• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.1 s.53
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• pp.45-57
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• 2007

The mean shear wave velocity to the depth of 30 m (Vs30) derived from the western Vs is the current site classification criterion for determining the design seismic ground motion taking into account the site amplification potential. In order to evaluate the Vs30 at a site, a shear wave velocity (Vs) Profile extending to at least 30 m in depth must be acquired from in-situ seismic test. In many cases, however, the resultant depth of the Vs profile may not extend to 30 m, owing to the unfavorable field condition and the limitation of adopted testing techniques. In this study, the Vs30 and the mean shear wave velocity to a depth shallower, than 30 m (VsDs) were computed from the Vs profiles more than 30 m in depth obtained by performing various seismic tests at total 72 sites in Korea, and a correlation between Vs30 and VsDs was drawn based on the computed mean Vs data. In addition, a method for extrapolating the Vs profile from shallow depth to 30 m was developed by building a shape curve based on the average data of all Vs profiles. For evaluating the Vs30 from the shallow Vs profiles, both the methods using VsDs and shape curve result in less bias than the simplest method of extending the lowermost Vs equally to 30 m in depth, and are usefully applicable particularly in the cases of the Vs profiles extending to at least 10 m in depth.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2011

We acquired and interpreted more than 650 km of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles in the Hupo Basin, offshore east coast of Korea at $37^{\circ}N$ in the East Sea (Japan Sea) to image shallow and basement deformation. The seismic profiles reveal that the main depocenter of the Hupo Basin in the study area is bounded by the large offset Hupo Fault on the east and an antithetic fault on the west; however, the antithetic fault is much smaller both in horizontal extension and in vertical displacement than the Hupo Fault. Sediment infill in the Hupo Basin consists of syn-rift (late Oligocene. early Miocene) and post-rift (middle Miocene.Holocene) units. The Hupo Fault and other faults newly defined in the Hupo Basin strike dominantly north and show a sense of normal displacement. Considering that the East Sea has been subjected to compression since the middle Miocene, we interpret that these normal faults were created during continental rifting in late Oligocene to early Miocene times. We suggest that the current ENE direction of maximum principal compressive stress observed in and around the Korean peninsula associated with the motion of the Amurian Plate induces the faults in the Hupo Basin to have reverse and right-lateral, strike-slip motion, when reactivated. A recent earthquake positioned on the Hupo Fault indicates that in the study area and possibly further in the eastern Korean margin, earthquakes would occur on the faults created during continental rifting in the Tertiary.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.335-341
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• 1994

Laboratory model test results for bearing capacity of a square shallow foundation supported by a sand layer reinforced with layers of geogrid have been presented. Use of geogrids provides an economical and time efficient method for improving load-settlement, and strength characteristics of weak soils. Especially the geogrid reinforced soil will be necessary in the case of foundations supporting machines, embankments for railroads, and foundations of structures in earthquake-prone areas. Based on the present model test results, the bearing capacity ratio (BCR) with respect to the ultimate bearing capacity (UBC), at levels of limited settlement of the shallow foundation. has been determined. Also, it appears that significant improvement in the UBC of medium sands can be achieved by reinforcing elements which shows promise for future work.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.465-479
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• 2008

For the quantitative identification of rock behavior in shallow tunnels, we recommend using the rock behavior index (RBI) by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the Rock Engineering Systems (RES). AHP and RES can aid engineers in effectively determining complex and un-structured rock behavior utilizing a structured pair-wise comparison matrix and an interaction matrix, respectively. Rock behavior types are categorized as rock fall, cave-in, and plastic deformation. Seven parameters influencing rock behavior for shallow depth rock tunnel are determined: uniaxial compressive strength, rock quality designation (RQD), joint surface condition, stress, pound water, earthquake, and tunnel span. They are classified into rock mass intrinsic, rock mass extrinsic, and design parameters. An advantage of this procedure is its ability to obtain each parameter's weight. We applied the proposed method to the basic design of Seoul Metro Line O and quantified the rock behavior into RBI on rock fall, cave-in, and plastic deformation. The study results demonstrate that AHP and RES can give engineers quantitative information on rock behavior.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2009

The site effects relating to the amplification of ground motion under earthquake loading are strongly influenced by both the subsurface soil condition and geologic structure. In this study, the site effects at the Hongseong area in Korea were examined by both the site investigation including borehole drilling and in-situ seismic tests and the site visit for acquiring geologic information of ground surface. Subsurface of Hongseong area with a major instrumental earthquake event in 1978 is composed of weathered layers of a maximum of 45 m thickness overlying bedrock. A geotechnical information system based on GIS framework was implemented to effectively find out spatial geologic structure of study area and it indicated Hongseong is a shallow and wide shaped basin. Two-dimensional finite element (FE) analyses for a representative cross-section of the Hongseong area were performed to evaluate seismic site responses. From the results of seismic responses, it was observed that the ground motions were amplified during the propagation of shear waves through the soil layer overlying the bedrock and the duration of shaking near the basin edges was prolonged due to the surface waves generated by interactions of shear waves with basin geometry. Furthermore, one-dimensional FE seismic response analyses were additionally conducted for soil sites selected in the basin, and it gives similar results to the two-dimensional seismic responses at most locations in the basin with the exception of the locations near the basin edges, because the basin in this study is very shallow and wide.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.65-77
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• 2007

Site response analyses were performed based on equivalent linear technique using shear wave velocity profiles of 162 sites collected around the Korean peninsula. The site characteristics, particularly the shear wave velocities and the depth to the bedrock, are compared to those in the western United States. The results show that the site-response coefficients based on the mean shear velocity of the top 30m ($V_{S30}$) suggested in the current code underestimates the motion in short-period ranges and overestimates the motion in mid-period ranges. The current Korean code based on UBC is required to be modified considering site characteristics in Korea for the reliable estimation of site amplification. From the results of numerical estimations, new regression curves were derived between site coefficients ($F_{a}\;and\;F_{v}$) and the fundamental site periods, and site coefficients were grouped based on site periods with reasonable standard deviations compared to site classification based on $V_{S30}$. Finally, new site classification system and modification of design response spectra are recommended considering geotechnical characteristics in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.09a
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• pp.201-204
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• 2010

Earthquake load to design a structure has been calculated from a fixed base SDOF model using amplified surface accelerations along soft soil layers. But the method dose not consider a soil-structure interaction. Centrifugal experiments that were consisted of soil, a shallow foundation and a structure were performed to find the effects of soil-structure interaction. The experiments showed that mass and stiffness of the foundation affected a response of the structure and nonlinear behavior of soil near the foundation. And a rocking displacement caused by overturning moment affected the response and increases a damping effect. In this study, the centrifugal experiment was simulated as a two dimensional finite element model. The finite element model was used for nonlinear time domain analysis of the OpenSees program. The numerical model accurately evaluated the behaviors of soil and the foundation, but the rocking effect and the behavior of structure were not described.

• Proceedings of the International Union of Geodesy And Geophysics Korea Journal of Geophysical Research Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.18-18
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• 2003

Three-dimensional finite-difference simulation of earthquake ground motion is performed using a locally variable time-step (LVTS) scheme matching with discontinuous grids. Discontinuous grids in three directions and extension of the discontinuous grids' boundary to the free-surface in the LVTS scheme minimize the cost of both the computational memory and the CPU time for models like the localized sedimentary basin. A simplified model of sedimentary basin is dealt to show the feasibility and efficiency of the LVTS scheme. The basin parameters are examined to understand the main characteristics on ground-motion response in the basin. The results show that the seismic energy is concentrated on a marginal area of the basin far from the source. This focusing effect is mainly due to the constructive interference of the direct S-wave with the basin-edge induced surface waves. The ground-motion amplification over the deepest part of the basin is relatively lower than that above the shallow basin edge. Therefore the ground-motion amplification may be more related to the source azimuth or the direction of the incident waves into the basin rather than the depth of it.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.411-426
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• 2023

Soft clay is widely distributed in the southeast coastal areas of China. Many large underground structures, such as subway stations and underground pipe corridors, are shallow buried in the soft clay foundation, so the dynamic characteristics of the soft clay must be considered to the seismic design of underground structures. In this paper, the dynamic characteristics of saturated soft clay in Shanghai under the bidirectional excitation for earthquake loading are studied by dynamic triaxial tests, comparing the backbone curve and hysteretic curve of the saturated soft clay under different confining pressures with those under different vibration frequencies. Considering the coupling effects of the confining pressure and the vibration frequency, a fitting model of the maximum dynamic shear modulus was proposed by the multiple linear regression method. The M-D model was used to fit the variations of the dynamic shear modulus ratio with the shear strain. Based on the Chen model and the Park model, the effects of the consolidation confining pressure and the vibration frequency on the damping ratio were studied. The results can provide a reference to the earthquake prevention and disaster reduction in soft clay area.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.205-213
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• 2024

In the seismic evaluation of underground utility tunnels, selecting an analytical method is critical to estimating reasonable seismic responses. In simplified pseudo-static analysis methods widely applied to typical seismic design and evaluation of underground tunnels in practice, it is essential to check whether the methods provide valid results for cut-and-cover tunnels buried in shallow to medium depth. The differences between the two simplified pseudo-static methods are discussed in this study, and the analysis results are compared to those obtained from FLAC models. In addition to the analysis methods, seismic site classification, overburden soil depth, and sectional configuration are considered variables to examine their effects on the seismic response of underground utility tunnels. Based on the analysis results, the characteristics derived from the concepts and details of each simplified model are discussed. Also, general observations are made for the application of simplified analysis methods.