• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.115-127
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• 2012

This study was conducted on the measurement of soil hardness through a hardness testing machine in slopes of natural environments and artificial environments which is generally known as slope revegetation. The soil hardness as one of physicochemical soil properties is significantly associated with plant growth. Although another studies related to the slope revegetation was focused on herbaceous plants, studies related to soil properties for arbor appearance is lack. It was focused on the correlation analysis between the soil hardness and the plant appearance. the results were as follows : The higher the soil hardness is, the less the appearance of plants is as a result of survey. Species appearing in the high levels of the soil hardness represented mugwort and grass. The levels of the soil hardness in the slope of natural environments was good environmental conditions with various plants in the range of 6 to 12mm. The levels of the soil hardness in the slope revegetation was in the 6.88-30mm range. The soil hardness below 21mm showed a variety of plants with arbors and herbaceous plants, whereas it above 21mm represented a monotonous style of plant structure including Artemisia princeps, Lolium perenne, Poa pratensis L and Setaria viridis. The result of the correlation analysis between the soil hardness and the plant appearance was negatively correlated with justifiable significance levels. The result of a logistic regression analysis for tree appearance was statistically proved when the numerical value of the soil hardness is lower.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.69-79
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• 1992

To estimate soil behavior and structural characteristics under the conditions of cyclic loading, freezing & thawing and initial state, several testing was performed and obtained following results. 1.After repeated freezing and thawing processes, original soil structure was destroyed and changed to globular structure from honeycomb or tube in its structure types. Also above processes resulted increasing the soil compression strain while decreasing the failure stress in stress-strain relationship and reached the soil structure into the mode of brittle fracture. Under cyclic loading conditions, soil cluster which was originally dispersed structure colloided with each other, seperated, and finally the soil failed due to the effect of overcompaction. 2.Through the stabilization processes seperated by four steps, the structure of soil skeleton was changed to quite different globular type. The degree of compressibility of soil was decreased in the normally consolidated zone, while the strength against external load increased due to soil particle stabilization. 3.Soil stress-strain chracteristics were largely influenced by repeated up and down processes of temperature. The maximum deformation was obtained in the case of temperature between 0 10˚C by the reseon of particle cluster reformation. 4.Soil compressibility was largely influenced by the optimum moisture content. Under freezing process, swelling could be found and its magnitude was proportional to the density of soil. 5.Density of soil was decreased as increasing the number or repeated freezing and thawing processes and the largest decreasing rate was found at the first turning point from freezing to thawing cycle.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.153-162
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• 2013

Most test methods for plant available soil phosphate are based on the extraction with a chemical solution. The objective of this study is to evaluate available phosphate of various tests at different soil phosphate levels. Two experiments were conducted as follows: i) Extracting capacities of soil phosphate tests - Mehlich III, Mehlich II, Bray I, Olsen, Kelowna, and Modified Lancaster(Mod. Lancaster) - were compared with that of Lancaster test for the soils collected from 32 paddy and 27 upland fields with various soil chemical properties. ii) Field trials on comparing to phosphate uptake by plant were accomplished by cultivating rice and corn plants in the pots filled with the soils. Available phosphate of Lancaster test was significantly correlated with those of Mehlich III, Mehlich II, Bray I, Olsen, Kelowna, and Mod. Lancaster. In upland soils, available phosphates of all the tests were curvilinearly regressed with phosphate uptake by corn. The determination coefficients ($R^2$) of the regression equation between available phosphate in soils and phosphate uptake by plants were ranged from 0.861 (Mehlich III) to 0.741 (Olsen). In paddy soils, the available phosphate measured by Mehlich III and Lancaster was significantly correlated with phosphate uptake by rice. In conclusion, Lancaster and Mehlich III tests could be used for predicting available phosphate in upland and paddy soils.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.123-129
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to test performances of 14 types of root barrier materials by applying testing plant: and soils suitable for weather and natural features of Korea. For testing Plants, Plioblastus pygmaed Mitford A and Pyracantha angustifolia have been selected. For testing soil, mixture of pearlite and peat moss in 3:1 ratio Testing container has been fabricated with duplicated structure having inner and outer containers. And the outer container has 2 hinges on its side wall to allow opening and closing. Wet rock wool with 50mm in thickness has been inserted between inner and outer containers to allow root to penetrate through root barrier material and continue to grow. We planted 12 Plioblastus pygmaed Mitford A. and 4 Pyracantha angustifolia per one testing container. Three testing samples have been made for 1 type of root barrier material, which become a total 42 specimens. Planted testing samples have been installed within the greenhouse, which will be observed regularly for 2 years from now on. We started test from July 11, 2008 and had performed intermediate observations every month for initial 3 months. From the 3rd intermediate observation on Sept. 18, we confirmed that 6 types of roe barrier materials have penetrated roots. Even though two types of them have been generally used as root barrier materials for roof planting system, all of three testing samples have a lot of penetrated roots. This result proves that it is not reasonable to introduce testing methods of root barrier from Europe. USA or Japan.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.245-249
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to test performances of 14 types of root barrier materials by applying testing plants and soils suitable for weather and natural features of Korea. For testing plants, Plioblastus pygmaed Mitford A. and Pyracantha angustifolia have been selected. For testing soil, mixture of pearlite and peat moss in 3:1 ratio(volume). Testing container has been fabricated with duplicated structure having inner and outer containers. And the outer container has 2 hinges on its side wall to allow opening and closing. Wet rock wool with 50mm in thickness has been inserted between inner and outer containers to allow root to penetrate through root barrier material and continue to grow. We planted 12 Plioblastus pygmaed Mitford A. and 4 Pyracantha angustifolia per one testing container. Three testing samples have been made for 1 type of root barrier material, which become a total 42 specimens. Planted testing samples have been installed within the greenhouse, which will be observed regularly for 2 years from now on. We started test from July 11, 2008 and had performed intermediate observations every month for initial 3 months. From the 3rd intermediate observation on Sept. 18, we confirmed that 6 types of root barrier materials have penetrated roots. Even though two types of them(EDPM Sheet, Polyethylene Sheet) have been generally used as root barrier materials for roof planting system, all of three testing samples have a lot of penetrated roots. This result proves that it is not reasonable to introduce testing methods of root barrier from Europe or Japan.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.35-44
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• 2014

In this study, the bio-phytoremediation and phytoremediation technologies were applied to the soils contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and heavy metals to evaluate the remediation efficacy from May 2012 to December 2013. Poplar (Populus bonatii Levl.) and Sun Hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) were selected and planted in phytoremediation practice. These plants were also utilized in the bio-phytoremediation practice, with the addition of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) and petroleum-degrading bacteria (Pseudomonos sp. NKNU01). Furthermore, physiological characteristics, such as photosynthesis rate and maximal photochemical yield, of all testing plants were also measured in order to assess their health conditions and tolerance levels in adverse environment. After 20 months of remedial practice, the results showed that bio-phytoremediation practice had a higher rate of TPH removal efficacy at 30-60 cm depth soil than that of phytoremediation. However, inconsistent results were discovered while analyzing the soil at 100 cm depth. The study also showed that the removal efficiency of heavy metals was lower than that of TPH after remediation treatment. The results from test field tissue sample analysis revealed that more Zinc than Chromium was absorbed and accumulated by the tested plants. Plant height measurements of Poplar and Sun Hemp showed that there were insignificant differences of growth between the plants in remediation plots and those in the control plot. Physiological data of Poplar also suggested it has higher tolerance level toward the contaminated soils. These results indicated that the two testing plants were healthy and suitable for this remediation study.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.146-155
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• 2016

The field feasibility tests for a phytoextraction process were performed to identify the effect of citric acid as a chelate on the uranium (U) transfer into the plant for the naturally U contaminated soil in Duckpyeongri, Korea. For the feasibility tests, lettuce and Chinese cabbage were cultivated for 49 days on four testing grounds ($1m{\times}1m{\times}0.5m$ in each) in 2016. The citric acid solution was added to two testing grounds (one for lettuce and the other for Chinese cabbage) increasing the U transfer in two crop plants and their results were compared to those without the citric acid solution. When without the citric acid solution, the U concentration of plant after the cultivation was low (< $45{\mu}g/kg$ for leaves and < $450{\mu}g/kg$ for roots). However, with the addition of 50 mM citric acid solution, the U concentration of lettuce leaves and roots increased by 24 times and 1.8 times, and the U concentration of Chinese cabbage leaves and roots increased by 86.7 times and 5.4 times. The absolute accumulated U amount (${\mu}g$) in lettuce and Chinese cabbage also increased by 8.7 times and 50 times, compared to those without citric acid solution. Less than 8% of the U amount of exchangeable/carbonate phases was removed by using the lettuce and Chinese cabbage when the citric acid solution was not applied. However 52% and 66% of the U amount in exchangeable/carbonate phases were removed by the lettuce and the Chinese cabbage when the citric acid solution was added. The effect of the citric acid on the U transfer capability into the plants was quantitatively investigated by the field feasibility test, suggesting that U existing as exchangeable/carbonate phase in soil can be successfully removed by the phytoextraction process using Chinese cabbage with citric acid.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.291-321
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• 2011

The paper describes a simple numerical FLAC model that was developed to simulate the dynamic response of two instrumented reduced-scale model reinforced soil walls constructed on a 1-g shaking table. The models were 1 m high by 1.4 m wide by 2.4 m long and were constructed with a uniform size sand backfill, a polymeric geogrid reinforcement material with appropriately scaled stiffness, and a structural full-height rigid panel facing. The wall toe was constructed to simulate a perfectly hinged toe (i.e. toe allowed to rotate only) in one model and an idealized sliding toe (i.e. toe allowed to rotate and slide horizontally) in the other. Physical and numerical models were subjected to the same stepped amplitude sinusoidal base acceleration record. The material properties of the component materials (e.g. backfill and reinforcement) were determined from independent laboratory testing (reinforcement) and by back-fitting results of a numerical FLAC model for direct shear box testing to the corresponding physical test results. A simple elastic-plastic model with Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion for the sand was judged to give satisfactory agreement with measured wall results. The numerical results are also compared to closed-form solutions for reinforcement loads. In most cases predicted and closed-form solutions fall within the accuracy of measured loads based on ${\pm}1$ standard deviation applied to physical measurements. The paper summarizes important lessons learned and implications to the seismic design and performance of geosynthetic reinforced soil walls.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.625-638
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• 2016

This paper presents field study and numerical modeling results for a single-cell low-fill concrete box culvert under a flexible pavement subjected to traffic loading. The culvert in the field test was instrumented with displacement transducers to capture the deformations resulting from different combinations of static and traffic loads. A low-boy truck with a known axle configuration and loads was used to apply seven static load combinations and traffic loads at different speeds. Deflections under the culvert roof were measured during loading. Soil and pavement samples were obtained by drilling operation on the test site. The properties of the soil and pavement layers were determined in the laboratory. A 3-D numerical model of the culvert was developed using a finite difference program FLAC3D. Linear elastic models were used for the pavement layers and soil. The numerical results with the material properties determined in the laboratory were compared with the field test results. The observed deflections in the field test were generally smaller under moving loads than static loads. The maximum deflections measured during the static and traffic loads were 0.6 mm and 0.41 mm respectively. The deflections computed by the numerical method were in good agreement with those observed in the field test. The deflection profiles obtained from the field test and the numerical simulation suggest that the traffic load acted more like a concentrated load distributed over a limited area on the culvert. Elastic models for culverts, pavement layers, and surrounding soil are appropriate for numerical modeling of box culverts under loading for load rating purposes.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

The unconfined compression strength (UCS) of soils is commonly used either before or during the construction of geo-structures. In the pre-design stage, UCS as a mechanical property is obtained through a laboratory test that requires cumbersome procedures and high costs from in-situ sampling and sample preparation. As an alternative way, the empirical model established from limited testing cases is used to economically estimate the UCS. However, many parameters affecting the 1D soil compression response hinder employing the traditional statistical analysis. In this study, gene expression programming (GEP) is adopted to develop a prediction model of UCS with common affecting soil properties. A total of 79 undisturbed soil samples are collected, of which 54 samples are utilized for the generation of a predictive model and 25 samples are used to validate the proposed model. Experimental studies are conducted to measure the unconfined compression strength and basic soil index properties. A performance assessment of the prediction model is carried out using statistical checks including the correlation coefficient (R), the root mean square error (RMSE), the mean absolute error (MAE), the relatively squared error (RSE), and external criteria checks. The prediction model has achieved excellent accuracy with values of R, RMSE, MAE, and RSE of 0.98, 10.01, 7.94, and 0.03, respectively for the training data and 0.92, 19.82, 14.56, and 0.15, respectively for the testing data. From the sensitivity analysis and parametric study, the liquid limit and fine content are found to be the most sensitive parameters whereas the sand content is the least critical parameter.