• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2007.09a
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• pp.502-513
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• 2007

This paper describes the rainfall-induced slope failures caused by infiltration due to prolonged rainfall. The emphasis was on quantifying the effect of fine-grained contents which are influencing on the infiltration rate in the wetting front of initially unsaturated slopes during rainfall. Suction tests by tensiometer were performed for five mixture specimens with varying fine-grained contents and then, numerical analyses for the stability of unsaturated slopes are carried out for different relative densities and mixture portions based on the soil water characteristic curves obtained by GCTS pressure plate. It is shown that the fines are highly influenced on wetting front suction of unsaturated soil slopes. Based on the results, it is found that until 15% fine content is the limit showing different wetting front suction, beyond which the wetting band depth do not affect considerably the stability of unsaturated slopes.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.159-166
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• 2004

In this study, experiments on the SWCC were performed in order to find out the characteristics of unsaturated soil and to analyze the stability of unsaturated weathered slopes with rainfall-induced wetting. Several soil types classified by mixture portion of clay (CH) in the weathered soil (SW) were used in experimental tests. To achieve the SWCC, the filter paper method was used on SW with varying clay contents. A tensiometer test was used for measuring wetting front suction of the soils in a laboratory with varying relative densities. Based on the experimental results, it is shown that the wetting front suction increases as clay contest of mixture soil increases : in particular, the wetting front suction increases sharply as the clay contents increase. It is also found that wetting front suction affects the initial wetting band depth and stability of the slope.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.1 s.50
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• pp.41-47
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• 2007

Geotechnical Phenomena such as landslide, groundwater recharge and groundwater fluctuation due to rainfall can be explain to use a dielectric response and infiltration variation by the movement of a wetting front in the subsurface. The infiltration of a wetting front is infiltrating to the connected pores which are distributed in unsaturated soil. In this study we carried out to laboratory experiment of a vertical infiltration column test using ethanol mix-ing tracer which has same the specific gravity of water. All physical values are detected to use a variation of dielectric constant and calculated to use a dielectric mixing model and tracer test model. This dielectric method measured by each dielectric constant of geological soil porous materials should be of for the geotechnical information and useful a field monitoring technique for detecting the variations of the volumetric water content and the wetting front, which are insignificant the key parameter to understanding the landslide by rainfall.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2011

We applied a slope-stability analysis method, considering infiltration by rainfall, to the construction site where an express highway is being extended. Slope stability analysis that considers infiltration by rainfall can be classified into three methods: a method that considers the downward velocity of the wetting front, a method that considers the upward velocity of the groundwater level, and a method that considers both of these factors. The results of slope stability analysis using $Bishop^{\circ}{\Phi}s$ simplified method indicate that the safety factor due to the downward velocity of the wetting front decreases more rapidly than that due to the upward velocity of the groundwater level. For the third of the above methods, the safety factor decreases more rapidly than for the other two methods. Therefore, slope stability during rainfall should be analyzed with consideration of both the downward velocity of the wetting front and the upward velocity of the groundwater level.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.63-70
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• 2012

The authors discuss the effect of hydraulic conductivity on the suction profile and stability of a typical cut-slope subjected to low intensity rainfall. The initial suction value above the ground table in the unsaturated zone is assumed to be 15 kPa. The uncoupled approach of finite element and limit equilibrium method is used to evaluate the stability of the cut-slope at different elapsed times of rainfall. The finite element seepage analysis shows that the soil in the unsaturated zone always remains unsaturated during the course of low intensity rainfall. Furthermore, the slope stability remains practically unchanged so long as the wetting front remains in the unsaturated zone but it decreases noticeably when the wetting front reaches and elevates the ground water table level.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.159-169
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• 2004

Surface failures of slopes in weathered soil are caused by infiltration due to prolonged rainfall. These failures are mainly triggered by the deepening of the wetting band accompanied by a decrease in suction induced by the infiltrating water. This paper reports trends of rainfall-induced wetting band depth in two types of weathered soils that are commonly found in Korea. Both theoretical and numerical analyses are presented based on the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) obtained using filter paper as well as tensiometer tests. It is found that the magnitude of wetting front suction plays a key role in the stability of slopes in weathered soils. Theoretical analysis based on modified Green and Ampt model tends to underestimate the wetting band depth for typical Korean weathered soils. It was also deduced that for Korean weathered soils, the factor of safety drops rapidly once the wetting band depth of 1.2 m is reached.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2015

A numerical analysis was performed of the seepage from and stability of a mine waste-dump slope in Imgi, Busan, considering rainfall intensity. The 40-45° slope angle of the waste dump is relatively steep, and the depth of the waste dump down to bedrock is 7-8 m. The groundwater level was 6.6 m below the surface. Various laboratory tests on samples obtained from the waste dump were performed to determine the input data for seepage and stability analyses of the waste-dump slope during rainfall. The results of seepage analysis for various rainfall intensities using the SEEP/W program show that the wetting front moved down with increasing rainfall duration. When the rainfall intensity was > 50 mm/ hour and the duration was > 24 hours, the waste dump became fully saturated because the wetting front reached the groundwater level. The results of slope stability analysis coupled with seepage analysis using the SLOPE/W program show that the safety factor of the slope decreased as the wetting front moved down due to rainfall infiltration. After continuous rainfall for 5-6 hours, the safety factor of the slope suddenly decreased but then recovered and converged. The sudden decrease was induced by an increase in pore-water pressure and a decrease in matric suction down to a certain depth as the wetting front approached the potential sliding surface.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.71-79
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• 2011

In this study, the variation of wetting front and ground water level at the embankment constructed in the Saemangeum area were predicted considering rainfall duration times and the slope stability analysis of the embankment was carried out according to prediction results of wetting front and ground water level. The embankment was formed by dredging soils. A suction stress, a cohesion and a frictional angle of dreding soils measured by soil tests were applied to estimate the unsaturated soil properties. According to the analysis results of the wetting front and the ground water level for various rainfall duration time, the wetting front began to descend from the upper part of embankment at the beginning time of rainfall and after 1 hour of rainfall duration time. After that, the ground water level continued to ascend as the rainfall duration time was getting longer. After rainfall, the ground water level was distributed at a certain depth, and the ground water level was gradually descending as time goes by. According to the slope stability analysis of the embankment considering the variation of the wetting front and the ground water level, the safety factor of slope was rapidly reduced as the rainfall began to infiltrate into the ground, and the minimum safety factor of slope was estimated after 24 hours of rainfall duration time. Meanwhile, the safety factor of slope was increased with regaining the matric suction in the ground after rainfall.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06d
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• pp.175-180
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• 2001

In this study, the minimum heat flux conditions are experimentally investigated for the spray cooling of hot plate. The hot plates are cooled down from the initial temperature of about $900^{\circ}C$, and the local heat flux and surface temperatures are calculated from the measured temperature-time history. The results show that the minimum heat flux point temperatures increase linearly resulting from the propagation of wetting front with the increase of the distance from the stagnation point of spray flow. However, in the wall region, the minimum heat flux point temperature becomes independent of the distance. Also, the experimental results show that the velocity of wetting front increases with the increase of the droplet flow rate.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.974-981
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• 2001

In this study, the minimum heat flux conditions are experimentally investigated for the spray cooling of hot plate. The hot plates are cooled down from the initial temperature of about$ 900^{\circ}C$, and the local heat flux and surface temperatures are calculated from the measured temperature-time history. The results show that the minimum heat flux point temperatures increase linearly resulting from the propagation of wetting front with the increase of the distance from the stagnation point of spray flow. However, in the wall region, the minimum heat flux point temperature becomes independent of the distance. Also, the velocity of wetting front increases with the increase of the droplet flow rate.