as corresponding to the maximum past effective stress supported by the soil. Researchers have shown, however, that the value of ${\sigma}_p$ depends on the test procedure. furthermore, owing to sampling disturbance, the results of the laboratory consolidation test must be corrected to better capture the in-situ compressibility characteristics. The corrections apply, strictly speaking, to soils where the relation between strain and effective stress is time independent. An important assumption in Terzaghi's one-dimensional theory of consolidation is that the soil skeleton behaves elastically. On the other hand, Buisman recognized that creep deformations in settlement analysis can be important. this has led to extensions to Terzaghi's theory by various investigators, including the applicant and coworkers. The main object of this study is to suggestion the modified compression index value to predict settlements by back calculating the $C_c$ from different numerical models, which are giving best prediction settlements for multi layers including very thick soft clay.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.151-162
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• 1998

The compressibility and the permeability of organic soil are so high that they cause many engineering problems when constructing a structure on the soil. If the organic content of the soil could be reduced by any applicable engineering technique, the engineering properties of the soils can be improved to some extent. The purpose of this study would thus be focused on how to decrease the amount of organic matters by applying aerobic biodegradation for eliminating post-construction settlement problems. To enhance the aerobic decomposition, oxygen was supplied to the soil samples prepared by the mixture of kaolinite and sawdust as organic matter. The dissolved oxygen and the organic content of the soil samples were measured, in accordance with the passage of time through the bests. As oxygen suppliers, HaOa liquid and pure oxygen gas were compared to meet the requirement of the test purposes. Newly manufactured oedometer with the diameter of 130 mm and the height of 300 mm was used for 100 days to perform the compressibility tests for the soils. Based on the results of this experiment, the oxygen gas-treated samples with nutrient settled 30% more than the samples untreated. This confirmed the efficiency of the aerobic biodegradation. $NaNO_3$ added into the soils as nutrients was proved more effective than $K_2HP0_4$. To confirm the activity of micro-organisms, sodium azide was also added to the soils.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.5-13
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• 2017

The sand layer deposited in clay is called a sand seam, which is formed by inflow of sands due to river flooding or slope failure in the middle of sinking and sediment of clay. When the sand seam exists in clay layer, the drainage direction changes from one way to both ways, and the time of consolidation may be reduced. However, it is not clearly proved due to lack of studies of sand seam and currently is not reflected in the design of soft soil improvement. As a fundamental study about sand seam, the oedometer tests and constant rate of strain tests with Rowe cell were conducted on clay specimens with sand seam. For tests, a frozen method was specially designed for making the sand seam. It was concluded that the test results showed the sand seam affects the coefficient of consolidation of clay. If the thickness of sand seam exceeds 0.05 times of specimen height, the sand seam works as drainage layer of pore water horizontally as well as vertically, and consequently the consolidation is accelerated.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.41-49
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• 2017

In this study, a series of laboratory and in-situ tests such as FVTs and CPTUs were carried out to evaluate undrained shear strength related to quasi overconsolidated characteristics in the near-surface clay at Busan new port. Using unconfined compression and field vane test results, correlation between undrained shear strength and effective overburden pressure, that is, equation of $10+0.262{\sigma}^{\prime}v_0$ (kPa) was obtained. From oedometer tests, OCR is around 1.9 at depths lower than 7 m and OCR below this depth is very close to unit. As stated by Hanzawa et al. (1983), a natural clay deposit in the near-surface, even in normally consolidated state, is more and less apparently overconsolidated due to aging effects such as chemical bonding. Based on this concept, it can be inferred that intercept of equation is mobilized due to chemical bonding irrespective of effective overburden pressure and strength incremental ratio in normally consolidated state is 0.262. From CPTU results, same trend was confirmed. The further study should be necessary to judge whether upper clay is under overconsolidated state due to chemical bonding or not based on the depositional environment.