• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.99-110
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• 2009

In order to provide the design criteria, the characteristics of consolidation for soft ground improvement have been investigated using the field banking test performed by the vertical drain method at the northern container section in Busan New Port. Field test results indicated that the estimated degree of consolidation in design stage decreased by about 7% compared with the measured one. This difference is attributed to the fact that the conservative geological properties were applied with relatively high amount of maximum clay mixture ratio during the design stage. Based on this findings, another laboratory oedometer test was implemented to consider various combination of mixture ratio. It was found that the consolidation degree increased in accordance with the increase of sand/silt mixture ratio. Also, the proportion of 10%, 50%, and 40% for sand, silt, and clay, respectively, was observed as the best combination of mixture ratio to the actual measurement, which is very similar to the average grain size distribution in the banking test area. Therefore, it is suggested that the overall geological characteristics as well as the grain size distribution should be considered in design stage to improve the soft ground that contains mixture of sand, silt, and clay.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.5-11
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• 2024

Promising geological structures for carbon dioxide capture and subsurface storage include aquifers, depleted reservoirs, and gas fields. Among these, aquifers are gaining attention due to their potential for storing significant amounts of carbon dioxide compared to other geological structures. Therefore, there is a growing interest in enhancing carbon dioxide storage efficiency by understanding the characteristics of aquifers and developing technologies tailored to their properties. In this study, the storage efficiency of carbon dioxide injection following surfactant pre-injection into porous micro-models was evaluated. The results indicate that as the concentration of the surfactant solution injected prior to carbon dioxide injection increases, storage efficiency improves. Conversely, lower concentrations require more surfactant injection to enhance storage efficiency. Furthermore, under identical surfactant concentration conditions, the storage efficiency from surfactant pre-injection prior to supercritical carbon dioxide injection is approximately 30% lower compared to surfactant-co-solvent substitution as observed in previous studies. However, under the maximum concentration conditions investigated in this study, similar storage efficiencies to those of previous studies were achieved. These findings are expected to guide concentration determinations for surfactant application aimed at enhancing carbon dioxide storage efficiency in aquifers in future studies.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 2024

In this case study, detailed survey of the Excavation Damaged Zone (EDZ) evaluation for the deep geological repository for high level nuclear waste was conducted. Oversea and Domestic case studies were compiled and investigated. EDZ is considered a crucial factor in the performance assessment of spent fuel disposal, leading to numerous studies worldwide aiming to understand the characteristics of the EDZ and quantitatively assessment of its extent through field and laboratory tests at Underground Research Laboratory (URL) sites. To enhance the understanding of EDZ, this study begins with defining and exploring the history of EDZ, compiling factors influencing EDZ, and summarizing the impacts caused by EDZ. Subsequently, an analysis of EDZ and rock properties is performed, followed by presenting generalized outcomes, limitations drawn from previous research, and proposing future research directions.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.137-145
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• 2017

High-grade limestone applied to various chemical industries is abundant within upper Pungchon formation in Taebaeksan basin, South Korea. Geophysical exploration is one of the most efficient methods to investigate subsurface geological structure in an extensive area. Since the geophysical exploration for the high-grade limestone has rarely been conducted in Korea, its appropriate strategy has not been set up yet. In this study, we focused on to suggest the reasonable strategy and accumulate geophysical databases which are essential for interpreting geophysical images by characterizing laboratory physical properties of in-situ rocks. Hence, rocks were obtained from drilled cores consisting of lower Hwajeol formation, Pungchon formation, and dykes in Jeongseon area, Gangwon province. Geophysical laboratory experiments and petrography of the rocks were conducted. Since susceptibility values of the rocks in Pungchon Formation were obviously lower than those of upper Hwajeol and dykes, it is considered that the lithological boundaries could be distinguished by magnetic survey. In addition, electrical properties of the rocks in middle Pungchon formation were relatively different compared with those of upper/lower Pungchon formations. Thus, induced polarization is shown to be able to detect the high-grade limestone in upper Pungchon formation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 2020

To understand behavior of fault cores in the field of geotechnical and geological engineering, we present an investigation of the physical properties (breccia and clay contents, unit weight, porosity, and water content) and friction characteristics (internal friction angle and cohesion) of fault cores, in granitic, sedimentary, and volcanic rocks in South Korea. The breccia contents in the fault cores are positively correlated with unit weight and negatively correlated with clay content, porosity, and water content. The inter-quartile ranges of internal friction angles and cohesion calculated from direct shear tests are 16.7-38.1° and 2.5-25.3 kPa, respectively. The influence of physical properties on the friction characteristics of the fault cores was analyzed and showed that in all three rock types the internal friction angles are positively correlated with breccia content and unit weight, and negatively correlated with clay content, porosity, and water content. In contrast, the cohesions of the fault cores are negatively correlated with breccia content and unit weight, and positively correlated with clay content, porosity, and water content.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.261-272
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• 2009

An experimental study of the accelerated weathering was performed to investigate the variations of physicomechanical properties of deteriorated rocks due to freeze-thaw weathering for the Jurassic granite specimens from Wonju, Gangwon-do. Each complete cycle of freeze and thaw was lasted 24 hours, comprising 2 hours saturating in vacuum chamber, 8 hours freezing at -20$\pm1^{\circ}C$ and 14 hours thawing at room temperature. Freeze-thaw cycles were implemented with measuring the index physical properties as well as geometries of microfractures. The seismic velocity was found to decrease with increasing freeze-thaw cycles. On the other hand, absorption tends to increase with freeze-thaw cycles. In the end, it was concluded that variations of the index properties of deteriorated specimen depend on its initial properties and flaws in rock. The size and density of the traces of the microfracture on slab specimen were changed continuously with increasing freeze-thaw weathering. The results obtained in this study show that the box fractal dimension($D_B$) has the strong capability of quantifying the combined effect of size and density of the microfractures.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.435-443
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• 2007

This study shows the prediction of the engineering properties of weathered zone bearing corestones through the engineering geological surveys and the scale model test in the laboratory. The window survey and the observation on the borehole core were peformed on three natural slopes in corestones area in order to analyse the distribution pattern and the geometrical properties of corestones. Natural corestones were crushed and abrased for the scale model test into less than 5 mm in maximum-2mm in average by the scale reduction ratio based on the size of natural corestones and the specimen size. Scale model tests were carried out on soil and plaster model specimens with different corestone content ratio - 0%, 10%, 20%. The direct shear test on soils shows that shear strength is increased by the increase of corestone content ratio. The increase of cohesion is, however, more important factor to the shear strength of soil for 20% corestone content ratio due to interlocking of crushed corestone particles. The plaster model test shows a tendance of increase of UCS and modulus of elasticity with increase of corestone content. The variation ratio of specimen property by change of corestone content ratio in plaster model test was applied to in situ properties in order to estimate the properties of weathered zone bearing corestones. So it could be predicted that the increase of corestone content to 10% and to 20% produce about 18% and 30% UCS's increase respectively.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2022

The mechanical and thermal properties of the rock masses can affect the performance associated with both the isolating and retarding capacities of radioactive materials within the deep geological disposal system for High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW). In this study, the essential parameters for the site descriptive model (SDM) related to the rock mechanics and thermal properties of the HLW disposal facilities site were reviewed, and the technical background was explored through the cases of the preceding site descriptive models developed by SKB (Swedish Nuclear and Fuel Management Company), Sweden and Posiva, Finland. SKB and Posiva studied parameters essential for the investigation and evaluation of mechanical and thermal properties, and derived a rock mechanics site descriptive model for safety evaluation and construction of the HLW disposal facilities. The rock mechanics SDM includes the results obtained from investigation and evaluation of the strength and deformability of intact rocks, fractures, and fractured rock masses, as well as the geometry of large-scaled deformation zones, the small-scaled fracture network system, thermal properties of rocks, and the in situ stress distribution of the disposal site. In addition, the site descriptive model should provide the sensitivity analysis results for the input parameters, and present the results obtained from evaluation of uncertainty.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.4 s.42
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• pp.447-462
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• 2005

The purposes of this study are to evaluate and discuss the importance of geochemical properties of soil materials that play an important role in the occurrence of the landslide, using analyses of microtexture, particle size distribution, XRC, and FE-SEM equipped with energy dispersive spectrum on soils collected from landslide slopes of gneiss, granite and sedimentary rock areas. Soils from gneiss and granite areas where landslides took place have much clay content relative to those from non landslide areas, particularly pronounced in the granite area. Therefore the clay content is considered a sensitive factor on landslide. Clay minerals contained in soils are illite, chlorite, kaolinite and montmorillonite. Especially the content of clay minerals in soils from the Tertiary sedimentary rocks is highest, with abundant montmorillonite as expandable species. It is believed that this area was much vulnerable to landslide comparable to other areas because of its high content of monoorillonite, even though there might be weak precipitation. Since no conspicuous differentiation in mineralogy between the landslide area and non landslide area can be made, the occurrence of landslide may be influenced not by mineralogy, but by local geography and mechanical properties of soils. Geochemical information on weathering properties, mineralogy, and microtexture of soils is helpful to better understand the causes and patterns of landslide, together with engineering geological analyses.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.69-79
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• 2018

The Korean government attempts to reduce $CO_2$ emissions by 37% to 314.7 Mt $CO_2$, down from the estimated 850.6 Mt $CO_2$ until 2030 in order to confront green house effect. In this context, in 2014, Korean government launched $CO_2$ Storage Environmental Management Research (K-COSEM) Center for carrying out pilot-scale research on $CO_2$ leakage from underground $CO_2$ storage facilities. For the detection of $CO_2$ leakage, it is necessary to identify hydrologeological and geophysical characteristics of the subject area. In the study site of Naesan-ri, Daeso-myeon, Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk Province, two times injection tests (June 28-July 24, 2017 and August 07-September 11, 2017) of $CO_2$ and $SF_6$ dissolved waters, respectively, was conducted to understand the leakage behavior of $CO_2$ from underground. The injection well was drilled to a depth of 24 m with a 21-m casing and screen interval of 21~24 m depth. Two times resistivity surveys on August 18, 2017 and September 1, 2017, were conducted for revealing the flow of the injected water as well as the electrical properties of the study site. The study results have shown that the high-resistivity zone and the low-resistivity zone are clearly contrasted with each other and the flow direction of the injected water is similar to natural groundwater flow. Besides, the low resistivity zone is widely formed from the depth of injection to the shallow topsoil, indicating that the weathered zone of high permeability has high $CO_2$ leakage potential.