• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.59-76
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• 2016

The non-linear Hoek-Brown failure criterion has been widely accepted and applied to evaluate the stability of rock slopes under plane-strain conditions. This paper presents a kinematic approach of limit analysis to assessing the static and seismic stability of three-dimensional (3D) rock slopes using the generalized Hoek-Brown failure criterion. A tangential technique is employed to obtain the equivalent Mohr-Coulomb strength parameters of rock material from the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion. The least upper bounds to the stability number are obtained in an optimization procedure and presented in the form of graphs and tables for a wide range of parameters. The calculated results demonstrate the influences of 3D geometrical constraint, non-linear strength parameters and seismic acceleration on the stability number and equivalent strength parameters. The presented upper-bound solutions can be used for preliminary assessment on the 3D rock slope stability in design and assessing other solutions from the developing methods in the stability analysis of 3D rock slopes.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.79-90
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• 2022

Soybean-urease induced carbonate precipitation (EICP), as an alternative to microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), was employed for soil improvement. Meanwhile, soluble calcium produced from industrial waste carbide slag powder (CSP) via the acid dissolution method was used for the EICP process. The ratio of CSP to the acetic acid solution was optimized to obtain a desirable calcium concentration with an appropriate pH. The calcium solution was then used for the sand columns test, and the engineering properties of the EICP-treated sand, including unconfined compressive strength, permeability, and calcium carbonate content, were evaluated. Results showed that the properties of the biocemented sand using the CSP derived calcium solution were comparable to those using the reagent grade CaCl₂. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed that spherical vaterite crystals were mainly formed when the CSP-derived calcium solution was used. In contrast, spherical calcite crystals were primarily formed as the reagent grade CaCl₂ was used. This study highlighted that it was effective and sustainable to use soluble calcium produced from CSP for the EICP process.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.241-254
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• 2019

A finite element approach is presented to examine ground vibration characteristics under various moving loads in a homogeneous half-space. Four loading modes including single load, double load, four-load, and twenty-load were simulated in a finite element analysis to observe their influence on ground vibrations. Four load moving speeds of 60, 80, 100, and 120 m/s were adopted to investigate the influence of train speed to the ground vibrations. The results demonstrated that the loading mode in a finite element analysis is reliable for train-induced vibration simulations. Additionally, a three-dimensional finite element model (3D FEM) was developed to investigate the dynamic responses of a track-ballast-embankment-ground system subjected to moving loads induced by high-speed trains. Results showed that vibration attenuations and breaks exist in the simulated wave fronts transiting through different medium materials. These tendencies are a result of the difference in the Rayleigh wave speeds of the medium materials relative to the speed of the moving train. The vibration waves induced by train loading were greatly influenced by the weakening effect of sloping surfaces on the ballast and embankment. Moreover, these tendencies were significant when the vibration waves are at medium and high frequency levels. The vibration waves reflected by the sloping surface were trapped and dissipated within the track-ballast-embankment-ground system. Thus, the vibration amplitude outside the embankment was significantly reduced.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.93-106
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• 2022

The total embankment settlement consists of three stages: the initial settlement, the primary consolidation settlement, and the secondary consolidation settlement. The total embankment settlement is largely controlled by the primary consolidation settlement, which is usually computed with numerical models that implement Biot's theory of consolidation. The key parameter that affects the primary consolidation time is the coefficient of permeability. Due to the complex stress and strain states in the foundation soil under the embankment, to be able to predict the consolidation time more precisely, aside from porosity-dependency, the strain-dependency of the coefficient of permeability should be also taken into account in numerical analyses. In this paper, we propose a two-dimensional plane strain numerical model of embankment primary consolidation, which implements Biot's theory of consolidation with both porosity-dependent and strain-dependent coefficient of permeability. We perform several numerical simulations. First, we demonstrate the influence of the strain-dependent coefficient of permeability on the computed results. Next, we validate our numerical model by comparing computed results against in-situ measurements for two road embankments: one near the city of Saga, and the other near the city of Boston. Finally, we give our concluding remarks.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.313-329
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• 2013

Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) is being effectively used in many countries to protect embankment and slopes for their characteristics of having long and strong roots. In this paper, in-situ shear tests of the ground with the vetiver roots have been conducted to investigate the stabilization properties corresponding to the embankment slopes. Numerical analyses have also been performed with the finite element method using elastoplastic subloading $t_{ij}$ model, which can simulate typical soil behavior. It is revealed from field tests that the shear strength of vetiver rooted soil matrix is higher than that of the unreinforced soil. The reinforced soil with vetiver root also shows ductile behavior. The numerical analyses capture well the results of the in-situ shear tests. Effectiveness of vetiver root in geotechnical structures-strip foundation and embankment slope has been evaluated by finite element analyses. It is found that the reinforcement with vetiver root enhances the bearing capacities of the grounds and stabilizes the embankment slopes.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.329-337
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• 2019

This paper presents an experimental investigation about visualization of bulging development of geosynthetic-encased stone column (GESC) based on the digital image correlation (DIC) technique and transparent soil. Visual model tests on GESC and ordinary stone column (OSC) were carried out. In order to delete the warping effect resulting from transparent soil and experiment setup, a modification for experiment results was performed. The bulging development process of the GESC and the displacement field of the surrounding soil were measured. By comparing with the existing experimental and theoretical results, it demonstrates that the model test system developed for studying the continuous bulging development of GESC is suitable. The current test results show that the bulging depth of GESC ranges from 1.05 to 1.40 times the diameter of GESC. The influence depth of GESC bulging on surrounding soil displacement is 0~3 the times diameter of GESC.

• 한국지반공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국지반공학회 2009년도 세계 도시지반공학 심포지엄
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• pp.524-528
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• 2009

An influence factors for soundness evaluation of river levee include resistibility and embankment for piping of ground consisting embankment in case piping, permeability coefficient of ground, height of embankment, the width of crest, material characteristics of embankment and foundation ground, shape of embankment slope, an influence for penetration of rainfall or river water in case slope stability. In this study, it was operated a feasibility investigation of existing design result, stability evaluation for permeability coefficient use and permeability coefficient change of foundation ground to investigate an influence in line with permeability coefficient change for result of river levee penetration analysis. The evaluation results of influence factors, the permeability coefficient used in design and it was evaluated influence in safety factor of piping. After the evaluation of influence factors, the permeability coefficient used in the design appears with the fact that differs in a design report about same soil, Accordingly, the stability investigation of embankment by application of literature data can affect stability evaluation results by change factors like a permeability coefficient, void ratio. It should be certainly used material properties by a test in soundness evaluation of river levee.

• 한국지반공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국지반공학회 2003년도 사면안정학술발표회
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• pp.13-22
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• 2003

Train speed and infiltration of rainfall causes railway embankment to be unstable and may result in failure. Therefore, the variation in the safety factor of railway embankment should be analyzed as the function of rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, and train speed and the study is accomplished using numerical analysis program. Based on unsaturated soil engineering, the variables in the shear strength function and permeability function are also defined and used for the numerical model for evaluation of railway embankments under rainfall. As a result of the study, in order to secure the safety of train under rainfall, the variation in the safety factor of railway embankment is predicted as the function of rainfall intensity, duration time and the train load as a function of train speed. It is possible to ensure the safety of train under rainfall. Thereafter, the feasibility of the rail-transport operation control with engineering basis was established.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.261-273
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• 2020

This paper presents an efficient method utilizing user-defined computer functional codes to determine the reliability of an embankment slope with spatially varying soil properties in real time. The soils' mechanical properties varied with the soil layers that had different degrees of compaction and moisture content levels. The Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) for the degree of compaction and Kriging simulation of moisture content variation were adopted and programmed to predict their spatial distributions, respectively, that were subsequently used to characterize the spatial distribution of the soil shear strengths. The shear strength parameters were then integrated into the Geostudio command file to determine the safety factor of the embankment slope. An explicit metamodal for the performance function, using the Kriging method, was established and coded to efficiently compute the failure probability of slope with varying moisture contents. Sensitivity analysis showed that the proposed method significantly reduced the computational time compared to Monte Carlo simulation. About 300 times LHS Geostudio computations were needed to optimize precision and efficiency in determining the failure probability. The results also revealed that an embankment slope is prone to high failure risk if the degree of compaction is low and the moisture content is high.

• 한국지반공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국지반공학회 2005년도 춘계 학술발표회 논문집
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• pp.1094-1101
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• 2005

The stability of embankment on the soft ground has included problems on stabilities of embanked body and soft soil, which related with vertical displacement and lateral movement of the soft ground especially. The judge methods for the potentialities of lateral movement have been used in order to stabilization assessment during and after construction of the embankment. In this study, the judge methods on the improved soft ground suggested, which compared with exist judge methods on lateral movement. It is due to recent trend using embanked structures on the soft ground most of improved.