• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.5-18
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• 2014

Many regions around the world are vulnerable to rainfall-induced slope failures. A variety of methods have been proposed for revealing the mechanism of slope failure initiation. Current analysis methods, however, do not consider the effects of non-homogeneous soil profiles and variable hydraulic responses on rainfall-induced slope failures. In this study, probabilistic stability analyses were conducted for weathered residual soil slopes with different soil thickness overlying impermeable bedrock to study the rainfall-induced failure mechanisms depending on the soil thickness. A series of seepage and stability analyses of an infinite slope based on one-dimensional random fields were performed to consider the effects of uncertainty due to the spatial heterogeneity of hydraulic conductivity on the failure of unsaturated slopes due to rainfall infiltration. The results showed that a probabilistic framework can be used to efficiently consider various failure patterns caused by spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity in rainfall infiltration assessment for a infinite slope.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.13-27
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• 2014

Catchments soil erosion, one of the most serious problems in the mountainous environment of the world, consists of a complex phenomenon involving the detachment of individual soil particles from the soil mass and their transport, storage and overland flow of rainfall, and infiltration. Sediment size distribution during erosion processes appear to depend on many factors such as rainfall characteristics, vegetation cover, hydraulic flow, soil properties and slope. This study involved laboratory flume experiments carried out under simulated rainfall in a 3.0 m long ${\times}$ 0.8 m wide ${\times}$ 0.7 m deep flume, set at $17^{\circ}$ slope. Five experimental cases, consisting of twelve experiments using three different sediments with two different rainfall conditions, are reported. The experiments consisted of detailed observations of particle size distribution of the out-flow sediment. Sediment water mixture out-flow hydrograph and sediment mass out-flow rate over time, moisture profiles at different points within the soil domain, and seepage outflow were also reported. Moisture profiles, seepage outflow, and movement of overland flow were clearly found to be controlled by water retention function and hydraulic function of the soil. The difference of grain size distribution of original soil bed and the out-flow sediment was found to be insignificant in the cases of uniform sediment used experiments. However, in the cases of non-uniform sediment used experiments the outflow sediment was found to be coarser than the original soil domain. The results indicated that the sediment transport mechanism is the combination of particle segregation, suspension/saltation and rolling along the travel distance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.890-897
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• 2005

Stability of embankment is influenced on landfill condition, permeability, shear strength and soil engineering propensity and so on, and need examination in reply because is different according to change of soil property of foundation ground and permeability condition. Analyzed seepage behaviour by finite element method for embankment, and change permeability of base to analyze effect that permeability of ground water table formation before embankment and analyze seepage behaviour to typical embankment in this research. In the case of permeability of foundation ground is 10 more than landfill permeability, rise of groundwater table was changed slightly. Pore water pressure was decreased slowly in landfill after rainfall. The effect of permeability of foundation ground was effected in change of pore water pressure. For permeability of foundation ground is 10 more than landfill, stability of road landfill was small changed during rainfall. But in the case of permeability of base soil similar to landfill permeability, road landfill stability was large decreased during rainfall.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.5-12
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• 2013

In this study, weathered granite model tests were performed to investigate the variation of volumetric water content and matric suction by the adsorption and desorption processes of artificial rainfall. It has been compared with numerical analysis in unsaturated condition. As the results, the behaviors of volumetric water content and matric suction were distinguished by the seepage distance separated into higher, middle and lower area, and the drainage layer located at the bottom of the experimental device. In the adsorption process, the instantaneously large change of matric suction and water content were related to the increase of permeability in soil. However, in the desorption process, the change of matric suction and water content were gradually small because of the decrease of permeability. The volumetric water content and matric suction showed the difference according to the seepage distance, however the typical characteristic curves were made by the adsorption and desorption processes.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.515-524
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• 2015

The number of occurrence of differential settlement and track irregularity at track transition zone recently comes to increase, which leads to frequent maintenance activities that have an impact on train operation. Such track transition zone damages are attributed to the change of mechanical properties of fill materials due to environmental factors such as rainfall and freeze, and thaw. Consequently, this study attempts to establish the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) of fill materials, and conduct seepage analysis to assess the distribution of degree of saturation (DOS) for track transition zone in case of rainfall. The SWCC of fill materials was successfully obtained using filter paper test method. The results of seepage analysis revealed that rainfall intensity, the slope of backfill, backfill condition (fill or cut), and SWCC are significantly influential in controlling the distribution of DOS.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.23-32
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• 2008

This paper presents the results of numerical investigation on the stability of reinforced earth wall during rainfall. A series of limit-equilibrium based slope stability analyses within the framework of unsaturated shear strength, coupled with transient seepage analyses, were conducted with due consideration of rainfall characteristics in Korea. It is shown that the factor of safety of the reinforced wall during rainfall decreases with time due to decreases in the suction in the reinforced as well as retained zones. Also revealed is that the decrease in the factor of safety depends not only on the backfill soil type but also on the rainfall characteristics. Practical implications of the findings were discussed.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.53-68
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• 1991

This paper aims at the investigation of various seepage behavior when rainfall infiltarates into unsaturated ground and understanding of the mechanism for slope instability due to rainfall. For this purpose an experimental study is carried out for model slopes using the test equipment which can simulate various rainfall intensity. In addition, a numerical study is performed for the same dimension and boundary condition as the experimental model. From both the experimental test and numerical analysis the progress of wetting front with time, critical amounts of rainfall, and pore-water pressure development with time are know in detail and their effects on slope stability are described.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2007.09a
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• pp.208-220
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• 2007

Sixteen percent of a total of 18,000 dam facilities in Korea are reported to suffer problems related to seepage. It has also been observed that the natural frequency of torrential rainfall has increased quite significantly in recent years. Seepage in man-made structures combined with natural phenomenon may make the risk of dam failure higher, and can even lead to disasters for the people residing in downstream area. Thus, the social demands for the technology to prevent these disasters are higher than ever. In this contribution, we provide a brief review of technologies that are used to evaluate the structural safety of dams. We also discuss the results of three case studies where geophysical exploration methods (e.g. resistivity survey) were employed to find possible seepage zones of dam structures.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.591-605
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• 2009

In this study the risk integrated erosion and seepage failure factor and combined risk of the levee embankment were assessed. For the research of the reliability, the risk assessment of erosion, seepage and both of them combined for the levee embankment were conducted using discharge curve and stage hydrograph generated by stochastic rainfall variation method during typhoon and monsoon season. The risk of erosion was evaluated using tractive force and the seepage analysis was performed by selecting representative cross sections for SEEP/W model analysis. And the probability of seepage failure was assessed with MFOSM analysis using critical hydraulic gradient method. Unlike deterministic analysis method, quantitative risk could be obtained and the characteristics of realistic rainfall variation patterns as well as a variety of factors contributing to levee failure could be reflected in this research. The results of this study show significantly enhanced applicability for the combined risk. As this model can be employed to determine dangerous spots for levee failure and to establish flood insurance linked with flood risk map, it will dramatically contribute to the establishment of both efficient and systematic measures for integrated flood management on a watershed.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2015

This study has obtained Soil Water Retention Curve (SWRC) of the unsaturated soil from the volumetric pressure plate extractor test and the triaxial compression tests was also conducted. By using the rainfall data measured in the site the seepage analysis of unsteady flow was performed with the program of SEEP/W in Geostudio 2007 and stability of the slope was analyzed with SLOPE/W program. Results of analyses show that shear strength of the unsaturated soil increases with the increase of matric suction. And it was also found that the net volumetric stress and the apparent cohesion increased with the matric suction. The seepage analysis of rainfall represents that the increasing rate of negative pore pressure at the zone of large negative pore pressure is appeared to be high even though lower rainfall intensity, but this tendency declines with ground depth. The stability analysis of slope was carried out for the actual plane of failure with the data representing the field condition. The factor of safety thus calculated was about unity (1.0) or just below, which means that the adopted method of analysis is in good agreement with the field condition.