• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.615-627
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• 2021

The Baekildo fault, a dextral strike-slip fault developed in Baekil Island, Goheung-gun, controls the distribution of tuffaceous sandstone and lapilli tuff and shows a complex fracture system around it. In this study, we examined the spatial variation in the geometry and connectivity of the fracture system by using circular sampling and topological analysis based on a detailed fracture trace map. As a result, both intensity and connectivity of the fracture system are higher in tuffaceous sandstone than in lapilli tuff. Furthermore, the degree of the orientation dispersion, intensity, and average length of fracture sets vary depending on the along-strike variation in structural position in the tuffaceous sandstone. Notably, curved fractures abutting the fault at a high angle occur at a fault bend. Based on the detailed observation and analyses of the fracture system, we conclude as follows: (1) the high intensity of the fracture system in the tuffaceous sandstone is caused by the higher content of brittle minerals such as quartz and feldspar. (2) the connectivity of the fracture system gets higher with the increase in the diversity and average length of the fracture sets. Finally, (3) the fault bend with geometric irregularity is interpreted to concentrate and disturb the local stress leading to the curved fractures abutting the fault at a high angle. This contribution will provide important insight into various geologic and structural factors that control the development of fracture systems around faults.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.186-186
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• 2009

The characterization strategy of fracture networks are classified into a deterministic or statistical characterization according to the type of required information. A deterministic characterization is most efficient for a sparsely fractured system, while the statistics are sufficient for densely fractured rock. In this study, the ensemble mean and variability of the effective connectivity is systematically analyzed with various density values for different network structures of a power law size distribution. The results of high resolution Monte Carlo analyses show that statistical characteristics can be a necessary information to determine the transport properties of a fracture system when fracture density is greater than a percolation threshold. When the percolation probability (II) approaches unity with increasing fracture density, the effective connectivity of the network can be safely estimated using statistics only (sufficient condition). It is inferred from conditional simulations that deterministic information for main pathways can reduce the uncertainty in estimation of system properties when the network becomes denser. Overall results imply that most pathways need to be identified when II < 0.5 statistics are sufficient when II $\rightarrow$ 1 and statistics are necessary and the identification of main pathways can significantly reduce the uncertainty in estimation of transport properties when 0.5$\ll$1. It is suggested that the proper estimation of the percolation probability of a fracture network is a prerequisite for an appropriate conceptualization and further characterization.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.1110-1119
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• 2006

If water flows through a narrow passage into a medium that keeps the equilibrium of temperature, it causes small temperature difference and makes a temperature anomaly. The seepage or leakage often observed at old dams is a representative example of bringing about a temperature anomaly. Therefore, temperature measurements have been regarded as one of excellent methods that can detect the situation of seepage or leakage. However, because existing temperature measurement methods are based on a single sensor, the application of the method to the whole structure is nearly not possible in technical and economical phases. This paper introduces a temperature monitoring system using a thermal sensor cable that is comprised of addressable thermal sensors connected in parallel at many positions within a single cable. Through various laboratory and field experiments, it has been proved that the temperature monitoring technique can give an useful information about permeability of a medium or connectivity of fractures which have been regarded as difficult problems.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 1996

A two dimensional analysis program for groundwater flow in fractured network was developed to analyze the influence of discontinuity characteristics on groundwater flow. This program involves the generation of discontinuities and also connectivity analysis. The discontinuities were generated by the probabilistic density function(P.D.F.) reflecting the characteristics of discontinuities. And the fracture network model was completed through the connectivity analysis. This program also involves the analysis of groundwater flow through the discontinuity network. The result of numerical experiment shows that the equivalent hydraulic conductivity increased and became closer to isotropic as the density and trace length increased. And hydraulic head decreased along the fracture zone because of much water-flow. The grouting increased the groundwater head around cavern. An analysis of groundwater flow through discontinuity network was performed around underground oil storage cavern which is now under construction. The probabilistic density functions(P.D.F) were obtained from the investigation of the discontinuity trace map. When the anisotropic hydraulic conductivity is used, the flow rate into the cavern was below the acceptable value to maintain the hydraulic containment. But when the isotropic hydraulic conductivity is used, the flow rate was above the acceptable value.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.149-161
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• 2019

In this study, the effect of the fluid flow characteristics on the length distribution of the fracture elements composing the fracture network is analyzed numerically using the 3D fracture crack network model. The truncated power-law distribution is applied to generate the length distribution of the fracture elements and the simulations of fluid flow are carried out with the exponent ${\beta}_l$ from 1.0 to 6.0. As a result of simulations, when the exponent ${\beta}_l$ increases, the length distribution of the fracture elements gradually decreases, and the connectivity between the fracture elements affecting the permeability of the fracture network becomes weak. When we analyzed the distributions of flow rate calculated at each fracture element with the exponent ${\beta}_l$, the mean flow rate at ${\beta}_l=1.0$ was estimated to be about 447 times larger than that at ${\beta}_l=6.0$ and for the flow calculated at the outflow boundary of the fracture network, the case of ${\beta}_l=1.0$ was estimated to be 6,440 times larger than that of ${\beta}_l=6.0$.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2021

It is important to evaluate the fracture network in a rock volume because fractures control the ground conditions and fluid flow characteristics. Therefore, various attempts have been made to quantify fracture networks to better understand ground and flow conditions. The use of fracture density alone (a quantitative parameter based on geometric analysis) does not fully explain the evolution of fracture networks, or quantify the spatial relationship (e.g. connectivity) of fractures in a rock mass. Therefore, the need for fracture network characterization based on topological analysis has recently emerged. In Korea however, the topological analysis of fracture networks within a rock mass has rarely been studied. As such, the definition of the topological analysis of fracture networks and the graph theory related to the topological analysis are briefly summarized in this study. We also introduce an application method for these analyses to fracture characterization. If the topological method is used for the analysis of fracture networks, it can also be adopted to analyze fluid flow characteristics of groundwater, characterize petroleum reservoirs, and analyze the evolution of a fracture network. In addition, topological analysis can be useful for site selection of major facilities such as nuclear waste disposal sites because it can be used to evaluate the stability of the potential sites.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 1988

The mechanical properties of Ferrite-Martensite dual phase steels are affected by microstructural factors, such as, martensite volume fractions, grain size of ferrite, hardness ratio of Ferrite-Martensite, connectivity and chemical components etc. Therefore, this study has been made on the influence of Impact fracture behavior which changes the hardness ratio of Ferrite-Martensite by mean of heat treatment of low carbon Mn-Steels. In order to analyze and examine the effect of fracture behavior under impact load, this study investigated the impact strength, the impact loading time, the absorbed energy on the fracture ductility of Ferrite-Martensite dual phase steels, the formation of micro crack and slip, and plastic restraint of martensite on the plastic deformation.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.13-19
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• 2015

This paper presents a hydraulic fracture propagation model to describe propagation more realistically. In propagating the hydraulic fractures, we have used two criteria: maximum tangential stress to determine the fracture initiation angle and whether a hydraulic fracture intersects a natural fracture. The model was validated for the parameters relevant to fracture propagation, such as initiation angle and crossing ability through natural fracture. In order to check whether a hydraulic fracture crosses a natural fracture, the model results on crossing state excellently matched with the experimental data. In the sensitivity analysis for direction of maximum horizontal stress, frictional coefficient of fracture interface, and natural fracture orientation, the results show that hydraulic fracture intersects natural fracture, and then, propagated suitably with theoretical results according to fracture interaction criterion. In comparison of this model against vertical fracture approach, it was ascertained that there are discrepancies in fracture connectivity and stimulated reservoir volume.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.33-44
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• 2005

On the basis of a stepwise and careful integration of various field and laboratory methods the analysis of groundwater flow characterization was performed with five boreholes (BH-1, -2, -3, -4, -5) on a pilot site of Natural Forest Park in Guemsan-gun, Chungcheongbook-do, Korea. The regional lineaments of NW-SE are primarily developed on the area, which results in the development of many fractures of NW-SE direction around boreholes made in the test site for the study. A series of surface geological survey, core logging, geophysical logging, tomography, tracer tests, and heat-pulse flowmeter logging were carried out to determine fracture characteristics and fracture connectivity between the boreholes. In the result of fracture connectivity analysis BH-1 the injection well has a poor connectivity with BH-2 and BH-3, whereas a good with BH-4 and BH-5. In order to analyse the hydraulic connectivity between BH-1 and BH-5, in particular, a conspicuous groundwater outflux in the depth of 12 m and influx in the depth of 65 m and 70 m, but partly in/outflux occurred in other depths in BH-5 were observed as pumping from BH-1. On the other hand, when pumping from BH-5 the strong outflux in the depths of 17 m and 70 m was occurred. The spatial connectivity between the boreholes was examined in the depth of 15 m, 67 m, and 71 m in BH-1 as well as in the depth of 15 m, 17 m, 22 m, 72 m, and 83 m in BH-5.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 2020

The evolution of the mining-induced fracture network formed during longwall top coal caving (LTCC) has a great influence on the gas drainage, roof control, top coal recovery ratio and engineering safety of aquifers. To reveal the evolution of the mining-induced stress and fracture network formed during LTCC, the fracture network in front of the working face was observed by borehole video experiments. A discrete element model was established by the universal discrete element code (UDEC) to explore the local stress distribution. The regression relationship between the fractal dimension of the fracture network and mining stress was established. The results revealed the following: (1) The mining disturbance had the most severe impact on the borehole depth range between approximately 10 m and 25 m. (2) The distribution of fractures was related to the lithology and its integrity. The coal seam was mainly microfractures, which formed a complex fracture network. The hard rock stratum was mainly included longitudinal cracks and separated fissures. (3) Through a numerical simulation, the stress distribution in front of the mining face and the development of the fracturing of the overlying rock were obtained. There was a quadratic relationship between the fractal dimension of the fractures and the mining stress. The results obtained herein will provide a reference for engineering projects under similar geological conditions.