• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.57-67
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• 2023

Slope failures during rainfall have been observed in mountainous areas of South Korea as a result of the presence of solar power facilities. The seepage behavior and pore pressure distribution differ from typical slopes due to the presence of impermeable solar panels, and the load imposed by the solar power structures also affects the slope behavior. This study aims to develop a method for evaluating the stability of slopes with solar power facilities and to analyze vulnerable points by considering the maximum slope displacement. To assess the slope stability and predict behavior while considering rainfall seepage, a combined seepage analysis and finite difference method numerical analysis were employed. For the selected site, various variables were assumed, including parameters related to the Soil Water Characteristic Curve, strength parameters that satisfy the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, soil properties, and topographic factors such as slope angle and bedrock depth. The factors with the most significant influence on the factor of safety (FOS) were identified. The presence of solar power facilities was found to affect the seepage distribution and FOS, resulting in a decreasing trend due to rainfall seepage. The maximum displacement points were concentrated near the upper (crest) and lower (toe) sections of the slope.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.187-196
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• 2022

In this paper, we propose an example of designing and constructing a roof-type solar power plant structure equipped with a Pseudo-BIPV (Building-Integrated Photovoltaic) shape suitable for use as a roof of a small warehouse with a sandwich-type panel structure. As the characteristics of the roof-type solar power generation facility to be installed in the small warehouse proposed in this study, the shape of the roof is not a general A type, but a right-angled triangle shape with the slope is designed to face south. We chose a structure in which an inverter for one power plant and a control facility are linked by grouping several roofs of buildings. In addition, the height of the roof structure is less than 20 cm from the floor, and it has a shape similar to that of the BIPV, so it is building-friendly because it is almost in close contact with the roof. At the same time, the roof creates a reflective light source due to the white color. By linking this roof with a double-sided solar panel, we designed it to obtain both the advantage of the roof-friendliness and the advantage of efficiency improvement for the electric power generation based on the double-sided panel. Compared to the existing solar power generation facilities using A-shaped cross-sectional modules, the power generation efficiency of roofs in this case is increased by more than 11%, which we can confirm, through the comparison analysis of monitoring data between power plants in the same area. Therefore, if the roof-type solar structure suitable for the small warehouse we have presented in this paper is used, the facilities of electric power generation is eco-friendly. Further it is easier to obtain facility certification compared to the BIPV, and improved capacity of the power generation can be secured at low material cost. It is believed that the roof-type solar power generation facility we proposed can be usefully used for warehouse or factory-based smart housing. Sensor devices for monitoring, CCTV monitoring, or safety and environment management, operating in connection with the solar power generation facilities, are linked with the Internet of Things (IoT) solution, so they can be monitored and controlled remotely.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.47-60
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• 2023

At present, in South Korea, there is a growing concern regarding solar power facilities installed on slopes because they are prone to damage caused by natural disasters, such as heavy rainfall and typhoons. Each year, these solar power facilities experience soil erosion due to heavy rainfall and foundation damage or detachment caused by strong wind loads. Despite these challenges, the interaction between the ground and structures is not adequately considered. Current analyses primarily focus on the structural stability under external loads; the overall facility site's stability-excluding the solar structures-in relation to its surrounding slopes is neglected. Therefore, in this study, we use finite-difference method analysis to simulate the behavior of the foundation and piles to assess changes in lateral displacement and bending stress in piles, as well as the safety factor of sloped terrains, in response to various influencing factors, such as pile diameter, spacing between piles, pile-embedding depth, wind loads, and dry and wet conditions. The analysis results indicate that pile spacing and wind loads significantly influence lateral displacement and bending stress in piles, whereas pile-embedding depth strongly influences the safety factor of sloped terrains. Moreover, we found that under certain conditions, the design criteria in domestic standards may not be met.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.437-446
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• 2017

70 percent of Korea's territory is covered with mountains, whose difficult conditions can cause damage to facilities. Recently, the demand for facilities related to outdoor activities including monorails has been on the rise, and such facilities are much more likely to become damaged. For this reason, a monitoring system applying IoT to mountainous areas was developed and its applicability is evaluated in this study. The current status of the existing mountainous facilities and monitoring systems were reviewed, and the current wired monitoring technology was analyzed. A scenario for IoT-based monitoring was developed, and then sensor nodes were developed, which include an RF-communication module and interface, power-supply and solar-cell. A testbed was set up at K University. The same data was collected by the wireless system as had been collected by the wired one. The study findings are as follows. Firstly, by using the wireless system, it is estimated that the construction duration can be reduced by about 25 percent, while the construction costs can be reduced by about 3~52 percent. Secondly, the safety of the construction workers can be improved by making the working conditions less dangerous, such as by eliminating the need to transport cables.