• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.263-275
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• 2022

Structural collapses can occur as a result of a dynamic amplification of either, the building's seismic response or the ground shaking by local site effects; one of the reasons is a resonance effect due to the proximity of the structural elastic fundamental period TE and the soil fundamental period TS. We evaluate the vulnerability to resonance effects in Guadalajara, México, in a three-step schema: 1) we define structural systems in the building environment of western Guadalajara, in terms of their construction materials and structural components; 2) we estimate TE with different equations, to obtain a representative value in elastic conditions for each structural system; and, 3) we evaluate the resonance vulnerability by the analysis of the ratio between TE and TS. We observe that the larger the soil fundamental period, the higher the resonance vulnerability for buildings with height between 17 and 39 m. For the sites with a low TS, the most vulnerable buildings will be those with a height between 2 and 9 m. These results can be a helpful tool for disaster prevention, by avoiding the construction of buildings with certain heights and structural characteristics that would result in a dangerous proximity between TE and TS.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.7-18
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• 2024

In this study, slope stability was evaluated in consideration of unsaturated soil behavior to predict landslides. Samples were collected from a landslide site due to heavy rainfall during Typhoon Hinnamnoh. Soil moisture characteristic tests were performed based on the evaporation method using a swelling undisturbed sample and a remolded sample. Based on the hydraulic-mechanical behavior, two-dimensional infiltration and stability analyses were performed. As a result, from the two sample types, it is found that both behaviors exhibited clear differences in the results, and the behavior of the swelling undisturbed sample was able to predict the actual slope failure appropriately.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.295-315
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• 2024

Urban development and the expansion of electrical resistivity surveying applications have increased the need for soil and underground structure investigations on paved surfaces. Traditional methods involved drilling through the pavement or surveying surrounding soil. Recently, non-invasive surveying techniques have been developed. This paper analyzes these methods, categorizing them into galvanic methods (including drilling and flat ground electrodes) and capacitive coupling methods. By examining case studies, it suggests selecting the appropriate method based on the pros and cons of each and the specific site characteristics. The paper also discusses the applicability and limitations of electrical resistivity surveying through various examples.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2015

Recently, Korean government has tried out to set up earthquake hazards prevention system. In the system, several geotechnical hazard maps including liquefaction hazard map and landslide hazard map for the whole country have drawn to consider the domestic seismic characteristics. To draw the macro liquefaction hazard map, big data of site investigations in metropolitan areas and provincial areas has to be verified for its application. In this research, we carried out site response analyses using 522 borehole site investigation data in S city during a desirable earthquake. The soil classification was separately compared to shear wave velocity considering the uncertainty of site investigation data. Probability distribution and statistical analysis for the results of site response analyses was applied to the feasibility study. Finally, we suggest a new site amplification coefficient, hereby presented with the similar results of liquefaction hazard mapping using the calculated liquefaction potential index by the site response analyses. Above-mentioned study will be expected to help to follow research and draw liquefaction hazard map in moderate seismic region.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.4 s.44
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• pp.29-42
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• 2005

Total 350 borehole profiles were selected from the database of borehole logs in Seoul, for the site-specific seismic evaluation at two 4km${\times}$4km plain areas. Equivalent-linear site response analyses for the selected 350 sites were conducted based on shear wave velocity (Vs) Profiles, which were determined from the N-Vs correlation established using borehole seismic testing results in the inland areas of Korea. Most sites were categorized as site classes C and D based on the mean Vs to 30 m in depth (Vs30) ranging from 250 to 550 m/s. The she periods of the plains in Seoul ranging between 0.1 and 0.4 sec were significantly lower than those of the western US, from which the site coefficients in Korea were derived. For plains in Seoul, the site coefficients, Fa's and Fv's specified in the Korean seismic design guide, underestimate the ground motion in short-period (0.1-0.5 sec) band and overestimate the ground motion in mid-period (0.4-2.0 sec) band, respectively, because ol the differences in the geotechnical conditions between Seoul and the western US, although the Fa's in several sites overestimate the motion due to the base Isolation effect resulted from the soft layer in soil deposit.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.37-52
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• 2020

Sensitivity analysis of hydrodynamic and reaction parameters in conceptual model reflecting aquifer characteristics of Korea was performed to evaluate the uncertainty in the predicted concentrations. Among the hydrodynamic input parameters, both hydraulic conductivity (K_x) and hydraulic gradient (I) affected transport behaviors of contaminants, and resulted in same convergence concentrations with continuous injections of contaminant. However, longitudinal dispervisity (α_L) affected both transport behaviors and the convergence concentrations of contaminants. Compared to the hydrodynamic parameters, growth kinetic and degradation parameters (μ_m & K_c) more significantly affected both transport behaviors and the convergence concentrations of contaminants, indicating those parameters had higher sensitivity indices causing the uncertainties of model predictions. Considering that the sensitivity indices of both hydrodynamic and reaction parameters were a function of transport distance of groundwater, the parameters with higher sensitivity indices, a priori, need to be investigated using conceptual model reflecting site-specific aquifer characteristics before field investigation. After determining the parameters with higher sensitivity indices, the detail field investigations for the selected hydrodynamic and reaction parameters were warranted to reduce the uncertainties of model predictions.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 2000

A Gram-type negative bacteria that can utilize crude oil as the sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from an activated sludge of a local sewage treatment plant and identified tentatively as belonging to the genus Acinetobacter. The isolate could degrade n-alkanes and unidentified hydrocarbons in crude oil and utilize n-alkanes, hydrophobic substrates, as sole carbon and energy sources. n-Alkanes from tridecane (Cl3) to triacontane (C30) in crude oil were degraded simultaneously with no difference in degradation characteristics between the two close odd and even numbered alkanes in carbon numbers. The linear growth of the isolate and the degradation characteristics of Pr-alkanes suggested that the transport of substrates from the oil phase to the site where the substrates undergo the initial oxidation in microorganism might be the rate limiting in the biodegradation process of crude oil constituents. The remainder fraction of substrates after cultivation was considered to reflect the hydrocarbon inclusions in the cell mass, characteristics in Acinetobacter species, and to control the transport of substrates from crude oil phase. On the basis of the results, the isolate was considered to play an important role in the degradation study of hydrophobic environmental pollutants.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2013

Currently, the west coast has focused on large-scale investment and development, such as harbor construction work and land reclamation projects, with soft ground grouting issues being the major concern. In addition, grouting for soft ground reinforcement is definitely considered that construction purpose, soil condition, construction situation, and construction costs. The SRC method, which is a high pressure injection method, can easily produce well-distributed strength regardless of soil characteristics and is environmentally friendly. Therefore in this study, the SRC method was applied to marine clay on the west coast where located Jeongok-ri, Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea as well as estimated of the ground reinforcement and the application on the site. The results of the application on the site by SRC method indicated age 28 day strength is $14,700{\sim}31,800kN/m^2$ which is satisfied the criterion of unconfined compressive strength that more than $5,333kN/m^2$. Therefore the result that the SRC method constructed marine clay on the west coast indicated the outstanding strength as well as excellent durability.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.38 no.5_1
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• pp.571-585
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• 2022

As the threat of natural disasters such as droughts, floods, forest fires, and landslides increases due to climate change, social demand for high-resolution soil moisture retrieval, such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), is also increasing. However, the domestic environment has a high proportion of mountainous topography, making it challenging to retrieve soil moisture from SAR data. This study evaluated the usability of Sentinel-1 SAR, which is applied with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique, to retrieve soil moisture. It was confirmed that the backscattering coefficient obtained from Sentinel-1 significantly correlated with soil moisture behavior, and the possibility of stand-alone use to correct vegetation effects without using auxiliary data observed from other satellites or observatories. However, there was a large difference in the characteristics of each site and topographic group. In particular, when the model learned on the mountain and at flat land cross-applied, the soil moisture could not be properly simulated. In addition, when the number of learning points was increased to solve this problem, the soil moisture retrieval model was smoothed. As a result, the overall correlation coefficient of all sites improved, but errors at individual sites gradually increased. Therefore, systematic research must be conducted in order to widely apply high-resolution SAR soil moisture data. It is expected that it can be effectively used in various fields if the scope of learning sites and application targets are specifically limited.