• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.5-12
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• 2013

In this study, weathered granite model tests were performed to investigate the variation of volumetric water content and matric suction by the adsorption and desorption processes of artificial rainfall. It has been compared with numerical analysis in unsaturated condition. As the results, the behaviors of volumetric water content and matric suction were distinguished by the seepage distance separated into higher, middle and lower area, and the drainage layer located at the bottom of the experimental device. In the adsorption process, the instantaneously large change of matric suction and water content were related to the increase of permeability in soil. However, in the desorption process, the change of matric suction and water content were gradually small because of the decrease of permeability. The volumetric water content and matric suction showed the difference according to the seepage distance, however the typical characteristic curves were made by the adsorption and desorption processes.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.53-63
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to validate the suitability of an digital image analysis (DIA) method to measure the degree of saturation in the unsaturated conditions. This study was carried out on the Joo-Mun-Jin standard sand. A one-dimensional sand column test was used in the constant water level condition to get the correlation equation between the color number ($C_n$) and the measured degree of saturation (5). In addition, the hanging wale. column technique to determine the soil-water charactenstic curve (SWCC) was performed in a Buchner funnel. The average degree of saturation ($S_{ave}$) in the SWCC could be obtained by substituting average color number at each suction head value with the $C_n\;-\;S$ correlation equation. Comparisons were made between the measured results by the hanging water column test and those obtained from DIA method. Results showed that the DIA method tested here provided fairly good saturation distribution values in the drying and wetting processes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.673-678
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• 2010

In this paper, the limit load of granular materials was evaluated considering unsaturated shear strength. The unsaturated shear strength parameters were estimated using the results from triaxial compression test and soil-water characteristic curves test. In addition, the limit load of different rates of materials was compared. Also, two important design parameters, yield and failure load were defined utilizing 2-D nonlinear finite element analysis respectively.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.69-81
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• 2001

The constitutive relation among capillary pressure, saturation and relative permeability should be predetermined in order to simulate immiscible water-gas flow in porous media. The relation between saturation and relative permeability becomes more important when the capillary force can be disregarded and viscous friction force governs the flow. In this study, a 2-dimensional finite difference numerical model was developed, in which the variation of viscosity with pressure and that of relative permeability with water saturation can be treated. Seven cases of parallel plate tests were performed in order to obtain the characteristic equation of relative permeability which would be used in. the developed numerical model. It was not possible, however, to match the curves of relative permeability from the plate tests with the existing emperical models. Consequently a logistic equation was proposed as a new emperical model. As this model was composed of the parameter involving aperture size, any aperture size of fracture can be applied to the model. For the purpose of verification, the characteristic equation of relative permeability was applied to the developed numerical model and the computed results were compared with those of plate test. As a result of application of numerical model, in order to check the field applicability, to single fracture surrounding an underground storage cavern, the simultaneous flow of water and propane gas was able to be simulated properly by the model.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.695-705
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• 2024

As a result of Typhoon Hinnamnoh, several slope failures occurred in the Pohang region, it is necessary to perform infiltration and slope stability analyses due to the actual rainfall. In the failed sites, samples were collected, and the hydro-mechanical properties of unsaturated soil were examined. Modeling the actual behavior using a single-mode function characteristic curve was found to be inadequate, leading to the adoption of a dual-mode function characteristic curve. The dual-mode function showed better agreement with the water retention test data. We calculated the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity for single and dual modes and performed rainfall-induced infiltration analysis. The variations in saturation and pore water pressure were calculated due to rainfall for three landslide-prone areas, Stability analysis based on effective stress of unsaturated soil was conducted, and safety factors were computed over time steps. The dual-mode model successfully reproduced landslides triggered by Typhoon Hinnamnoh, while the single-mode model exhibited a minimum safety factor of 1.2-1.3, making slope failure unpredictable. The dual-mode model accurately predicted instability in the slope by appropriately accounting for pore water pressure variations during Typhoon.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.45-51
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• 2012

The shear strength of weathered granite soils under unsaturated condition was evaluated by $K_0$ consolidated triaxial tests. Various matric suctions in the unsaturated triaxial tests were applied using suction-controlled triaxial test apparatus for weathered granite soils obtained in Daegu. Soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) laboratory tests for drying and wetting procedure were performed and van Genuchten curves were fitted by experimental results. The contribution of matric suction in unsaturated soils is directly correlated to effective stress and evaluated from SWCCs. The effective stresses were estimated from these SWCCs and the relationship between effective stress and unsaturated shear strength was determined. In the effective stress description, the unsaturated shear strength with respect to various suctions indicates unique relationship and almost the same as that of the saturated envelope.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2023

Recent weather changes have led to an increase in heavy rainfall resulting in frequent large-scale slope failures. To minimize damage to life and property, a measurement system is used in slope failure warning systems. However, understanding the slope failure behavior is difficult as the measurement system only measures a specific point. Therefore, numerical analysis must be p erformed with the measurement system. The soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) drying curve and boundary conditions that consider evapotranspiration and precipitation have been applied to numerical analysis, but the hysteresis of SWCC affects the numerical analysis results. To address this, a new evapotranspiration calculation method is proposed and applied to boundary conditions, and the measurement data are compared with the results of the numerical analysis. This method takes into account the different infiltration behaviors on evapotranspiration according to the drying and wetting curves of the SWCC, and allows for a more rational prediction of water movement on unsaturated slopes.