• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.73-84
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• 2013

When a slope failure or a debris flow occurs, a shear strength on failure plane becomes nearly zero and soil begins to flow like a non-cohesive liquid. A consistency of cohesive soils changes as a water content increases. Even a cohesive soil existing at liquid limit state has a small amount of shear strength. In this study, a water content, at which a shear strength of cohesive soils is zero and then cohesive soils will start to flow, was proposed. Three types of clays (kaolinite, bentonite and kaolinite (50%)+bentonite (50%)) were mixed with three different solutions (distilled water, sea water and microbial solution) at liquid limit state and then their water contents were increased step by step. Then, their undrained shear strength was measured using a portable vane shear device called Torvane. The ranges of undrained shear strength at liquid and plastic limits are 3.6-9.2 kPa and 24-45 kPa, respectively. On the other hand, the water content that corresponds to the value of the undrained shear strength changing most rapidly is called flow water content. The flow limit refers to the water content when undrained shear strength of cohesive soils is zero. In order to investigate the relationship between liquid limit and flow limit, the cohesive index was defined as a value of the difference between flow limit and liquid limit. The new plasticity index was defined as the value of difference between flow limit and plastic limit. The new liquidity index was also defined using flow limit. The values of flow limit are 1.5-2 times higher than those of liquid limit. At the same time, the values of new plasticity index are 2-5.5 times higher than those of original plasticity index.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.87-98
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• 2007

A series of dilatometer test, field vane test, and $CK_0U$ triaxial test were performed for clayey soils of Busan new port site to develop the relationships between undrained shear strength and the DMT results. Normalized undrained shear strength is turned out to be $S_{u(CKU)}/{\sigma}'_v=0.30{\sim}0.35\;for\;CK_0U$ triaxial test and ${\mu}S_{u(VST)}/{\sigma}'_v=0.20{\sim}0.22$ for vane shear test. By comparing the undrained shear strength estimated from DMT indices with the results measured by in-situ vane test or $CK_0U$ triaxial test, two methods to predict the undrained shear strength from DMT results are suggested. One is based on the relationship between $S_u/{\sigma}'_v$ and horizontal stress index (KD) while another method comes from $N_c-I_D$ and $N_c-E_D$ correlation. It was observed that the method based on $N_c-I_D\;or\;N_c-E_D$ relation shows slightly better accuracy than the one based on $K_D$ although all of the methods suggested in this study provided comparable values of predicted undrained shear strength. Since the definitions of $I_D\;and\;E_D$ contain $p_1-p_0$, in which soil condition is reflected, it is believed that the prediction method using $N_c$ is capable of taking a material type into consideration.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.41-54
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• 1987

Although natural soil deposits hat.e been consolidated under Ko-stress system, the soil behavior has been predicted in laboratory from the results of tests performed on specimens consolidated under an isotropic stress s).stem. A series of undrained triaxial compression tests are performed on remolded specimens of clay consolidated under both types of stress systems, and the results at.e compared. One dimensional consolidation history induces anisotropy in clalrs, which is called as the stress induced anisotropy. However, if the clays would be reconsolidated under isotropic stress system. the anisotropy of undrained stress비h would be decreased with decrease of overconsolidation ratio. Undrained shear strength of norma]Iy consolidated clay depends on consolidation methods. Both the Rutledge hypothesis and the study of Henkel and Sowa do not agree with the test results obtained in this paper. In addition, a new theory is explained about the relationships between consolidation stresses, water contents and undiained shear strength.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2005

The research has been done to obtain a empirical equation for the depth of replacement by the analysis of data collected from 8 sea-dike construction sites of south coast of Korean peninsula. The correlation analysis results show that the depth of replacement was mainly dependent upon the height of embankment and the undrained shear strength of soft soil. The suggested regression equation was quite well predicted the depth of replacement and recommended to use under certain restrictions where the embankment height was less than 10m and under 0.2 kgf/cm^{2} of the undrained shear strength of soil.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.153-162
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• 1996

The undrained creep tests with isotropically and anisotropically overconsolidated clays were performed to investigate the effects of anisotropic consolidation on the undrained creep rupture behavior. Results of tests showed that the undrained creep rupture behaviors were iuluenced significantly by stress history including overconsolidation ratio and consolidation pressure ratio$(\sigma_{3c}/\sigma_{le})$. That is. the creep strength of clay increases with the increase of both overconsolidation ratio and consolidation pressure ratio. It, therefore, is dangerous to decide the possibility of creep rupture of clay by the isotropically consolidated creep rupture test in the case of the coefficient of earth pressure lower than 1.0. And the creep strength of clay could be obtained by the equation of the upper yield strength suggested by Finn and Shead(1973) irrespective of both overconsolidation ratio and consolidation pressure ratio.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.3296-3301
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• 2009

The results of PCPT(Pezocone Penetration Test) are widely used for the estimation of the undrained shear strength, for which the empirical cone factors($N_{kt}$, $N_{ke}$, $N_{{\Delta}u}$) need to be obtained at each site. In this study, the cone factors were estimated, for the soils at Bookmyun area in Changwon city, using the undrained shear strengths from the unconfined and UU triaxial compression tests. The parametric studies with plastic index and pore water pressure ratio were performed as well. $N_{kt}$, $N_{ke}$ and $N_{{\Delta}u}$ were estimated in the ranges of 8~40, 7~37, and 1~26 respectively. It was observed that there is a relationship between the cone factors, specially $N_{{\Delta}u}$, and the pore pressure ratio.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.1124-1131
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• 2008

Thanks to a new in-situ seismic probe, using bender elements and penetration scheme, a simple linear relationship between undrained shear strength(Cu) and shear wave velocity(Vs) was obtained. This priceless relationship is worthy to be illuminated further in ideal laboratory environment. To avoid sampling disturbance effect, special consolidation cylinders were used to make normally consolidated specimens from kaolinite suspension. The undrained shear strengths of the specimens were measured using unconsolidated undrained triaxial compression tests. Also shear wave velocity measurements were performedprior to shearing the same specimens, using the bender elements installed in the base pedestal and the top cap of the triaxial compression cell. The Cu-Vs relationship is fairly linear and supports the linear trend of clayey silt obtained using field testing. Also the classic density-shear modulus relationship for soft clay proposed by Hardin and Black(1969) was once more verified hereby.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.149-163
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• 2023

This paper presents stability evaluation of unlined tunnels with semi-circular arch and straight sides (SASS) driven in non-homogeneous and anisotropic undrained clay. Numerical analysis has been conducted based on lower bound finite element limit analysis with second order cone programming under plane strain condition. The solutions will be used for the assessment of stability of unlined semi-circular arch tunnels and tunnels in which semi-circular roof is supported over rectangular/square sections. The stability charts have been generated in terms of a non-dimensional factor considering linear variation in undrained anisotropic strength for normally consolidated and lightly over consolidated clay with depth, and constant undrained anisotropic strength for heavily over-consolidated clay across the depth. The effect of normalized surcharge pressure on ground surface, non-homogeneity and anisotropy of clay, tunnel cover to width ratio and height to width ratio of tunnel on the stability factor and associated zone of shear failure at yielding have been examined and discussed. The geometry of tunnel in terms of shape and size, and non-homogeneity and anisotropy in undrained strength of clay has been observed to influence significantly the stability of unlined SASS tunnels.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.169-179
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• 2003

Undrained shear strength of clay deposit is one of the most important properties in the design of geotechnical structures. The use of piezocone test is rapidly growing due to its merit that can measure the in-situ undrained shear strength continuously with less error. The reliability of the shear strength from piezocone test depends upon the cone factor applied. Many researchers have suggested different ranges of values for the factors. This study performs to find out the validity of the suggested values in Korea and their charateristics related to the mechanical properties of clay. Piezocone tests were performed at the site of pilot project of ground improvement at Yangsan-Mulgeum Gyeongnam to investigate the charateristics of piezocone factors. The piezocone fators$(N_{kt}, N_{ke}, N_{\Delta u})$ based on the undrained shear strength from quick triaxial compression test are generally within the suggested range. And there appears considerable relations between undrained shear strength and $(N_{kt}, N_{ke}, N_{\Delta u})$ and between preconsolidation pressure and $(N_{kt}, N_{ke})$, while plasticity index, rigidity index and friction ratio do not show any relations with cone factors. The results also reveal that factor $(N_{\Delta u})$ shows higher reliability than factors $(N_{kt} and N_{ke})$, which show smaller standard deviation, breadth of change and scattering.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.73-84
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• 2005

A three layered neural network model was developed using back propagation algorithm to estimate the UU undrained shear strength of Korean soft soil based on the database of actual undrained shear strengths and piezocone measurements compiled from 8 sites over the Korea. The developed model was validated by comparing model predictions with measured values about new piezocone data, which were not previously employed during development of model. Performance of the neural network model was also compared with conventional empirical methods. It was found that the number of neuron in hidden layer is different for the different combination of transfer functions of neural network models. However, all piezocone neural network models are successful in inferring a complex relationship between piezocone measurements and the undrained shear strength of Korean soft soils, which give relatively high coefficients of determination ranging from 0.69 to 0.72. Since neural network model has been generalized by self-learning from database of piezocone measurements and undrained shear strength over the various sites, the developed neural network models give more precise and generally reliable undrained shear strengths than empirical approaches which still need site specific calibration.