• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.5 s.58
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• pp.369-377
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• 2005

The stability of underground openings is a major concern for the safety and productivity of mining operations. Rock mass classification methods provide the basis of many empirical design methods as well as a basis for numerical analysis. Of the many factors which influence the stability of openings, the span of the opening for a given rock mass condition provides an important parameter of design. In this paper, the critical span curves proposed by Lang, the Mathews stability graph method and the modified critical span curve suggested by the authors have been assessed. The modified critical span curve was proposed by using Mathews stability graph method. The modified critical span curve by the author have been used to assess the stability of underground openings in several limestone mines.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.243-251
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• 2008

Recently, the mining methods are changing from surface mining to underground mining because of the increment of the environmental issues and legal regulations. Therefore, the stability of underground openings is a major concern for the safety and productivity of mining operations. In this paper, a survey of structural geology and discontinuities were carried out at a limestone mine. The relevant mechanical properties of rocks were determined by the laboratory tests and rock mass classifications (RMR and Q-system) for the mine design and input data for the stability analysis. The dimensions of unsupported span for underground openings and pillar were decided based on the RMR values of rock mass classifications. The stability analysis for the suggested mine design was examined through the empirical methods (stability graph method and critical span curve) and 3-D numerical analysis (Visual-FEA).

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.573-581
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• 2019

Excavation of underground cavern and shaft was proposed for the construction of a ventilation facility in an urban area. A shaft connects the street-level air plenum to an underground cavern, which extends down approximately 46 m below the street surface. At the project site, the rock mass was relatively strong and well-defined joint sets were present. A kinematic block stability analysis was first performed to estimate the required reinforcement system. Then a 3-D discontinuum numerical analysis was conducted to evaluate the capacity of the initial support and the overall stability of the required excavation, followed by a 3-D continuum numerical analysis to complement the calculated result. This paper illustrates the application of detailed numerical analyses to the design of the required initial support system for the stability of underground hard rock mining at a relatively shallow depth.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.621-640
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• 2019

Quantitative stability assessment of underground cavities can be presented as a factor of safety based on the Shear Strength Reduction Method (SSRM). Also, SSRM is one of the stability evaluation methods commonly used in slope stability analysis. However, there is a lack of research that considers the relationship between the probability of occurrence of cavities in the ground and the potential failure surface of the slope at the same time. In this study, the effect of small underground cavities on the failure behavior of the slope was analyzed by using SSRM. Considering some of the glaciology studies, there is a case that suggests that there is a cavity effect inside the glacier in the condition that the glacier slides. In this study, the stability evaluation of underground cavities and slope stability analysis, where SSRM is used in geotechnical engineering field, was carried out considering simultaneous conditions. The slope stability analysis according to the shape and position change of underground cavities which are likely to occur in the lower part of a mountain road was analyzed by using SSRM in FLAC3D software and the influence of underground cavities on the slope factor of safety was confirmed. If there are underground cavities near slope potential failure surface, it will affect the calculation of a factor of safety. The results of this study are expected to be basic data on slope stability analysis with small underground cavities.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.101-113
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• 2003

Nowadays, the construction of new ground structures, which can influence the stability of existing underground structures, is increasing. Consequently, many technical problems occur during the design and construction stage of the new structures. In constructing a neighboring structure, reasonable design and construction is strongly required to balance between the stability of the existing underground structures and the economy of construction of the new structure in terms of the importance of the existing underground structures. Many researches have been performed to estimate the safe region and behavior of underground structures. Constructing a new ground structure above the existing underground structure, external loads are to be applied to the existing underground structure. In this study, therefore, the stability and safe region of the existing underground structure was re-established with respect to the relative location of the new ground structure with the underground structure, the depth from surface to top of the underground structures, and ground conditions.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.193-205
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• 2008

The construction of underground structures such as oil and food storage caverns are recently increasing in our country. The stability of those underground caverns are greatly influenced by their shape and size. In this study therefore, the effect that the shape of an underground cavern have on its stability were analyzed in terms of safety factor. To this end, caverns with 5 different shapes were investigated and sensitivity analyses were performed based on rock class, overburden, and lateral earth pressure coefficient. The proper amount of shotcrete and rockbolt as supports of a cavern was also assumed based on the shape and site of the cavern and rock conditions. This study is expected to be helpful in designing and evaluating the stability of caverns in future.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.189-198
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• 2009

Recently the concern about the construction of underground structures such as oil and food storage caverns is increasing in Korea and abroad. The stability of those underground caverns is greatly influenced by shape factor and the size of excavation area as well as the joint conditions. In this study, therefore, the effect of the shape factor of an underground cavern on its stability was analyzed in terms of safety factor. To this end, four different shape factors of a cavern excavated in good rock conditions were investigated and sensitivity analyses were performed based on overburden, lateral earth pressure coefficient, joint spacing, properties, and orientation. The stability of a cavern is evaluated in terms of safety factor estimated numerically based on the shear strength reduction technique. In future, this study is expected to be helpful in designing and evaluating the stability of caverns excavated in discontinuous rock masses.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2000.09a
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• pp.195-200
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• 2000

Numerical analysis using FLACSD has been conducted to estimate the stability of a large underground hall that is to be excavated in a mined area and constructed as an unit of a resort park. Numerical modelling is divided into two stages. The first stage is related to the analysis of the mechanical stability of the hall itself and the second to that of the influence of an adjacent mined cavity upon the hall. In the first stage, the stability of the hall is judged from the interpretation of numerical results in three respects: convergence of the unbalanced force of the model, occurrence of plastic zones and distribution of the displacement. In the second stage, variation of the stress state around the underground hall due to the existence of the cavity is compared to that in the case of the absence of the cavity. Through these analyses, it could be known that the large underground hall is not exposed to any mechanical problems and also not affected by the adjacent cavity. Key words : 3D numerical analysis, large underground cavern, stability analysis

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2022

The existence of underground cavity should be considered in the assessment of georisk such as ground subsidence. Even if the shear strength of the ground around the cavity is known, it is difficult to accurately analyze the safety around the cavity due to the uncertainties related to geometric conditions such as the cavity size. In this paper, stability chart representing dimensionless stability constants was proposed based on the ground strength and geometric conditions. Numerical analysis had been carried out accounting for the stability constants such as the ground strength, the adhesion and friction angles, and the size and depth of the underground cavity. The proposed charts can help estimating the stability of ground with underground circular cavity.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.23-38
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• 2018

Up to now, most of studies on seismic analysis have been limited to analyze buildings and underground structures individually so that the interaction between them could not be analyzed effectively. Thus, in this study, a dynamic analysis was conducted for soil-structure interaction with a complex underground facility composed of a building and an adjacent underground structure constructed on a surface soil and the bed rock ground conditions. Seismic stability was analyzed based on interstory drift ratio and bending stress of structure members. As a result, an underground structure has more effect on a high-rise building than a low-rise building. However the above structures were proved to be favorable for seismic stability. On the other hand, tensile bending stresses exceeded the allowable value at the underground part of the building and the adjacent underground structure so that it turned out that the underground part could be weaker than the above part. Therefore, it is inferred that above and underground structures should be analyzed simultaneously for better prediction of their interaction behavior during seismic analyses because there exist various structures around buildings in big cities.