• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.189-198
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• 2009

Recently the concern about the construction of underground structures such as oil and food storage caverns is increasing in Korea and abroad. The stability of those underground caverns is greatly influenced by shape factor and the size of excavation area as well as the joint conditions. In this study, therefore, the effect of the shape factor of an underground cavern on its stability was analyzed in terms of safety factor. To this end, four different shape factors of a cavern excavated in good rock conditions were investigated and sensitivity analyses were performed based on overburden, lateral earth pressure coefficient, joint spacing, properties, and orientation. The stability of a cavern is evaluated in terms of safety factor estimated numerically based on the shear strength reduction technique. In future, this study is expected to be helpful in designing and evaluating the stability of caverns excavated in discontinuous rock masses.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.14 no.3 s.40
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• pp.259-272
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of hydrochemical variation of groundwater on the gas tigtness in an unlined oil storage cavern. The groundwater chemistry is greatly influenced by the seawater mixing, the water curtain and the dissolution of grounting cements. The chemical composition of groundwater greatly varies ac-cording to both the location of monitoring wells and the sampling period. Most of groundwater shows alkaline pH and high electrical conductivity. The chemical types of groundwater show the dominant order as follows : Na-Cl type > Ca-Cl type > $Ca-HCO_3(CO_3)$ type. Thermodynamic equilibrium state between chemical composition of groundwater and major minerals indicates that carbonate minerals except clay minerals can be precipitated as a secondary mineral. It means that the secondary precipitates can not greatly exerts the clogging effect into fracture aperture in rock mass around oil storage cavern. The content of total organic carbon (TOC) shows a slightly increasing trend from initial stage to late stage. The $EpCO_2$ was computed so as to assess the gas contribution on the $CO_2$ in groundwater. The $EpCO_2$ of 0$\~$41.3 indicates that the contribution of oil gas on $CO_2$ pressure in groundwater system can be neglected.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.53-62
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• 1989

In recent times, the subterranean caverns for storing crude oils and oil products are increasingly needed. The elasto-VIScoplastic DYNamic finite element analysis program(VISDYN) has been developed in order to investigate dynamic responses of the storage cavity. And validity of the program is studied through a numerical example. Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion is adopted and associated flow rule is assumed. Geometrically nonlinear behaviour is taken into account using a total Lagrangian formulation. In dynamic deformation reponses, the difference between the steady state displacements and the unsteady state ones by the static analysis can be neglected.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.139-159
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• 2008

Geochemical analysis of the various kinds of water including observation borehole groundwater was carried out for the assessment of the hydrological safety of the underground oil storage cavern and the potentiality of mineralogical and microbiological clogging was estimated. Most of water samples belonged to $Ca-HCO_3$ and $Ca-HCO_3-SO_4$ types. There was no distinct chemical difference in the various kinds of water. All kinds of water are undersaturated with the calcite which is the major clogging mineral. Most water samples have low Fe and Mn concentrations. However, they are saturated or oversaturated with the iron-oxide/hydroxide minerals and have high dissolved oxygen contents which suggests the possibility of clogging by the iron-oxide/hydroxide minerals as a long-term aspect. Several water samples from the ground observation borehole also show the high saturation indices far the clay minerals, which can fill up the fractures, indicating the possibility of clogging by the clay minerals. Statistical analysis shows the degree of mineral precipitation or dissolution is mainly controlled by pH, Eh and DO of water samples. According to the microbial analysis, the aerobic microbes and slime forming bacteria are dominant in most water samples and anaerobic microbes including sulfate reducing bacteria are very low or not detected. Although the slime forming bacteria which are known as a main microbial cause of the clogging is lower than $10^5\;CFUs/mL$ in all water samples, because the slime forming bacteria are dominant microbe in several observation boreholes, the clogging can be caused by it as a long-term aspect. In addition, the possibility of clogging can be increased if the microbial effect is combined with the mineralogical effect such as iron oxide/hydroxide minerals for the possibility of clogging. Therefore, the systematic and long-term program for the assessment of clogging is required for the safe operation of underground oil storage cavern.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.327-336
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• 2013

Approximately 70% of the Korean peninsula is composed of mountains, around 99,274 $km^2$. Even worse, population rate of Korea is the No.3 in the world now. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop the potential underground space actively with the concept of another territory to be utilized. The development of underground space should be considered not a choice but an indispensable issue. Since 1970s, many large-scale underground structures have been constructed like as crude-oil storage bins, liquefied petroleum gas storage caverns, and underground pumped storage powerplants. Also, In urban area, the underground facilities such as subway networks, underground shopping mall, underground pedestrian network, electric power tunnels, and car parking lots have been used extensively. The scale of Yeosu oil and gas underground storage facility and Seoul subway systems are one of the massive scale in the world. Recently, the trend of the development of underground space becomes more diverse and larger scale. The current status of Korean underground space developments and strategy are described in this paper.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 1999

There are three major processes to impact the groundwater flow near underground storage caverns in the coastal area; effect of topography, effect of sea water intrusion, and effect of excavation. In this paper, the effects of three items were numerically studied to identify the major cause for altering the flow pattern. It turned out that the excavation is the most significant effect on the groundwater flow system. The groundwater pressure distributions and consequent groundwater pathways were significantly altered near the openings. By increasing the groundwater pressures from water curtain holes, the potential leakage of storage cavern was properly prevented

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.229-245
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• 1997

There are Common aspects between the underground oil storage cavern and the radioactive waste disposal facility. Both facilities use appropriately the intrinsic natural berrier characteristics of the rock mass and additionally the engineered barrier system for the long term safety. The geological structures and their hydrogeological characteristics in a faactured rock mass act a major role in the safety and performance of the underground oil storage facility through the design, construction and the operation stages. Because the fracture system distributed in a fractured rock block is complicated owing to their own geometrical and hydrogeological attributes, the hydrogeological perforrmrnce of the facility would depend mainly upon the understandings of their characteristics. This study reviews the uncertainties and key issues which have to be considered to analyse the groundwater flow system in a fractured rock mass and proposes the techniques applicable to characterize the hydrogeological parameter.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 1998

This paper presents the results of deformation measurement and numerical analysis carried out to study the behaviour of the rock mass around large underground oil storage caverns. Displacements during excavation have been monitored using borehole extensometers which had been installed before the excavation of caverns proceeded. Numerical analysis has been carried out to examine the three-dimensional behaviour of rock and the face advance effect. The input parameters for this analysis were determined from the results of laboratory and field tests. The deformation modulus of the rock mass was determined from plate loading test at the site and in-situ stresses were measured from the overcoring method with USBM deformation gauge. The results from this study gave a clear picture for three-dimensional behaviour of the rock mass, hence would be used for the optimum design.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.237-249
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• 1994

A new type of cut method, called SK-cut, was developed in order to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional V-cut and Burn-cut blasting methods. Total 190 times of test blasts were performed for the evaluation of the efficiency of new blasting method. V-cut, Burn cut and SK-cut were compared by applying them to the excavation of main gallery and construction tunnel of underground oil storage cavern. Test results showed that excavation efficiency of the new method was increased by 5.9~9.8% and that specific charge was reduced to 71~92%.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 1997

Finite element model is established for the simulation of groundwater flow due to water curtain around underground oil storage Choleski decomposition method. The symmetric global conductance matrix is solved by vector storage Choleski decomposition method. The model is verified through comparison with the results of electric analogy. For the application of this model to real site, the finite element meshes are constructed according to representative vertical cross and longitudinal sections. In cross-sectional analysis, potential and flow distributions are compared based on the cavern pressure and horizontal water curtain. For longitudinal section, effects between nearly located caverns with or without vertical water curtain are analyzed. These results prove that the established model can be used as a tool for flow analysis around underground caverns.