• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.13-26
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• 2011

Because the allowable current loading of buried electrical transmission cables is frequently limited by the maximum permissible temperature of the cable or of the surrounding ground, there is a need for cable backfill materials to be maintained at a low thermal resistivity during the service period. Temperatures greater than $50^{\circ}C$ to $60^{\circ}C$ may lead to breakdown of cable insulation and thermal runaway if the surrounding backfill material is unable to dissipate the heat as rapidly as it is generated. This paper describes the results of studies aimed at the development of backfill material to reduce the thermal resistivity. A large number of different additive materials were tested to determine their applicability as a substitute material. The results of Dong-rim river sand (relatively uniform) show that as water content level increases, thermal resistivity tends to decrease, whereas the thermal resistivity on dry condition is very high value($260^{\circ}C-cm/watt$). In addition, other materials(such as Jinsan granite screenings, A-2(sand and gravel mixture), E-1(rubble and granite screenings mixture) and SGFC(sand, gravel, fly-ash and cement mixture)) are well-graded materials with low thermal resistivity($100^{\circ}C-cm/watt$ when dry). Based on this research, 4 types of improved materials were suggested as the environmentally friendly backfill materials with low thermal resistivity.