• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.543-550
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• 2000

Rock slopes along the road or railroad are affected by temperature and therefore experienced iterative freezing-thawing process between winter and early spring. The purpose of this study is to analyze the stability of rock slopes which are influenced by the deterioration due to the freezing-thawing. The analysis is the homogenization method which evaluates the strength property of discontinuous rock mass, and as a strength failure criterion, Drucker-Prager failure criterion is used. The deterioration property of real rock is obtained by a freezing-thawing laboratory test of tuff and this property of deterioration is quantitated and used as a basic data of stability analysis for rock mass. To evaluate the deterioration depth due to the freezing-thawing in situ rock slope, one dimensional heat conductivity equation is used and as the result I can find that the depth of which is affected by a temperature. After the freezing-thawing depth of model slope is determined, we analyze the pattern of rock mass stength value of rock slope model which excesses the limit of self-load.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.227-236
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• 2020

Non-destructive exploration using elastic waves has been widely used to characterize rock mass properties. Wave propagation in jointed rock masses is significantly governed by the characteristics and orientation of discontinuities. The relationship between spatial heterogeneity (i.e., joint spacing) and wavelength for elastic waves propagating through jointed rock masses have been investigated previously. Discontinuous rock masses can be considered as an equivalent continuum material when the wavelength of the propagating elastic wave exceeds the spatial heterogeneity. However, it is unclear how stress-dependent long-wavelength elastic waves propagate through a repetitive rock-joint system with multiple joints. A preliminary numerical simulation was performed in in this study to investigate long-wavelength elastic wave propagation in regularly jointed rock masses using the three-dimensional distinct element code program. First, experimental studies using the quasi-static resonant column (QSRC) testing device are performed on regularly jointed disc column specimens for three different materials (acetal, aluminum, and gneiss). The P- and S-wave velocities of the specimens are obtained under various normal stress levels. The normal and shear joint stiffness are calculated from the experimental results using an equivalent continuum model and used as input parameters for numerical analysis. The spatial and temporal sizes are carefully selected to guarantee a stable numerical simulation. Based on the calibrated jointed rock model, the numerical and experimental results are compared.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2011

Mine closure does often accompany the flooding of mine galleries due to ceasing a pumping operation. When a mine gallery is flooded, rocks around the gallery are fully saturated and the gallery is subject to a water pressure. The uniaxial unconfined compressive strength of a rock depends on its water content and decreases as the water content increases. A water pressure may originate the crack growth of a rock or the discontinuity growth of rock mass. Although the water in a gallery will give some support pressure inside the gallery, the degradation of rock mass properties caused by a water pressure will reduce the stability of the gallery. In this study, 2-dimensional discontinuous and 3-dimensional continuous numerical analyses have been conducted to evaluate an effect that a reduction of rock mass properties around the gallery induced by a water pressure has on the stability of mine gallery. The numerical analyses show that a reduction of rock mass properties caused by a water pressure increases displacements of rock mass around mine gallery. 2-dimensional model is found to give larger values of displacement than 3-dimensional model.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.63-79
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• 1993

The design of tunnels in rock masses often demands more informations on geologic features and rock mass properties than acquired by usual field survey and laboratory testings. In practice, the situation that a perfect set of geological and mechanical input data is given to geomechanics design engineer is rare, while the engineers are asked to achieve a high level of reliability in their design products. This study presents an artificial neural network which is developed to resolve the difficulties encountered in conventional design techniques, particulary the problem of deteriorating the confidence of existing numerical techniques such as the finite element, boundary element and distinct element methods due to the incomplete adn vague input data. The neural network has inferring capabilities to identify the possible failure modes, support requirements and its timing for underground openings, from previous case histories. Use of the neural network has resulted in a better estimate of the correlation between systems of rock mass classifications such as the RMR and Q systems. A back propagation learning algorithm together with a multi-layer network structure is adopted to enhance the inferential accuracy and efficiency of the neural network. A series of experiments comparing the results of the neural network with the actual field observations are performed to demonstrate the abilities of the artificial neural network as a new tunnel design assistance system.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2008

In the case of a circular shaft, it is expected that asymmetric loads should apply on the surface rather than symmetric loads due to geographical factors and the non-homogeneity of the jointed rock masses. In this study, discontinuous numerical analysis was carried in order to analyze the characteristics of asymmetric load distribution on the wall of the circular shaft due to anisotropy caused by heterogeneity of rock masses affected by the discontinuities like as a Joint. And it was also analyzed that the effect of the mechanical properties varied with the rock mass rating and horizontal stress with depth had influence in the asymmetric load on the wall of the shaft. In the case of considering the effect of the joint as variable, asymmetric load ratio $(R_p)$, which was defined as the ratio of the load subtracted minimum from maximum to minimum, was below 25% in the hard rock. As regarding the variation of the rock mass rating with depth as variable, the value of $R_p$ was below than 25% in the hard rock, and the value between 30% and 40% in the soft rock. On the other hand, the $R_p$ of fractures rock was between $45{\sim}50%$ which value was much higher than that in better rock mass rating.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.833-841
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• 2008

Recently, the upheaval generation in the road which is under service had been reported. Due to the upheaval generation, total 4 lanes were forced to curtail to 3 lanes, and traffic was delayed. In normal situation of cut-slopes in korea, that condition is hard to detect since most cut-slopes contain discontinuous material, that is rock. Common collapses in rock-slopes is wedge failure, plane failure and toppling failure which is all individual mechanism of discontinuous rock mass. In contrast, such upheaval in the road in front of cut-slope can be generated only when circular movement is triggered within the cut-slope. In this sense, rock-slopes barely show any kind of movement in the road locates at the front of them. Numerical analysis is general method in simulation of slope displacement and evaluation of safety. However, numerical analysis programs which are related with rock-slopes are not able to simulate such upheaval movement because that programs are based on discontinuous modeling mechanism. In addition, although numerical analysis programs which are based on FEM/FDM and thus utilize continuous modeling mechanism are able to simulate circular movement and upheaval situation, they have weakness in reflecting discontinuities of rock-slope itself. In this study, detailed in-site investigation and numerical analysis based on in-site condition were performed in order to expect upheaval movement in the road. In this procedure, the FLAC program which uses continuous modeling method was utilized, and new approach reflecting discontinuity developed toward the road with a ubiquitous joint model was tried to derive reliable analysis result.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.181-203
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• 1991

The effects of geologic structures such as rock joins and bedding planes on the thermal conductivity of a discontinuous rock mass are studied. The expressions for the equivalent thermal conductivities of jointed rock masses are derived and found to be anisotropic. The degree of anisotropy depends primarily on the thermal properties contrast between the joint phase and surrounding intact rock, the joint density expressed as volume fraction and the inclination angle of the joint. Within the context of 2-dimensional finite element heat transfer scheme, the isotherms around a circular hole are analyzed for both the isotropic and anisotropic rock masses in 3 different thermal boundary conditions. i.e. temperature, heat flux and convection boundary conditions. The temperature in the stratified anisotripic rock mass is greatly influenced by the thermal properties of the rock formation in contact with the heat source. Using the excavation-temperature coupled elastic plastic finite element method, analyzed is the thermo-mechanical stability of a circular opening subjected to 10$0^{\circ}C$ at a depth of 527m. It is found that the thermal stress concentration was enough to deteriorate the stability and form a plastic yield zone around the opening, in contrast to the safety factor greater than 2 resulted form the excavation-only analysis.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.147-164
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• 1997

This study has the assumption that scale effects in rock mass properties are atrributed to the discontinuous and inhomogeneous nature of rock masses. In order to escape the general equivalent material approach applied to the concept of representative volume element, this study presents the new method considering irregular i oink geometry and arbitrary numbers of i oink and arbitrary joint orientations. Based on the theoretical approach, this theory is applied to a real engineering project. Showing the property variations with size of rock mass element, various numerical experiments about scale effect are conducted. Particularly, to prove the adequacy of the verification process in scale effect with nomerical method, and to investigate the detailed source of scale effect, 4 models with increas ins number of joints are tested. On the basis of the experimental results, the test results of scale effects in 3-D rock mass are presented. From these experiments the effects of the mechanical properties of rock joints on the scale effects in rock mass strength and elastic constants are discussed. To verify the mechanism of scale effects in jointed rock mass, two models with different j oink geometries are studied.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.485-492
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• 2005

Since blast-induced vibration may cause serious problem to the rock mass as well as the nearby structures, the prediction of blast-induced vibration and the stability evaluation must be performed before blasting activities. Dynamic analysis has been Increased recently in order to analyze the effect of the blast-induced vibration. Most of the previous studies, however, were based on the continuum analysis unable to consider rock joints which significantly affect the wave propagation and attenuation characteristics. They also adopted pressure curves estimated by theoretical or empirical equations as input detonation load, thus there were very difficult to reflect the characteristics of propagating media. In this study, therefore, we suggested a discontinuum dynamic analysis technique which uses velocity waveform obtained from a test blast as an input detonation load. A distinct element program, UDEC was used to consider the effect of rock joints. In order to verify the validity of proposed method, the test blast was simulated. The predicted results from the proposed method showed a good agreement with the measured vibration data from the test blast Through the dynamic numerical modelling on the planned road tunnel and slope, we evaluated the effect of blast-induced vibration and the stability of rock slope.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2017

Behavior of rock mass depend on the mechanical properties of intact rock and geometrical property of discontinuity distributed in rock mass. In case of rock slope, particularly, location of slope failure surface and behavior after failure are changed due to discontinuities. In this study, two 3D slope stability analysis methods were developed for two different failure types which are circular failure and planar failure, considering that failure type of rock slope is dependent on scale of discontinuity which was then applied to real rock slope to review the applicability. In case of circular failure, stable condition was maintained in natural dry condition, which however became unstable when the moisture content of the surface was increased by rainfall. In case of planar failure, rock slope become more unstable comparing to dry condition which is attributable to decrease in friction angle of discontinuity surface due to rainfall. Viewing analysis result above, analysis method proved to have well incorporated the phenomenon occurred on real slope from the analysis result, demonstrating its applicability to reviewing the slope stability as well as to maintaining the slope.