• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.374-392
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• 2024

In order to successfully select a site for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, it is important to perform the stepwise approach along with the systematic selection and survey of evaluation parameters of geological environmental characteristics suitable for the domestic geological environment. In this study, we evaluated the characteristics of hydraulic conductivity, which is considered the most important evaluation parameter in the field of hydrogeology, targeting a deep-depth rock aquifer where actual disposal facilities are expected to be located. In particular, for the first time in Korea, we obtained in-situ pressure-flow data by directly conducting hydraulic tests in boreholes at depths ranging from 500 m to 750 m in various rock types distributed in Korea (granite/volcanic rock/gneiss/mudstone). And we derived hydraulic conductivity values by rock types and depth using verified analytical methods. For this purpose, precision hydraulic testing equipment developed in-house through this study was used, and detailed investigation procedures based on standard test methods were applied to field tests. As a result of the analysis, the average hydraulic conductivity value was found to be in the range of 10^-9 m/s in all granite/volcanic rock/gneiss areas. In the mudstone area, an average hydraulic conductivity value of 10^-11 m/s was derived, which was about 100 times (2 orders of magnitude) lower than that of the fractured rock aquifers. Moreover, permeability tended to slightly decrease with depth in fractured rock aquifers (granite and volcanic rock areas) containing many rock fractures. The gneiss area tended to have large local differences in permeability according to the composition of the stratum and the development of fracture zones rather than depth. In mudstone areas with weak fracture development, there was no significant variation in rock permeability according to depth. The hydraulic conductivity results by various rock types and depth presented in this study are expected to be utilized in building a foundational database for the site selection, design, and construction of disposal facilities in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.97-104
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• 2015

When carrying out design for soft ground improvement before reclamation of dredged soil, it is very important to appropriately evaluate design parameters such as compression index and undrained strength in order to estimate optimum construction cost. In this study, consolidation and strength parameters were estimated by the samples obtained from the similar reclaimed land. Water content and compression index of dredged soil reclaimed by hydraulic fill method were quite decreased in comparison with those of in-situ conditions at Incheon site. Relationships between compression index(Cc) and water content (wn), and between undrained strength (su) and water content (wn) for dredged soil were obtained by field vane test and oedometer test, respectively. Applicability of Schmertmann correction method (compression index) for low plasticity silty soil was discussed according to comparison with designed and measured settlements.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.113-120
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• 2003

The estimation of the coeff. of permeability is a major process that influenced in very large portion to the changing of gound water movement and estimation of the outflow’s quantity in the ground water movement modelling. To overcome the error caused by difficulty of the ground investigation for the hydraulic parameter’s estimation, in this paper, we study of correlation between electric resistivity and coeff. of permeability, and analyse of coeff. of permeability from electric resistivity. To accomplish this purpose, we carry out electrical logging, AMT survey as an in-situ test, and measure electric resistivity, porosity, permeability for the intact rock as a laboratory test. Based on the results of this research, it can be applied that estimation of the coeff. of permeability using electrical logging and AMT survey is a effective method for the impossible area of the ground investigation caused by geographical condition and petition.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.359-381
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• 2020

Within the framework of DECOVALEX-2019 Task D, full-scale engineered barriers experiment (FEBEX) at Grimsel Test Site was numerically simulated to investigate an applicability of implemented Barcelona basic model (BBM) into TOUGH2-MP/FLAC3D simulator, which was developed for the prediction of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of bentonite buffer. And the calculated heater power, temperature, relative humidity, total stress, saturation, water content and dry density were compared with in situ data monitored in the various sections. In general, the calculated heater power and temperature provided a fairly good agreement with experimental observations, however, the difference between power of heater #1 and that of heater #2 could not captured in the numerical analysis. It is necessary to consider lamprophyre with low thermal conductivity around heater #1 and non-simplified installation progresses of bentonite blocks in the tunnel for better modeling results. The evolutions and distributions of relative humidity were well reproduced, but hydraulic model needs to be modified because the re-saturation process was relatively fast near the heaters. In case of stress evolutions due to the thermal and hydraulic expansions, the computed stress was in good agreement with the data. But, the stress is slightly higher than the measured in situ data at the early stage of the operation, because gap between rock mass and bentonite blocks have not been considered in the numerical simulations. The calculated distribution of saturation, water content, and dry density along the radial distance showed good agreement with the observations after the first and final dismantling. The calculated dry density near the center of the FEBEX tunnel and heaters were overestimated compared with the observations. As a result, the saturation and water content were underestimated with the measurements. Therefore, numerical model of permeability is needed to modify for the production of better numerical results. It will be possible to produce the better analysis results and more realistically predict the coupled THM behavior in the bentonite blocks by performing the additional studies and modifying the numerical model based on the results of this study.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.39-46
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• 2008

Due to the growth in industrialization, potential hazards in subsurface environments are becoming increasingly significant. The extraction of the contaminant from the soil and movement of the water are restricted due to the low permeability and adsorption characteristics of the reclaimed soils. There are a number of approaches to in-situ remediation that are used in contaminated sites for removing contaminants. These include soil flushing, dual phase extraction, and soil vapor extraction. Among these techniques, soil flushing was the focus of the investigation in this paper. Incorporated technique with PVDs has been used for dewatering from fine-grained soils for the purpose of ground improvement by means of prefabricated vertical drain systems. The laboratory model tests were performed by using the flushing tracer solutions for silty soils and recorded the tracer concentration changes with the elapsed time and flow rates. The modeling was intended to predict the effectiveness and time dependence of the remediation process. Modeling has been performed on the extraction, considering tracer concentration and laboratory model test characteristics. The computer model used herein are SEEP/W and CTRAN/W, this 2-D finite element program allows for modeling to determine hydraulic head and pore water pressure distribution, efficiency of remediation for the subsurface environment. It is concluded that the coefficient of permeability of contaminated soil is related with vertical velocity and extracted flow rate. The vertical velocity and extracted flow rate have an effect on dispersivity and finally are played an important role in-situ soil remediation.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.348-372
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• 2023

In relation to the high-level radioactive waste disposal project in deep fractured rock aquifer environments, it is essential to evaluate hydrogeological characteristics for evaluating the suitability of the site and operational stability. Such subsurface hydrogeological data is obtained through in-situ tests using boreholes excavated at the target site. The accuracy and reliability of the investigation results are directly related to the selection of appropriate test methods, the performance of the investigation system, standardization of the investigation procedure. In this report, we introduce the detailed procedures for the representative test method, the constant pressure injection test (CPIT), which is used to determine the key hydrogeological parameters of the subsurface fractured rock aquifer, namely hydraulic conductivity and storativity. This report further refines the standard test method suggested by the KSRM in 2022 and includes practical field application case conducted in volcanic rock aquifers where this investigation procedure has been applied.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2018

The pullout test, a nondestructive testing(NDT), for pre-installed inserts is perhaps the most widely used technique to estimate the in-situ compressive strength of concrete. It measures the force needed to pullout a standardized metal insert embedded into concrete members. The pullout test was certified by the American Society for Testing and Materials(ASTM) and Canadian Standards Association(CSA) as a reliable method for determining the strength of concrete in concrete structures under construction. To easily estimate the strength of ultra-high-strength concrete, a simplified pullout tester, primarily composed of a standard 12mm bolt with a groove on the shaft as a break-off bolt, an insert nut, and a hydraulic oil pump without a load cell, was proposed. Four wall and two slab specimens were tested for two levels of concrete strength, 80MPa and 100MPa, using a simplified pullout tester with a load cell to verify the advantages of the pullout test and simplified pullout test. The compressive strength of concrete, pullout load, and the rupture of the break-off bolt were measured 11 times, day 1 to 7, 14, 21, 28, and 90. The correlation of the pullout load and the compressive strength of each specimen show a higher degree of reliability. Therefore, a simplified pullout test can be used to evaluate the in-place strength of ultra-high-strength concrete in structures. The prediction equation for the groove diameter of the break-off bolt(y) with the concrete strength(x) was proposed as y=0.0184x+5.4. The results described in this research confirm the simplified pullout's utility and potential for low cost, simplicity, and convenience.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.33-40
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• 2008

This paper describes the performance of ground improvement project using prefabricated vertical drains of condition, in which approximately 10m dredged fill overlies original soft foundation layer in the coastal area composed of soft marine clay with high water content and high compressibility. From field monitoring results, excessive ground settlement compared with predicted settlement in design stage developed during the following one year. In order to predict the final consolidation behavior, recalculation of consolidation settlements and back analysis using observed settlements were conducted. Field monitoring results of surface settlements were evaluated, and then corrected because large shear deformation occurred by construction events in the early stages of consolidation. To predict the consolidation behavior, material functions and in-situ conditions from laboratory consolidation test were re-analyzed. Using these results, height of additional embankment is estimated to satisfy residual settlement limit and maintain an adequate ground elevation. The recalculated time-settlement curve has been compared with field monitoring results after additional surcharge was applied. It might be used for verification of recalculated results.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.389-398
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• 2013

Studies of the thermal properties of various rock types obtained from several locations in Korea have revealed significant differences in thermal conductivities in the thermal response test (TRT), which has been applied to the design of a ground-source heat pump system. In the present study, we aimed to compare the thermal conductivities of the samples with those obtained by TRT. The thermal conductivities of soil and rock samples were 1.32W/m-K and 2.88 W/m-K, respectively. In comparison, the measured TRT value for thermal conductivity was 3.13W/m-K, which is 10% higher than that of the rock samples. We consider that this difference may be due to groundwater flow because abundant groundwater is present in the study area and has a hydraulic conductivity of 0.01. It is natural to consider that the object of TRT is to calculate the original thermal conductivity of the ground, following the line source theory. Therefore, we conclude that the TRT applied to a domestic standing column type well is not suitable for a line source theory. To solve these problems, values of thermal conductivity measured directly from samples should be used in the design of ground-source heat pump systems.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.2 s.55
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• pp.157-167
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• 2005

Current initial rock stress state is one of the key factors required to evaluate the stability and failure around an excavated opening and its importance increases as the construction depth become deeper and the scale of the rock structure become larger. In this paper, the study was performed to evaluate the characteristics of the regional stress state at Chuncheon-Yanggu mountainous region, the East-North part of Kyeonggi Massif. Forty nine field stress measurements in 9 boreholes were conducted at the depth from 20 m to 290 m by hydraulic fracturing method. The fracturing tracing works were carried out by acoustic televiewer scanning. The study results revealed that the different intial rock stress states presented at different formation rock type and the excessive horizontal stress state with stress ratio(K) close to 3.0 was measured at the depth of 200 m and deeper in the intrusive unite body of the study area. The results from the investigation of excessive horizontal stress and its effect on failure mode showed that there exist several points where the localized excessive horizontal stresses are big enough to potentially induce brittle failures around the future openings greater than 100 m in depth within the granite body of the study area.