• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.368-372
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• 2008

This study evaluates the usefulness and capability of surface electrical resistivity technique for identifying the weak zones or subsurface cavities in karst area with limestone formation. Weak zones or cavities near surface can be potentially dangerous and several problems are associated with collapse of roads or buildings accompanied by subsidence phenomena. In this paper, both two and three dimensional resistivity investigation were conducted to investigate subsidence along a road in Yongweol-ri, Muan-gun, South Korea. The results of the resistivity survey using dipole-dipole array provide a clear view of the weathered regolith, the distribution of weak zones or cavities and bedrock. Several low resistivity areas were identified and subsequent drilling led to the discovery of several weak zone or clay-filled underground cavities. The drilling results show excellent correlation with the resistivity images. It is illustrated, the ability of electrical technique to produce high resolution images of subsurface, which are useful for subsidence assessment. Also the results of this study have demonstrated that two and three dimensional electrical resistivity surveys are useful for delineating the subsidence area. Based on resistivity imaging, the map of hazardous zone has been developed.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.475-487
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• 2017

We performed landslide flume tests to analyze characteristics of landslide occurrence and change in the ground materials due to rainfall infiltration. The test apparatus is composed of flume, rainfall simulator, and measurement sensors and landslides were triggered by heavy rainfall (Intensity=200 mm/hr) sprinkled at the above of an artificial slope. The measurement sensors for matric suction and volumetric water content were installed with 3 sets at shallow (GL-0.2 m), middle (GL-0.4 m), and deep depth (GL-0.6 m) in the slope and the tests were performed with in-situ, loose, and dense condition of each weathered soils of granite, gneiss, and mudstone. The analyses show that surface erosion was dominant in initial time of the test due to heavy rainfall and then landslides occur following locally happened transverse tension cracks. The characteristics of landslide were both shallow failure because of a spread of wetting front induced by the rainfall infiltration and retrogressive failure. While the matric suction was decreased rapidly without any precursor in the soil saturation, the volumetric water content was increased gradually, reached its maximum value, and then decreased rapidly with landslide.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.289-302
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• 2020

To determine the shallow subsurface structure and sliding surface of land creeping in 2016 at Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, geophysical surveys (electric resistivity, and refraction seismic methods, borehole televiewer) and slope stability analysis were conducted. The subsurface structure delineated with borehole lithologies and seismic velocity structures provided the information that the sediment layer on the top of the slope was rather as thick as 20 m and the underlying weathered rock (anorthosite) was thinner than 1 m. Based on the tension cracks observed during the geological mapping, televiewer scanning was performed at the borehole BH-2 and detected the intensive fracture zones at the ground-water level, associated with the slip weak zones mapped in dipole-dipole electrical resistivity section. Downslope sliding and slightly upward pushing at the apex of high resistive bedrock explains the curved slip plane of the land creeping. Such a convex structure might play a role of natural toe abutment for preventing the downward development of slip weak zones. In slope stability analysis, the safety factors of the slip weak zone are calculated with varying the groundwater levels for dry and rainy seasons and the downslope is founded to be unstable with safety factor of 0.89 due to fully saturated material in rainy season.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.333-352
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• 2017

A comparison study is made between the dynamic properties of an argillaceous siltstone and its grouting-reinforced body. The purpose is to investigate how grout injection can help repair broken soft rocks. A slightly weathered argillaceous siltstone is selected, and part of the siltstone is mechanically crushed and cemented with Portland cement to simulate the grouting-reinforced body. Core specimens with the size of $50mm{\times}38mm$ are prepared from the original rock and the grouting-reinforced body. Impact tests on these samples are then carried out using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) apparatus. Failure patterns are analyzed and geotechnical parameters of the specimens are estimated. Based on the experimental results, for the grouting-reinforced body, its shock resistance is poorer than that of the original rock, and most cracks happen in the cementation boundaries between the cement mortar and the original rock particles. It was observed that the grouting-reinforced body ends up with more fragmented residues, most of them have larger fractal dimensions, and its dynamic strength is generally lower. The mass ratio of broken rocks to cement has a significant effect on its dynamic properties and there is an optimal ratio that the maximum dynamic peak strength can be achieved. The dynamic strain-softening behavior of the grouting-reinforced body is more significant compared with that of the original rock. Both the time dependent damage model and the modified overstress damage model are equally applicable to the original rock, but the former performs much better compared with the latter for the grouting-reinforced body. In addition, it was also shown that water content and impact velocity both have significant effect on dynamic properties of the original rock and its grouting-reinforced body. Higher water content leads to more small broken rock pieces, larger fractal dimensions, lower dynamic peak strength and smaller elastic modulus. However, the water content plays a minor role in fractal dimensions when the impact velocity is beyond a certain value. Higher impact loading rate leads to higher degree of fragmentation and larger fractal dimensions both in argillaceous siltstone and its grouting-reinforced body. These results provide a sound basis for the quantitative evaluation on how cement grouting can contribute to the repair of broken soft rocks.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.165-177
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the behavior and to study the safety evaluation of the Unmun Dam located in Cheongdo-Gun of GyeongBuk Province, Korea. For this purpose, soil analyses including boring data, geophysical surveys were conducted. In this paper, especially many geophysical methods were adopted to configure out the subsurface situation of dam. Applied geophysical methods were: 1) electric resistivity survey, 2) high frequency magnetotelluric (HFMT) survey, 3) ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey, 4) seismic refraction survey, 5) seismic cross-hole tomography survey, and 6) high frequency impedance (ZHF) survey. Each of geophysical surveys were analyzed and joint analyses between geophysical surveys were also performed to deduce the more reliable subsurface information of Dam by using the features and characteristics of each geophysical survey. Since many defects, such as gravel and weathered rock blocks in the dam core, and lots of amounts of leakage, by boring analyses were found, reinforcement by compaction grouting system (CGS) has been conducted in some range of dam. Some geophysical data and data of geotechnical gauges were also used to confirm the effects of reinforcement. Electric resistivity, EM, GPR, ZHF, seismic refraction and seismic tomography surveys show that left side of dam is weak, which means the possibility of existence of gravel, rock block, water and cavities in the core of dam. This result coincides with the boring data. Especially, electric survey after reinforcement shows that even the right side of the dam has been deformed by the strong pressure during the reinforcement itself. As a conclusion, some problems in the dam found. Especially, the dam near spillway shows the high possibility of leakage. It should be pointed out that only the left side of he dam has not a leakage problem. As a whole, the dam has problems of weakness, because of unsatisfactory construction. It is strongly recommended that highly intensive monitoring is required.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.5-15
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• 2015

One-dimensional rainfall laboratory tests using gneissic weathered soil were conducted to investigate effect of antecedent rainfall on infiltration characteristics. Experimental results using samples from Chuncheon and Chungju sites showed that rainfall onto the ground surface decreased initial negative pore water pressure of unsaturated soils, which recovered gradually after the end of rainfall. Rainfall intensity increases water infiltration rate, and infiltration rate during main rainfall is faster than that of the preceding rainfall. It is considered that higher water saturation after antecedent rainfall increases water infiltration rate during main rainfall. In particular, Chungju sample with higher clay content had slower recovery of negative pore water pressure and infiltration rate. Numerical results using finite element slope stability analysis showed that reduction of initial negative pore pressure due to rainfall infiltration deteriorates slope stability, and diffusion of pore water pressure after the end of rainfall further reduces FS of the slope in the short term. Main rainfall after prior rainfall further reduced factor of safety of the unsaturated slope. Pattern of antecedent rainfall has a significant impact on the magnitude and distribution of initial pore water pressure in unsaturated soils which are controlling factor to assess factor of safety of unsaturated slope during rainfall.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.271-278
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• 1998

Heavy metal concentrations in rocks and soils from serpentinite(SP) and in plants (Pinus densiflora: PD and Pinus rigida: PR) were examined at Baekdong mine in Hongsung, Chungnam. Parent rocks were compared with amphibole schist(AS) and gneiss(GN) and plants divided the above grounds and roots were examined, respectively. In rocks, Ni, Cr, Co, Fe concentrations in SP were higher than those in AS and GN. The concentrations of top soils had the similar differences to their rocks; especially Ni, Cr, Co, Fe concentrations were the highest in SP, Zn and Sc concentrations, however, were the highest in AS. Average Ni, Cr, Co, Au, As, Sb, W concentrations of PD were the highest in SP and especially Ni, Cr, Co concentrations were accorded with changes of rocks and top soils. Zn and Sc concentrations in AS were higher and Fe and Mo concentrations in GN were higher than those in SP. Compared with two plants in the same serpentinite sites, most elements of PR were higher than those of PD. Therefore, these suggested PR absorbed much heavy metal than PD. Most element concentrations of roots in two plants and three rocks were higher than those of the above ground. Relative ratios (average plant concentration/soil concentration) of Ni, Cr, Co, Zn, Sc, Fe in AS and GN were higher than those of SP. Especially, relative ratios of most elements except Zn in GN were the highest.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.41-52
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• 2017

In this study, field measurements were investigated to analyze the load sharing ratio and behavior of piled raft foundation. The field measurements were performed for about 300 days from the start of construction. The geometry of the raft is $3.1m{\times}3.1m$, and the pre-cast and pre-bored pile is 23 m in length and 0.508 m in diameter. Based on the field measurements, the load-settlement relationship of the piled raft foundation was obtained, and the load sharing ratio of the pile was converged to 70% at ultimate loading condition. The load sharing ratio of the pile increased as the settlement increased, and this is because the surface friction of the weathered soil, which is at the lower ground, was significantly increased. Based on the results of the field measurements, load transfer curves were obtained and applied to a numerical analysis by using load transfer method.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.543-561
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• 2020

This paper is the result of the study on the effect of the support structure of the tunnel steel rib. In tunnel excavation, the top and bottom half excavation methods result in subsidence of steel rib reinforcement due to insufficient support of steel rib reinforcement when the ground is poor after excavation. The foundation of the steel rib installed in the upper half excavates the bottom part of the base, causing the subsidence to occur due to various effects such as internal load and lateral pressure. As a result, the tunnel is difficult to maintain and its safety is problematic. To solve these problems, steel rib support structures have been developed. For the purpose of verification, the behavior of the supporting structure is verified by model experiments reduced to shotcrete and steel rib material similarity, the numerical analysis of ΔP and ΔP generated by bottom excavation by Terzaghi theoretical equation. As a result, it was found that the support structure of 20.100~198.423 kN is required for the 10~40 m section of the depth for each soil of weathered soil~soft rock. In addition, as a result of the reduced model experiment, a fixed level of 50% steel rib deposit of steel rib support structure was installed. The study shows that the installation of steel rib support structures will compensate for uncertainties and various problems during construction. It is also thought that the installation of steel rib support structure will have many effects such as stability, economy, and air reduction.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.23-29
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• 2014

So far, the grouting using pressure injection has been extensively used to avoid adverse effects such as soil disturbance. Whereas, the pressure injection to the limitations of the diffusion range, so that the kinks would last injection of cement particles by introducing a frequency oscillation effect improved injection method have been recently developed. In this study, a pilot test was performed to compare injection effects of the both methods. The injections using both methods were tested on the embankment which consists of core clay and weathered soil. Subsequently, the injected volume, SPT N values, in-situ permeability and electrical resistivity were measured to compare their effects. The vibration method showed more effective permeation comparing with the pressure method. Also, it showed more homogeneously improved ground than the existing method. For SPT results, the vibration method presented increase of mean N value as much as 17.4 % comparing with the conventional method. Higher electrical resistivity was presented in case of injecting with vibration method and it indicated the injection was extensively completed. Finally, it is expected that the economic feasibility will be improved by decrease of drilling spacing, when the existing method is replaced with vibration method.