• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2014

Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the bentonite-buffer was evaluated using the relative humidity data. The method for calculating unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was deduced from the general analytical equation representing the movement of water in unsaturated media, which was applied to the experimental results of water infiltration tests for identifying the behavior of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity according to the water saturation. Unlike the saturated condition, the hydraulic gradient and water flux were irregularly changed, and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was increased with increasing the experimental time. Swelling of bentonite grains due to the water absorption increased the volume and size of pore within bentonite, resulting in the increase of water velocity and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. This result suggested the necessity of further investigation on the correlation between the swelling degree of bentonite-buffer and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. The method used in this study can be useful technique for evaluating long-term hydraulic performance of bentonite-buffer in the radioactive waste disposal system.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.330-335
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• 1998

This research was conducted to evaluate the adhesion in tension of the polymer mortars for cement concrete repair. Various polymer types, binder ratios, and wet/dry conditions of the surface were considered in this study. Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and ethylen vinyl acetate (EVA) used for polymer cement mortars. Epoxy resin (EP), and unsaturated polyester resin (UP) were used for polymer mertars. Adhesion in tension for the dry condition of the substrate surface was higher than that for the wet condition of the substrate surface under the same binder ratio. Therefore, in repairing concrete, the dry surface condition was effective on adhesion.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.339-349
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• 2020

This study investigates the feasibility of using the results of the UPV (ultrasonic pulse velocity) test to assess the UCS (unconfined compressive strength) of unsaturated soil. A series of laboratory tests was conducted on samples of unsaturated lateritic soils of northern Taiwan. Specifically, the unconfined compressive test was combined with the pressure plate test to obtain the unconfined compressive strength and its matric suction (s) of the samples. Soil samples were first compacted at the designated water content and subsequently subjected to the wetting process for saturation and the following drying process to its target suction using the apparatus developed by the authors. The correlations among the UCS, s and UPV were studied. The test results show that both the UCS and UPV significantly increased with the matric suction regardless of the initial compaction condition, but neither the UCS nor UPV obviously varied when the matric suction was less than the air-entry value. In addition, the UCS approximately linearly increased with increasing UPV. According to the investigation of the test results, simplified methods to estimate the UCS using the UPV or matric suction were established. Furthermore, an empirical formula of the matric suction calculated from the UPV was proposed. From the comparison between the predicted values and the test results, the MAPE values of UCS were 4.52-9.98% and were less than 10%, and the MAPE value of matric suction was 17.3% and in the range of 10-20%. Thus, the established formulas have good forecasting accuracy and may be applied to the stability analysis of the unsaturated soil slope. However, further study is warranted for validation.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 2022

Environmental contamination by organic compounds are not only restricted to water, but extends to soil and groundwater as well. However, highly oxidized compounds, such as halogenated organics and nitro-compounds, can be detoxified employing reducing methods. Permeable reactive barrier is one of the representative technologies where zero-valent metals (ZVMs) are employed for groundwater remediation. However, organics contaminates often contaminate the unsaturated zone above the groundwater. Despite the availability of technologies like soil vapor extraction and bioremediation, removing organic compounds from this zone represents several challenges. In this study, the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline was achieved using zero-valent iron (ZVI) under unsaturated conditions. Results indicated that the water content was an important variable in this reaction. Under dry conditions (water content = 0.2%), the reduction reaction was inhibited; however, when the water content was between 10% and 25% (saturated condition), ZVI can reduce nitrobenzene. Palladized iron (Pd/Fe) can be used to reduce nitrobenzene when the water content is between 2.5% and 10%. The reaction was evaluated over a wide range of temperatures (10 - 40 ℃), and the results indicated that increasing the temperature resulted in increased reaction rates under unsaturated conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2008

It has been recognized that the behaviour of unsaturated soil plays an important role in geomechanics. However, up to now, only a few experimental data are available for the technical difficulties related to both volume changes and suction measurements. In this study, the volume changes of unsaturated compacted silty soil were monitored with proximeter during various triaxial compression tests, which gave a realistic estimation in the volume changes of unsaturated soil sample. From the test results, the behaviours of wetting-induced collapses are observed during the drainage/water absorption tests. Under exhausted-drained conditions during shearing, the shear strength increases with an increasing initial suction. On the other hand, the volume changes become small with an increase in the initial suction. And, the volumetric strain during shearing is independent of the confining pressure.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.5-15
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• 2013

In this paper, the unsaturated slope stability analysis considering suction stress (Lu and Godt, 2008) was introduced and the results applied for a certain sand slope were analyzed. The unsaturated slope stability analysis considering suction stress can analyze both conditions of steady infiltration and no infiltration, and it can estimate the safety factor of slope as a function of soil depth. Also, the influence of weathering phenomenon at a certain depth from the ground surface can be considered. The stability analysis considering suction stress was applied to the unsaturated infinite slope composed of sand with the relative density of 60%. The suction stress under no infiltration condition was affected by ground water table until a certain influencing depth. However, the suction stress under steady infiltration condition was affected by seepage throughout the soils. Especially, the maximum suction stress was displayed around ground surface. The factor of safety in the infinite slope under no infiltration condition rapidly increased and decreased within the influence zone of ground water table. As a result of slope stability analysis, the factor of safety is less than 1 at the depth of 2.4 m below the ground surface. It means that the probability of slope failure is too high within the range of depths. The factor of safety under steady infiltration condition is greater than that under no infiltration condition due to the change of suction stress induced by seepage. As the steady infiltration rate of precipitation was getting closer to the saturated hydraulic conductivity, the factor of safety decreased. In case of the steady infiltration rate of precipitation with $-1.8{\times}10^{-3}cm/s$, the factor of safety is less than 1 at the depths between 0.2 m and 3 m below the ground surface. It means that the probability of slope failure is too high within the range of depths, and type of slope failure is likely to be shallow landslides.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.273-278
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• 2008

This study was carried out in order to test unsaturated hydraulic conductivity estimation of van Genuchten's and Campbell's models using one-step outflow method through Tempe pressure cell. The undisturbed soil cores (columns) were taken from Ap1, B1 and C horizons of Songjeong series (the fine loamy, mesic family of Typic Hapludults). After the saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks of the cores was determined by constant head method, water outflow rate and retentivity of cores were measured in Tempe pressure cell. Fitted curves by models accorded to measured data except for both end of pressure range. In near-saturated condition, measured water retention characteristics showed a relatively better fitness with Campbell's model than van Genuchten's. The soil unsaturated conductivity estimated by Campbell's model was higher than by van Genuchten's. In Ap1 and B1 horizon, the soil unsaturated conductivities obtained by one-step outflow method went between van Genuchten's and Campbell's hydraulic functions, slightly closer to van Genuchten's. In C horizon, van Genuchten's model had better fitness with the one-step outflow data. Consequently, van Genuchten's model generally had better fitness with measured hydraulic conductivity than Campbell's model at the soil water potential range of -10~-75 kPa, especially in C1 horizon. In near-saturated condition, Campbell's model could be thought as relatively accurate hydraulic model, because of the better fitness of Campbell's model with soil water retention data than van Genuchten's model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.189-192
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• 2001

Resin transfer molding process has been widely used in the automobile industry, because the product with large area can be manufactured easily and the cost for the manufacturing is lower than that of compression molding and hand lay up method. Since RTM process is suitable for large bus housing panels, in this work, the composite housing panel was manufactured by RTM process and the mechanical properties, surface quality and the condition of manufacturing process were studied.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2016

This study was performed to evaluate the strength and durability properties of modified epoxy composites with waste tire chip, recycled coarse aggregate, filler and modified epoxy to improve elongation and elasticity of epoxy. Additionally, for comparing to modified epoxy and unsaturated polyester resin as a binder, unsaturated polyester resin composites were developed in the same condition. The mix proportions were determined to satisfy the requirement for the workability and slump according to aggregate size and binder content. Tests for the compressive and flexural strength, freezing and thawing and durability for 20 % sulfuric solution were performed. The compressive and flexural strength of modified epoxy composites were in the range of 34.9~61.6 MPa and 10.2~18.3 MPa at the curing 7 days, respectively. Also, the compressive and flexural strength of unsaturated polyester resin composites were in the range of 44.2~77.8 MPa and 11.3~20.8 MPa at the curing 7 days, respectively. After 300 cycles of freezing and thawing, weight decrease ratio and durability factor of modified epoxy composites were in the range of 0.8~1.9 % and 95~98, respectively. Accordingly, modified epoxy composites will greatly improve the durability of concrete.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.681-687
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• 2008

It is well known that the water infiltration rate depends on soil properties such as soil water content, water head, capillary suction, density, hydraulic conductivity, and porosity. However, most of proposed infiltration models assume that the air phase is continuous and in equilibrium with the atmosphere or air compression and air entrapment on infiltration was not considered. This study presents experimental results on unsaturated water infiltration to relate air entrapment and hydraulic conductivity function based on soil air properties. The objectives of this study were to measure change of soil air pressure ahead of wetting front under air drain and air confined condition to find the confined air effect on infiltration rate, to reduce the entrapped air volume related with soil air pressure to increase the soil permeability, and to make a basis of infiltration process model for the purpose of improvement of infiltration rate in the homogeneous soil column. The results of the work show that soil air pressure increases according to increasement of the saturated soil depth rather than the wetting front depth during infiltration process.