• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.77-87
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• 2004

In this paper a back-propagation neural network model is developed to estimate the preconsolidation pressure of Korean soft soils based on 176 oedometer tests and 63 piezocone test results, which were compiled from 11 sites - western and southern parts of Korea. Only 147 data were used for the training of the neural network and 29 data, which were not used during the training phase, were used for the verification of trained network. Empirical and theoretical models were compared with the developed neural network model. A simple 4-4-9-1 multi-layered neural network has been developed. The cone tip resistance $q_T$ penetration pore pressure $u_2$, total overburden pressure $\sigma_{vo}$ and effective overburden pressure $\sigma'_{vo}$ were selected as input variables. The developed neural network model was validated by comparing the prediction results of the proposed neural network model for the new data which were not used for the training of the model with the measured preconsolidation pressures. It can also predict more precise and reliable preconsolidation pressures than the analytical and empirical model. Furthermore, it can be carefully concluded that neural network model can be used as a generalized model for prediction of preconsolidation pressure throughout Korea since developed model shows good performance for the new data which were not used in both training and testing data.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.125-135
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• 2008

Rigid-soft particle mixtures, which consist of sand and rubber, are investigated for the understanding of the stress-deformation and elastic moduli. Specimens are prepared with various size ratio sr between sand and rubber particles, and different volumetric sand fraction sf. Small strain shear waves are measured under $K_o$-loading condition incorporated with the stress-deformation test by using oedometer cell with bender elements. The stress-deformation and small strain shear wave characteristics of rigid-soft particle mixtures show the transition from a rigid particle behavior regime to a soft particle behavior regime under fixed size ratio. A sudden rise of $\Lambda$ factor and the maximum value of the $\zeta$ exponent in $G_{max}=\;{\Lambda}({\sigma}'_{o}/kPa)^{\zeta}$ are observed at $sf\;{\approx}\;0.4{\sim}0.6$ regardless of the size ratio sf. Transition mixture shows high sensitivity to confining stress. The volume fraction for the minimum porosity may depend on the applied stress level in the rigid-soft particle mixtures because the soft rubber particles easily distort under load. In this experimental study, the size ratio and volumetric sand fraction are the important factors which determine the behavior of rigid and soft particle mixtures.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.17-29
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• 2009

There has been an increase in the investigation of deep sea sediments with a consequent increase in the amount of energy required to undertake these investigations. The geotechnical characteristics of Ulleung Basin sediment are explored by using depressurized specimens following methane production tests carried out on pressured core samples obtained at 2,100 m water depth and 110 m below sea floor. Geotechnical index tests, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope are conducted to identify the geotechnical index parameters, clay mineralogy, chemical composition, and microstructure of the sediments. Compressibility, and elastic and electromagnetic wave parameters are investigated for two samples by using a multi sensing instrumented oedometer cell. The strength chatracteristics are obtained by the direct shear tests. The dominant clay minerals are mostly kaolinite, illite, chlorite, and calcite. The SEM shows a well-developed flocculated structure of the microfossil. Void ratio, electrical resistivity, real permittivity, conductivity, and shear wave velocity show bi-linear behavior with the effective vertical stress: as the vertical effective stress increases. The friction angle obtained by the direct shear test is about $21^{\circ}$, which is similar to the value observed in the Ulleung Basin sediments. This study shows that the understanding of the behavior acting on the diatomaceous marine sediment is important because it often maintains the useful energy resources such as gas hydrate and so will be the new engineering field in the next generation.