• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.497-508
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• 2022

Tailings fluidization (i.e., tailings behave as being fluidized) under cyclic loading is one concern during the construction of tailings dams, especially in the shallow tailings layers. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the responses of tailings under cyclic loadings and the tailings potential for fluidization. A series of cyclic triaxial undrained and drained tests were performed on medium and dense tailings samples under various cyclic stress ratios (CSR). The results indicated that axial strain and excess pore water pressure accumulated over time due to cyclic loading. However, the accumulations were dependent on CSR values, densities, and drainage conditions. The fluidization potential analysis in this study was then evaluated based on the obtained cyclic axial strain and excess pore water pressure. As a result, tailings samples were stable (unfluidized) under small CSR values, and the critical CSR values, where the tailings fluidized, varied depending on the density of tailings samples. Tailings fluidization is triggered as cyclic stress ratios reach critical values. In this study, the critical CSR values were found to be 0.15 and 0.40 for medium and dense samples, respectively.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.229-241
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• 2012

In this paper, utilizing void ratio-effective stress and void ratio-permeability relationships, a system of two nonlinear partial differential equations is derived to predict the consolidation characteristics of normally consolidated (NC) and overconsolidated (OC) soft clays subjected to cyclic loading. A developed feature of the coefficient of consolidation containing two key parameters is emerged from the differential equations. Effect of these parameters on the consolidation characteristics of soft clays is analytically discussed. It is shown that the ratios between the slopes of e-$log{\sigma}^{\prime}$ and e-log k lines in the NC and OC states play a major role in the consolidation process. In the companion paper, the critical assumptions made in the analytical discussion are experimentally verified and a numerical study is carried out in order to examine the proposed theory.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2002

In this study, a new methodology for the assessment of liquefaction potential is proposed. Since there is no data on the liquefaction damage in Korea, the dynamic behavior of fully saturated soils is characterized through laboratory dynamic tests. There are two experimental parameters related to the soil liquefaction resistance characteristics : the one is the index of disturbance determined by $G/G_{max}$ curve and the other is a plastic shear strain trajectory evaluated from stress-strain curve. The proposed methodology takes advantage of the site response analysis based on real earthquake records to determine the driving effect of earthquake. In the evaluation of liquefaction resistance characteristics, it is verified experimentally that the magnitude of cyclic shear stress has no influence on the critical value of plastic shear strain trajectory at which the initial liquefaction occurs. Cyclic triaxial tests under the conditions of various cyclic stress ratios and torsional shear tests are carried out far the purpose of verification. Through this study, the critical value at the initial liquefaction is found unique regardless of the cyclic stress ratio. It is also f3und that liquefaction resistance curve drawn with disturbance and plastic shear strain trajectory can simulate the behavior of fully saturated soils under dynamic loads.