• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.113-122
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• 2007

In this study, uranium migration experiments have been performed using a natural groundwater and a granite core with natural fractures in a glove-box constructed to simulate an appropriate subsurface environment. Groundwater flow experiments using the non-sorbing anionic tracer Br were carried out to analyze the flow properties of groundwater through the fracture of the granite core. The result of the uranium migration experiment showed a breakthrough curve similar to that of the non-sorting Br. This result may imply that uranium migrates as anionic complexes through the rock fracture since uranium can form carbonate complexes at a given groundwater condition. The distribution coefficient $K_d$ of the uranium between the groundwater and the fracture filling material was obtained as low as 2.7 mL/g from a batch sorption experiment. This result agrees well with the result from the migration experiment, showing a faster elution of the uranium through the rock fracture. In order to analyze retardation properties of the uranium through the rock fracture, the retardation factor $R_d({\sim}16.2)$ was obtained by using the $K_d$ obtained from the batch sorption experiment and it was compared with the $R_d({\sim}14.3)$ obtained by using the result from the uranium migration experiment. The values obtained from the both experiments were very similar to each other. This reveals that the retardation of the uranium is mainly occurred by the fracture filling material when the uranium migrates through the fracture of a granite core.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.591-604
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• 2009

This paper presents some important issues in modeling rock behaviour around an underground opening at depth which characterized as stress-induced fractural failure of rock. Unlike other conventional modeling approaches, stress-induced rock failure is highly complex process due to its own heterogeneous and discrete natures. Because of this complexity, many researchers has been struggled to mimic such processes as close as possible to reality with various approaches in both analytical, and numerical approaches for past few decades. Such approaches which are based on continuum mechanics, analytical fracture mechanics, and DEM(Discrete Element Method) were explored in this paper, and fundamental shortcomings for each approaches were illustrated here. In addition, DEM approach using $PFC^{2D}$(Particle Flow Code) was also implemented and illuminated in this paper and discuss the improvement and considerations for the future research.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.107-115
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• 1995

The long term behavior of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant(WIPP), a nuclear waste repository currently under construction near Carlsbad at New Mexico, depends upon the fracture and deformation behavior of bedded rock salt. Although many numerical analyses of the WIPP have been conducted, to our knowledge none have included the ability to simultaneously predict the effects of fracture and nonlinear deformation of the salt continuum. We are in the process of developing a finite element program to simulate the effects of nonlinear fracture mechanics and nonlinear continuum behavior of rock salt simultaneously.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.215-225
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• 2019

The mechanical behavior of rock is essential to estimate the capacity and long-term stability of $CO_2$ storage in deep saline aquifers. As the depth of reservoir increases, the pressure and temperature that applied on the rock increase. To answer the question of how the confining pressure and temperature influence the mechanical behavior of reservoir rock, triaxial compression experiments were carried out on brine-saturated sandstone at elevated temperature. The triaxial compressive strength of brine-saturated sandstone was observed to decrease with increasing testing temperature, and the temperature weakening effect in strength enhanced with the increase of confining pressure. Sandstone specimens showed single fracture failures under triaxial compression. Three typical regions around the main fracture were identified: fracture band, damaged zone and undamaged zone. A function was proposed to describe the evolution of acoustic emission count under loading. Finally, the mechanism of elevated temperature causing the reduction of strength of brine-saturated sandstone was discussed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1125-1133
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• 2018

Real-time characterization of the rock thermal deformation and fracture process provides guidance for detecting and evaluating thermal stability of rocks. In this paper, time -frequency characteristics of acoustic emission (AE) and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) signals were studied by conducting experiments during rock continuous heating. The coupling correlation between AE and EMR during rock thermal deformation and failure was analyzed, and the microcosmic mechanism of AE and EMR was theoretically analyzed. During rock continuous heating process, rocks simultaneously produce significant AE and EMR signals. These AE and EMR signals are, however, not completely synchronized, with the AE signals showing obvious fluctuation and the EMR signals increasing gradually. The sliding friction between the cracks is the main mechanism of EMR during the rock thermal deformation and fracture, and the AE is produced while the thermal cracks expanding. Both the EMR and AE monitoring methods can be applied to evaluate the thermal stability of rock in underground mines, although the mechanisms by which these signals generated are different.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.162-169
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• 2003

Excavation by TBM can be characterized by a rock-machine interaction during the cutting process on a small scale, but on a large scale the interaction between the rock mass and TBM becomes very significant. For the planning and evaluation of TBM tunnelling it needs to understand rock fracture mechanism by a cutter or cutters on a small scale, and to estimate penetration rate, advance rate and utilization on a large scale. In this study rock chipping mechanism due to cutter-penetration is analysed by numerical simulation, showing that rock chipping is mainly occurred by tensile failure. Also, through the analysis of factors that affect on TBM procedures in various assessment systems, it is determined that the key elements that should be considered in the planning and evaluation of TBM tunnelling are classified into rock properties, the geological structures and properties of rock mass, and the structural and functional specifications of the machine. The user-friendly assessment tool is developed, so that penetration rate, advance rate and TBM utilization are evaluated from various input data. The tool developed in this study can be applied to a practical TBM tunnelling by understanding TBM tunnelling procedures.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 1995

Fluid flow studies of fractured rocks require three-dimensional modeling of the fracture system. The stochastic discrete fracture models constructed by Monte Carlo simulation technique were applied to the analysis of groundwater flow and mass transport in fractured rock for the assessment of tightness criteria of underground LPG storage cavern. The parameters that most affect the conceptual discrete fracture modeling proved either fracture orientation or size and on the fract'lre flow interpretation proved conductive fracture intensity. The fracture transmissivity played important role in solute transport in fractured rock simulated by particle tracking approach. It was partly recognized that the calibrated stochastic discrete fracture model can be used for the tightness criteria of underground LPG storage cavern.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.485-495
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• 1998

Migration characteristics of tracers in a rock fracture in a case of line-source and line-collection was studied. The fracture plane was discretized into a square mesh to which variable apertures were assigned. The spatially varying apertures of a fracture were generated using a geostatistical method, based on a given aperture probability density distribution and a specified spatial correlation length. The flow potential and pressure at each node were computed. Calculations showed that fluid flow occurs predominantly through a few preferred paths. Hence, the large range of apertures in the fracture gives rise to flow channeling. The solute transport was calculated using a particle tracking method. The migration plumes of tracer between injection line and withdrawal line are displayed in contour plots. The elution curves are shown to be controlled by the aperture density distribution and to be insensitive to statistical realization and spatial correlation length.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.3 s.62
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• pp.209-217
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• 2006

Literatures on the fracture mechanics and damaged zone of rocks were studied to estimate the excavation and blasting damaged zone for rapid tunneling. Fracture mechanics were applied to explain fracture mechanism and to estimate damaged zone and seemed to be applicable for controlling the fractures.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1996

The fracture transmissivity($T_f$) is the most important parameter of fracture in assessing groundwater flow in fractured rock masses by using the DFN(Discrete Fracture Network) modeling. $T_f$, the most sensitive parameter m DFN modeling, is dependent upon aperture, size and filling characteristics of each fracture set. In the field test, the accuracy of $T_f$ can be increased with Borehole Acoustic Scanning (Televiewer) and Fixed Interval Length(FIL) test in constant head. $T_f$ values measured from FIL test was modified and estimated by each fracture set on the basis of the Cubic Law and the information of aperture and filling characteristics obtained from Televiewer. The modified $T_f$ results in the increase of confidence and reliability of modeling results including the amount of tunnel inflow.And, this approach would reduce the uncertaintity of the assessment for groundwater flow in fractured rock masses using the DFN modeling.