• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.51-61
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• 2016

In this study, a new TDR system equipped with a flat type probe has been developed to improve the currently used TDR system that measures dry density and water content. To verify the developed TDR system, TDR tests were conducted on Jumunjin sand and three typical soils. Also, additional tests were performed to measure the correction value of the developed probe. Using the TDR signals, dielectric constant, electrical conductivity and soil constants were derived. The water content and dry density of the soils were determined through the TDR tests. The applicability of the TDR system was examined by comparison of the measured values by TDR and the real values. The values of dry density and water content were found to have about 2% and 0.5% error, respectively. Based on the test results, it has been confirmed that the new TDR system can be used as an alternative to the previous TDR system as it can measure the dry density and the water content with reasonable accuracy, leading to significant time and cost savings.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.342-350
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• 2008

This paper presents the results of a laboratory study on the thermal conductivity of sand (silica, quartzite, limestone and masonry sand)-water mixtures used in ground heat exchanger backfilling materials. Nearly 150 tests were performed in a thermal conductivity measuring system (TPSYS02) to characterize the relationships between the thermal conductivity of mixtures and the water content. The results show that the thermal conductivity of mixtures increases with increasing dry density and with increasing water content. The results also show that for constant water contents and a dry density value, the thermal conductivity of mixtures increases with increasing thermal conductivity of solid particles. The measurement results were also compared with the most widely used empirical prediction models for the thermal conductivity of soils.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.219-231
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• 2022

Geotechnical materials such as silt, fine sand, or coarse granular soils may be unstable under undrained shearing or during rainfall infiltration starting an unsaturated state. Some researches are available describing the instability of coarse granular soils in drained or undrained conditions. However, there is a need to investigate the instability mechanism of unsaturated silty soil considering the effect of degree of compaction and net confining stress under partially and fully drained conditions. The specimens in the current study are compacted at 65%, 75%, & 85% degree of compaction, confined at pressures of 60, 80 & 120 kPa, and tested in partially and fully drained conditions. The tests have been performed in two steps. In Step-I, the specimens were sheared in constant water content conditions (a type of partially drained test) to the maximum shear stress. In Step-II, shearing was carried in constant suction conditions (a type of fully undrained test) by keeping shear stress constant. At the start of Step-II, PWP was increased in steps to decrease matric suction (which was then kept constant) and start water infiltration. The test results showed that soil instability is affected much by variation in the degree of compaction and confining stresses. It is also observed that loose and medium dense soils are vulnerable to pre-failure instability i.e., instability occurs before reaching the failure state, whereas, instability in dense soils instigates together with the failure i.e., failure line (FL) and instability line (IL) are found to be unique.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.19-26
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• 2012

Recently the world has been suffering from difficulties related to the demand and supply of energy due to the democratic movements sweeping across the Middle East. Consequently, many have turned their attention to never-developed extreme regions such as the polar lands or deep sea, which contain many underground resources. This research investigated the strength and initial elastic modulus values of eternally frozen ground through a uniaxial compression test and indirect tensile test using frozen artificial soil specimens. To ensure accurate test results, a sandymud mixture of standard Jumunjin sand and kaolinite (20% in weight) was used for the specimens in these laboratory tests. Specimen were prepared by varying the water content ratio (7%, 15%, and 20%). Then, the variation in the strength value, depending on the water content, was observed. This research also established three kinds of environments under freezing temperatures of $-5^{\circ}C$, $-10^{\circ}C$, and $-15^{\circ}C$. Then, the variation in the strength value was observed, depending on the freezing environment. In addition, the tests divided the loading rate into 6 phases and observed the variation in the stress-strain ratio, depending on the loading rate. The test data showed that a lower freezing temperature resulted in a larger strength value. An increase in the ice content in the specimen with the increase in the water content ratio influenced the strength value of the specimen. A faster load rate had a greater influence on the uniaxial compression and indirect tensile strengths of a frozen specimen and produced a different strength engineering property through the initial tangential modulus of elasticity. Finally, the long-term strength under a constant water content ratio and freezing temperature was checked by producing stress-strain ratio curves depending on the loading rate.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.19 no.6 s.67
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• pp.44-49
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• 2005

This paper investigates strength characteristics and stress-strain behaviors of unreinforced and reinforced lightweight soils. Lightweight soil, composed of dredged soil, cement, and air-foam, was reinforced by a waste fishing net, in order to increase its compressive strength. Test specimens were fabricated by various mixing conditions, such as cement content, initial water content, air content, and waste fishing net; then, unconfined compression tests were carried out on these specimens. From the test results, it was shown that reinforced lightweight soil had different behavior after failure, even though it had similar behavior as unreinforced lightweight soil before failure. The test results also showed that stress became constant after peak strength in reinforced lightweight soil, while the stress decreased continuously in unreinforced lightweight soil. It was observed that the strength was increased due to reinforcing effect by the waste fishing net for most cases, except high water content greater than $218\%$. In the case of high water content, a reinforcing effect is negligible, due to slip between waste fishing net and soil particles. In reinforced lightweight soil, secant modulus (E50) was increased, due to the inclusion of waste fishing net.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.2C
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• pp.117-123
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• 2008

Disturbed and undisturbed decomposed granite soils with different weathering degrees were extracted and analyzed through a series of tests (CD test, constant P test, etc.) to assess their dilatancy characteristics. Here, dilatancy refers to the volume change that takes place during shearing. As a result, the decomposed granite soil dilatancy impact increased the mean effective stress while concurrently lowering the water content in drained shear tests. In the case of undisturbed decomposed granite soil, which has a lower weathering degree, the water content increased at specific limits during the shearing process. A linear relationship of ${\Delta}V_d/V_1=D{\cdot}(({\sigma}_1-{\sigma}_3)-{\sigma}_c)/{{\sigma}_m}^{\prime}$ forms between shearing-induced volume change and principal stress variance.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2007

This study was performed to evaluate strength and watertightness properties of EVA modified high strength concrete in order to improve durability of concrete used in agricultural water utilization facilities that are in constant contact with water. Materials used were cement, coarse and fine aggregates, silica fume, EVA and AE water reducing agent. Tests for the slump, compressive and flexural strengths, absorption ratio and permeability coefficient according to curing condition (water and water+dry curing) and content ratio of EVA were performed. The slump results of EVA modified high strength concrete similarly showed in the content ratio of EVA powder less than 4% and decreased in the content ratio of EVA powder more than 6% compared to that of concrete without EVA powder. The compressive strength of EVA modified high strength concrete decreased with increasing the content ratio of EVA powder. The flexural strength of EVA modified high strength concrete increased with increasing the content ratio of EVA powder in the content ratio of EVA powder ratio less than 4% and had similar or slightly decreased in the content ratio of EVA powder more than 6% compared to that of concrete without EVA powder. The absorption ratio and permeability coefficient of EVA modified high strength concrete decreased with increasing the content ratio of EVA powder in the content ratio of EVA powder less than 4% and slightly increased in the content ratio of EVA powder more than 6%.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2009

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are a new type of information processing system based on modeling the neural system of human brain. The prediction of swell pressures from easily determined soil properties, namely, initial dry density, initial water content, and plasticity index, have been investigated by using artificial neural networks. The results of the constant volume swell tests in oedometers, performed on statically compacted specimens of Bentonite-Kaolinite clay mixtures with varying soil properties, were trained in an ANNs program and the results were compared with the experimental values. It is observed that the experimental results coincided with ANNs results.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2005

For detecting a ground contamination survey, soil sampling method have been used a drilling or coring technique in general. However these methods are very difficult to systematically real-time monitoring of variation of contamination degree in field. ]'n this research frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) system was suggested and carried out to experimental approaches for determination of oil contamination on surface and underground. Experimental method using FDR method was discussed with feasibility of measurement in the laboratory column test. It is determined to degree of oil contamination due to response of dielectric constant re-lated with volumetric water content(θ/sub w/) and volumetric oil content( θ/sub al/ ) of saturated and unsaturated soil media. And physical properties such as effective porosity and oil residual ratio of saturated soil media were also measured through real-time monitoring works using installed FDR measurement sensors, which are defected characteristics of oil movement in the saturated soil media under the soil column tests. In the results of these experiments, a range of effective porosity was estimated to about 0.35 compared with initial porosity 0.40 of manufactured saturated soil media, which is also calculated to about 87.5% to the ratio of initial porosity to effective porosity. Finally oil residual ratio which is compared with volumetric water content and volumetric oil content was calculated about 62.5%.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.449-459
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• 2018

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials in the world. Producing economical and durable concrete is possible by employing pozzolanic materials. The aim of this study is to underline the possibility of the utilization of natural zeolite in producing concrete and investigate its effects basically on the strength and durability of concrete. In the production of concrete mixes, Portland cement was replaced by the natural zeolite at ratios of 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight. Concretes were produced with total binder contents of $300kg/m^3$ and $400kg/m^3$, but with a constant water to cement ratio of 0.60. In addition to compressive and flexural strength measurements, freeze-thaw and high temperature resistance measurements, rapid chloride permeability, and capillary water absorption tests were performed on the concrete mixes. Compared to the rest mixes, concrete mixes containing 10% zeolite yielded in with the highest compressive and flexural strengths. The rapid chloride permeability and the capillary measurements were decreased as the natural zeolite replacement was increased. Freeze-thaw resistance also improved significantly as the replacement ratio of zeolite was increased. Under the effect of elevated temperature, natural zeolite incorporated concretes with lower binder content yielded higher compressive strength. However, the compressive strengths of concretes with higher binder content after elevated temperature effect were found to be lower than the reference concrete.