• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.561-577
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• 2021

The compacted bentonite buffer in a geological repository for high-level radioactive waste disposal is saturated due to groundwater inflow. Saturation of the bentonite buffer results in bentonite swelling and bentonite penetration into the rock discontinuities present around the disposal hole. The penetrated bentonite is exposed to groundwater flow and can be eroded out of the repository, resulting in bentonite mass loss which can affect the physical integrity of the engineered barrier system. Hence, the evaluation of buffer-rock interactions and coupled behavior due to groundwater inflow and bentonite penetration is necessary to ensure long-term disposal safety. In this study, the effects of the bentonite penetration and swelling on the physical properties of jointed rock mass were evaluated using the quasi-static resonant column test. Jointed rock specimens with bentonite penetration were manufactured using Gyeongju bentonite and hollow cylindrical granite rock discs obtained from the KAERI underground research tunnel. The effects of vertical stress and saturation were assessed using the P-wave and S-wave velocities for intact rock, jointed rock and jointed rock with bentonite penetration specimens. The joint normal and joint shear stiffnesses of each joint condition were inferred from the wave velocity results assuming an equivalent continuum. The joint normal and joint shear stiffnesses obtained from this study can be used as input factors for future numerical analysis on the performance evaluation of geological waste disposal considering rock discontinuities.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.269-282
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• 2019

Due to top-coal and immediate roof as cushion layer connecting with support and overlying strata, it can make significant influence on strata behaviors in fully mechanical top-coal caving working face (TCCWF). Taking Qingdong 828 working face as engineering background, $FLAC^{3D}$ and $UDEC^{2D}$ were adopted to explore the influence of top-coal thickness (TCT), immediate roof thickness (IRT), top-coal elastic modulus (TCEM) and immediate roof elastic modulus (IREM) on the vertical stress and vertical subsidence of roof, caving distance, and support resistance. The results show that the maximum roof subsidence increases with the increase of TCT and IRT as well as the decrease of TCEM and IREM, which is totally opposite to vertical stress in roof-control distance. Moreover, although the increase of TCEM and IREM leading to the increase of peak value of abutment pressure, the position and distribution range have no significant change. Under the condition of initial weighting occurrence, support resistance has negative and positive relationship with physical parameters (e.g., TCT and IRT) and mechanical properties (e.g., TCEM and IREM), respectively.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.33-56
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• 2001

It is well known fact that all rocks exhibit brittle properties and time depends strain properties (creep). An understanding of the time dependent deformation behaviour of rocks is believed to be essential in the field of civil and tunnelling. The rock and concrete creep in various forms of loading conditions and physical environment are reviewed. A comparison of creep behaviour between rocks and concrete is provided, in order to bring two existing relatively independent methods of predicting creep strain closer together. It was felt that the physical process in the creep of rocks would be similar to the process in creep of concrete. Since experiments and observations have shown that non-elastic (creep) mechanical behaviour of all crystalline solids (i.e., concrete, rocks, ceramics and refractories) and single materials have a common base. Also a comparison of the results for the accepted methods of estimating creep in rocks and concrete under - multiaxial loading was attempted to extend the knowledge of deformational characteristics of these two materials.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.109-125
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• 2023

Disposal repository for high-level radioactive waste secures its safety by means of engineered and natural barriers. The performance of these barriers should be tested and verified through various aspects in terms of short and/or long-term. KAERI has been conducting various in-situ demonstrations in KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel). After completing previous experiment, a conceptual design of an improved in-situ experiment, i.e. K-COIN (KURT experiment of THMC COupled and INteraction), was established and detailed planning for the experiment is underway. Preliminary characterizations were conducted in KURT for siting a K-COIN test site. 15 boreholes with a depth of about 20 m were drilled in three research galleries in KURT and intact rock specimens were prepared for laboratory tests. Using the specimens, physical measurements, uniaxial compression, indirect tension, and triaxial compression tests were conducted. As a result, specific gravity, porosity, elastic wave velocities, uniaxial compressive strength, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, Brazilian tensile strength, cohesion, and internal friction angle were estimated. Statistical analyses revealed that there did not exist meaningful differences in intact rock properties according to the drilled sites and the depth. Judging from the uniaxial compressive strength, which is one of the most important properties, all the specimens were classified as very strong rock so that mechanical safety was secured in all the regions.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 2003

Weathering in nature was simulated by freeze-thaw cyclic test which represents mechanical weathering. Measured physical properties were elastic wave velocities, absorption rate, volume change and weight change. Uniaxial compression tests were also conducted before and after the weathering tests. The change in weight and volume of the specimens were not clearly related to the weathering process, but P, S wave velocities, uniaxial compression strength and Young's modulus were clearly decreased as weathering progresses. Test result can be used for the assessment of long-term stability of rock slopes.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2008

In the case of a circular shaft, it is expected that asymmetric loads should apply on the surface rather than symmetric loads due to geographical factors and the non-homogeneity of the jointed rock masses. In this study, discontinuous numerical analysis was carried in order to analyze the characteristics of asymmetric load distribution on the wall of the circular shaft due to anisotropy caused by heterogeneity of rock masses affected by the discontinuities like as a Joint. And it was also analyzed that the effect of the mechanical properties varied with the rock mass rating and horizontal stress with depth had influence in the asymmetric load on the wall of the shaft. In the case of considering the effect of the joint as variable, asymmetric load ratio $(R_p)$, which was defined as the ratio of the load subtracted minimum from maximum to minimum, was below 25% in the hard rock. As regarding the variation of the rock mass rating with depth as variable, the value of $R_p$ was below than 25% in the hard rock, and the value between 30% and 40% in the soft rock. On the other hand, the $R_p$ of fractures rock was between $45{\sim}50%$ which value was much higher than that in better rock mass rating.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.180-195
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• 2000

Grouting has been practiced as a reliable technique to improve the mechanical properties of rock mass. But, the study of ground improvement by greeting is rare especially in jointed rock mass. In this study, joint compression test and direct shear test were performed on pure rock joint and cement milk grouted rock joint to examine the grouting effect on the property of rock joint. In the pure rock joint compression test, joint closure varied non-linearly with normal stress. But after cement milk grouting, the normal deformation characteristics of the joint was linear at the low normal stress level. As normal stress increased. deformation of the sample rapidly increased due to the stress concentration at the joint asperities. Peak shear strength of the grouted joint in low normal stress was higher than that of non-grouted joint due to the cohesion, decreased exponetially as the grout thickness increased. Thus after cement milk grouting, the failure envelope modified to a curve that has cohesion due to grout material hydration with decreased friction angle. Shear stiffness and peak dilation angle of the grouted joint decreased as the grout thickness increased. The peak shear strength from the direct shear test on grouted rock joint was represented by an empirical equation as a fuction of grout thickness and roughness mean amplitude.

• Composites Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.14-20
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• 2005

To determine the effect of chemical structure of aromatic amino curing agents on thermal and mechanical properties, standard epoxy resin DGEBF (diglycidylether of bisphenol F) was cured with diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM) and diaminodiphenyl sulphone (DDS) in a stoichiometrically equivalent ratio. From this work the effect of aromatic amino curing agents on the thermal and mechanical properties is significantly influenced by the chemical structure of curing agents. In contrast, the results show that the DGEBF/DDS system having the sulfone structure between the benzene rings had higher values in the thermal stability, density, shrinkage ($\%$), thermal expansion coefficient, tensile modulus and strength, flexural modulus and strength than the DGEBF/DDM system having methylene structure between the benzene rings, whereas the DGEBF/DDS system presented low values in maximum exothermic temperature, conversion of epoxide, and grass transition temperature. These results are caused by the relative effects of sulfone group having strong electronegativity and methylene group having (+) repulsive property. The result of fractography shows that the grain distribution of DGEBF/DDS system is more irregular than that of the DGEBF/DDM system.

• Composites Research
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.44-51
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• 2004

To determine the effect of numbers of nitrogen atom bonded at ethyl group included in main chain of linear amine curing agents of epoxy-cure systems on the thermal and mechanical properties, standard epoxy resin DGEBF was cured with DETA, TETA and TEPA in a stoichiometrically equivalent ratio. From this work, the effect of curing agents of the DGEBF/amine systems oil the thermal and mechanical properties was significantly influenced by numbers of nitrogen atom of curing agents. The results showed that heat of reaction increased, and maximum exothermic temperature decreased with the decrease of numbers of nitrogen atom. In case of cured systems, density and maximum conversion(%) had no relation to numbers of nitrogen atom, but flexural modulus and tensile modulus increased with the decrease of numbers of nitrogen atom in main chain. Thermal stability, shrinkage(%), Tg, tensile and flexural strength showed irregular tendency having nothing to do with numbers of nitrogem atom at a sight. This findings imply that the differences in the maximum conversion(%) about the chain length of curing agents affect the thermal and mechanical properties.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.193-208
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• 2018

In order to interpret rock slope safely and effectively, the mechanical properties of the rock must be carefully investigated. However, due to the limitations of clinometer usage, a new measure of measurement is required to complement these limitations. In this study, a measuring device was developed to analyze the characteristics of joint orientation, and to apply the orientation of joint to the field. The developed measuring equipment is divided into analysis software and hardware. The hardware was composed of a measuring module that measures the joint orientation of rock and a transport module that transmits the measurement data. The software was developed to analyze the orientation of the joint from the data obtained from the measuring module and is named Drone Joint Orientation Survey Measurement. The developed measuring equipment was well field capable if it could not be measured by the inspector, such as in areas where access was difficult, and was capable of effectively analyzing the lab test results for the orientation of the joint.