• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.227-235
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• 2014

The deformation modulus is one of the essential factors in determining ground behavior and safety during tunnel excavation. In this study, we conducted a back-analysis using crown settlements measured during tunnel excavation, using a horizontal inclinometer on a fault zone of pegmatite, and calculated the deformation modulus of the fault zone. This deformation modulus calculation was then compared with deformation moduli found through established relationships that use the correlation between RMR and the deformation modulus, as well as the results of pressure-meter tests. The deformation moduli calculated by back-analysis differs significantly from the deformation moduli determined through established relationships, as well as the results from pressure-meter tests conducted across the study area. Furthermore, the maximum crown settlements derived from numerical analysis conducted by applying deformation moduli determined by these established relationships and the pressure-meter tests produced noticeable differences. This result indicates that in the case of a weak rock mass, such as a fault zone, it is inappropriate to estimate the deformation modulus using preexisting relationships, and caution must be taken when considering the geological and geotechnical characteristics of weak rock.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.14 no.4 s.41
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• pp.469-485
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to investigate the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in the Umsung area, and to elucidate the effect of host rock type, well depth and mineralization zone on the groundwater chemistry. The geology of the study area consists of Jurassic granite and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, which are bounded by a fault. Most of shallow groundwaters exploited in the Jurassic granite area are used for agricultural purpose, whereas the deep groundwaters in the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks are used for a drinking water. The shallow groundwater shows weak acidic pH, the electrical conductivity ranging from $142\;to\;903\;{\mu}S/cm$, and the chemical type of $Ca-HCO_3\;to\;Ca-Cl(SO_4,\;NO_3)$. A few of shallow groundwaters are contaminated by nitrate, and show high concentration of Fe, Mn and Zn, that reflects the effect of a mineralization zone. The deep groundwater shows neutral to weak alkaline pH, higher electrical conductivity than that of shallow groundwater, and the chemical type of $Ca-HCO_3$. The seepage water from the abandoned mines does not have the characteristics such as acidic pH, high concentration of heavy metals and high sulfate content. The hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of groundwater indicates an altitude effect of the recharge area between deep groundwater and shallow groundwater. In conclusion, the chemical composition of groundwater complicately reflects the effects of their host rocks, well depth, agricultural activity and mineralization zone in the study area.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.115-128
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• 2006

The structural anisotropy and heterogeneity of rock mass, caused by discontinuities and weak zones, have a great influence on the deformation behavior of a tunnel. A tunnel construction in these complex ground conditions is very difficult. No matter how excellent a geological investigation is, local uncertainties of rock mass conditions still remain. Under these uncertain circumstances, an accurate forecast of the ground conditions ahead of the advancing tunnel face is indispensable to a safe and economic tunnel construction. This paper presents the effect of anisotropy and heterogeneity of the rock masses to be excavated by numerical analysis. The influences of distance from weak zone, the size or dimension, the different stiffness and the orientation of weak zones are analysed by 3-D finite element analysis. By analysing these numerical results, the tunnel behavior due to excavation can be well understood and the prediction of rock mass condition ahead of the tunnel face can be possible.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.449-460
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• 2020

The double-lane arrangement model is frequently used in underground coal mines because it is beneficial to improve the mining efficiency of the working face. When the double-lane arrangement is used, the service time of the reserved roadway increases by twice, which causes several difficulties for the maintenance of the roadway. Given the severe non-uniform deformation of the reserved roadway in the Buertai Coal Mine, the stress distribution law in the mining area, the failure characteristics of roadway and the control effect of support resistance (SR) were systematically studied through on-site monitoring, FLAC 3D numerical simulation, mechanical model analysis. The research shows that the deformation and failure of the reserved roadway mainly manifested as asymmetrical roof sag and floor heave in the region behind the working face, and the roof dripping phenomenon occurred in the severe roof sag area. After the coal is mined out, the stress adjustment around goaf will happen to some extent. For example, the magnitude, direction, and confining pressure ratio of the principal stress at different positions will change. Under the influence of high-stress rotation, the plastic zone of the weak surrounding rock is expanded asymmetrically, which finally leads to the asymmetric failure of roadway. The existing roadway support has a limited effect on the control of the stress field and plastic zone, i.e., the anchor cable reinforcement cannot fully control the roadway deformation under given conditions. Based on obtained results, using roadway grouting and advanced hydraulic support during the secondary mining of the panel 22205 is proposed to ensure roadway safety. This study provides a reference for the stability control of roadway with similar geological conditions.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.361-368
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• 2003

We have investigated the electric resistivity structure of the fault zone located in the Hongseong area where a big earthquake with M 5.0 occurred in 1978. Usually, Electric and Electromagnetic methods are broadly operated in the field of engineering works since these methods are effective to understand the distribution of geological weak zones - fault or fracture zones. We have conducted the dipole-dipole array resistivity method and MT(magnetotelluric) method and interpreted the resistivity distribution of the fault zone with the aid of various inversion methods. An MT survey was performed at 18 points along a 2.9 km survey line perpendicular to the fault line and a magnetic dipole source was used to enhance the S/N ratio in the high frequency. A Electric dipole-dipole array resistivity survey with the dipole length of 50 meters was carried out perpendicular to the fault. In view of two survey results, the fault marks the boundary between two opposite resistivity structures, especially the low resistivity zone is exhibited deeply through the prospective fault line. The result that the low resistivity zone is located at the center of the fault zone corresponds with the fact that the fault zone of the Hongseong area is active. We expect these results to provide basic information about the physical properties of fault zones in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.90-99
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• 1994

Heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity in a flow domain is generated under the assumption that it is a random variable with a lognormal, spatially-correlated distribution. The hydraulic head and the conductivity in a groundwater flow system are represented as a stochastic process. The method of Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) and the finite element method (FEM) are used to determine the statistics of the head and the logconductivity. The second moments of the head and the logconductivity indicate that the cross-covariance of the logconductivity with the head has characteristic distribution patterns depending on the properties of sources, boundary conditions, head gradients, and correlation scales. The negative cross-correlation outlines a weak-response zone where the flow system is weakly responding to a stress change in the flow domain. The stochastic approach has a potential to quantitatively delineate the zone of influence through computations of the cross-covariance distribution.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.785-791
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• 2023

Risk management is essential for preventing accidents arising from uncertainties in TBM tunnel projects, especially concerning managing the risk of TBM tunnel collapse, which can cause extensive damage from the tunnel face to the ground surface. In addition, prioritizing risks is necessary to allocate resources efficiently within time and cost constraints. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a TBM risk database through case studies of TBM accidents and determine a risk priority for TBM tunnel collapse using the Bayes theorem. The database consisted of 87 cases, dealing with three accidents and five geological sources. Applying the Bayes theorem to the database, it was found that fault zones and weak ground significantly increased the probability of tunnel collapse, while the other sources showed low correlations with collapse. Therefore, the risk priority for TBM tunnel collapse, considering geological sources, is as follows: 1) Fault zone, 2) Weak ground, 3) Mixed ground, 4) High in-situ stress, and 5) Expansive ground. In practice, the derived risk priority can serve as a valuable reference for risk management, enhancing the safety and efficiency of TBM construction. It provides guidance for developing appropriate countermeasure plans and allocating resources effectively to mitigate the risk of TBM tunnel collapse.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2005

Recently, the imaging of geological structures beneath water-covered areas has been in great demand because of numerous tunnel and bridge construction projects on river or lake sites. An electrical resistivity survey can be effective in such a situation because it provides a subsurface image of faults or weak zones beneath the water layer. Even though conventional resistivity surveys in water-covered areas, in which electrodes are installed on the water bottom, do give high-resolution subsurface images, much time and effort is required to install electrodes. Therefore, an easier and more convenient method is sought to find the strike direction of the main zones of weakness, especially for reconnaissance surveys. In this paper, we investigate the applicability of the streamer resistivity survey method, which uses electrodes in a streamer cable towed by ship or boat, for delineating a fault zone. We do this through numerical experiments with models of water-covered areas. We demonstrate that the fault zone can be imaged, not only by installing electrodes on the water bottom, but also by using floating electrodes, when the depth of water is less than twice the electrode spacing. In addition, we compare the signal-to-noise ratio and resolving power of four kinds of electrode arrays that can be adapted to the streamer resistivity method. Following this numerical study, we carried out both conventional and streamer resistivity surveys for the planned tunnel construction site located at the Han River in Seoul, Korea. To obtain high-resolution resistivity images we used the conventional method, and installed electrodes on the water bottom along the planned route of the tunnel beneath the river. Applying a two-dimensional inversion scheme to the measured data, we found three distinctive low-resistivity anomalies, which we interpreted as associated with fault zones. To determine the strike direction of these three fault zones, we used the quick and convenient streamer resistivity.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.313-322
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• 2011

On September 2007, numerous slopes at Jeonranam-Do collapsed as a result of rainfall related to Typhoon Nari. Failure occurred at a road cut-slope on the ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ detour road, damaging transport infrastructure. This study aims to determine the cause of failure based on field investigations, the geotechnical properties of soil, clay mineral composition, and quantitative analysis. The studied cut slope consists of weathered soil that originated from volcanic rocks, and minor faults and a mafic dyke. Surface water tends to seep into the soil because the roadway is not sealed and because of poorly installed drainage. Sieve and XRD analyses indicate that soils in the failure zone are ML and CH, which are prone to swelling due to the presence of clay minerals such as smectite and vermiculite. The slope failed due to the improper construction of drainage facilities, the presence of geological weak zones, and high soil contents of swelling clay.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.571-577
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• 1995

Several acid-sulfate clay deposits associated with silicic magmas occur in the Haenam area of the southwestern part of Korea. Geology of the studied area consists of tuffs, granitic rocks, quartz porphyry, rhyolite, andesite and sedimentary rocks. The granitic rocks and quartz porphyry intruded tuffs and sedimentary rocks. The rhyolite and tuffs around the mines have undergone hydrothermally weak or strong alteration. Gold contents with major and trace elements have been determined for a total of sixty-seven specimens of fresh igneous rocks, wall rocks and minerals such as dickite and alunite by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma. Gold is enriched in the alunite vein and the silicified zone, but is depleted in dickites and hydrothermally altered rocks with dickite of the Seongsan deposit. Gold is especially concentrated near the faults or conjunction area of two faults. High content of gold is shown in the mineral assemblages of alunitequartz- pyrite in the alunite vein and silicic zone of the Seongsan deposit compared with that of minerals and rocks from another deposits distributed in the studied area. Gold content in tuffs and dickites with pyrite is generally low. Gold content in silicified tuff tends to show positive correlations with content of As, Hg and Sb. Variation trends of Cd, Hg and Sb are similar to those of gold content. From the result of gold content variations, gold may be transported and concentrated by mineralizing solutions ascending along the cracks like fault. Therefore, it is important to survey alunite vein and silicified zone at the conjunction of faults, and to analyze pathfinder elements such as As, Hg and Sb for geological and geochemical exploration of gold in the studied deposits.