• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.247-258
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• 2024

Tailings are waste materials of mining operations, consisting of a mixture of clay, silt, sand with a high content of unrecoverable metals, process water, and chemical reagents. They are usually discharged as slurry into the storage area retained by dams or earth embankments. Poor knowledge of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of tailings has often resulted in a high rate of failures in which static liquefaction has been widely recognized as one of the major causes of dam collapse. Many studies have dealt with the static liquefaction of coarse soils in saturated conditions. This research provides an extension to the case of silty tailings in unsaturated conditions. The static liquefaction resistance was evaluated in terms of stress-strain behavior by means of monotonic triaxial tests. Its dependency on the preparation method, the volumetric water content, the void ratio, and the degree of saturation was studied and compared with literature data. The static liquefaction response was proved to be dependent mainly on the preparation technique and degree of saturation that, in turn, controls the excess of pore pressure whose leading role is investigated by means of the relationship between the -B Skempton parameter and the degree of saturation. A preliminary interpretation of the static liquefaction response of Stava tailings is also provided within the Critical State framework.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.71-81
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• 1999

A study on the undrained behavior of isotropically consolidated clay-sand mixtures was carried out using the automated triaxial testing apparatus. Overconsolidated ratio, effective mean pressure and clay content( up to 20% bentonite) were the factors varied in the experimental investigation. Undrained behavior(strength and pore water pressure generation during shear in triaxial loading) depends upon overconsolidation ratio, confining pressure and clay content. Significant changes in undrained compression characteristics occurred at around 20% of clay contents in the sand. The test results were analyzed and their behaviors were interpreted within the framework of plasticity constitutive model for clay-sand mixtures. Possible physical bases for the proposed forms are discussed. Validation of the applied model using the laboratory results is also given.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.19-31
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• 2007

Humidity and strain were estimated for understanding the relation between humidity change by self-desiccation and shrinkage in high-performance concrete with low water binder ratio and containing fly ash and blast furnace slag. Internal humidity change and shrinkage strain were about 10%, 10%, 7%, 11%, 11% and $320{\times}10^{-6}$, $270{\times}10^{-6}$, $231{\times}10^{-6}$, $371{\times}10^{-6}$, $350{\times}10^{-6}$ respectively on OPC30, O30F10, O30F20, O30G40, O30G50 and from the results, fly ash made humidity change and strain decrease but slag increase comparing with ordinary portland cement. Considering only relation internal humidity and shrinkage by self-desiccation, humidity change and shrinkage represented the strong linear relation regardless of mineral admixture. For specifying the relation on internal humidity change and autogenous shrinkage strain, shrinkage model was established which is driven by capillary pressure in pore water and surface energy in hydrates on the assumption of a single network and extended meniscus in pore system of concrete. This model and experimental results had a similar tendency so it would be concluded that the internal humidity change by self-desiccation in HPC originated in small pores less than 20nm, therefore controlling plan on autogenous shrinkage might be focused on surface tension of water and degree of saturation in small pore.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.15-26
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• 2004

Based on an estimating method for post-cyclic strength and stiffness with cyclic triaxial tests proposed by one of the authors, cyclic Direct Simple Shear (DSS) tests were carried out to confirm whether the method can be adapted to DSS test on fine-grained soils: silty clay, plastic silt, and non-plastic silt. Results from cyclic and post-cyclic DSS tests were interpreted by a modified method as adopted for cyclic and post-cyclic triaxial tests. In particular, influence of plasticity index for fine-grained soils and initial static shear stress (ISSS) was emphasised. Findings obtained from the present study are: (i) liquefaction strength ratio of fine-grained soils decreases with decreasing plasticity index and increasing ISSS; (ii) plasticity index and ISSS did not markedly influence relation between equivalent cyclic stiffness and shear strain relations; (iii) the higher the plasticity index of fine-grained soils is, the less the strength ratio decreases with increment of a normalcies excess pore water pressure (NEPWP); (iv) stiffness ratio of plastic silt has large activity decrease rapidly with increasing excess pore water pressure; and (v) post-cyclic strength and stiffness results from DSS tests agree well with those predicted by the method modified from a procedure used for triaxial test results.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1010-1014
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• 2009

Monodispersed microparticles with a poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) core and a poly(ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate) (PE2CA) shell were prepared by Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane emulsification to reduce the initial burst release of doxorubicin (DOX). Solution mixtures with different weight ratios of PLGA polymer and E2CA monomer were permeated under pressure through an SPG membrane with $1.9\;{\mu}m$ pore size into a continuous water phase with sodium lauryl sulfate as a surfactant. Core-shell structured microparticles were formed by the mechanism of anionic interfacial polymerization of E2CA and precipitation of both polymers. The average diameter of the resulting microparticles with various PLGA:E2CA ratios ranged from 1.42 to $2.73\;{\mu}m$. The morphology and core-shell structure of the microparticles were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The DOX release profiles revealed that the microparticles with an equivalent PLGA:E2CA weight ratio of 1:1 exhibited the optimal condition to reduce the initial burst of DOX. The initial release rate of DOX was dependent on the PLGA:E2CA ratio, and was minimized at a 1:1 ratio.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.193-199
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• 2019

A frozen fringe plays a key role in frost heave development in soils. Previous studies have focused on the physical and mechanical properties of the frozen fringe, such as overall hydraulic conductivity, water content and pore pressure. It has been proposed that the thickness of the frozen fringe controls frost heave behavior, but this effect has not been thoroughly evaluated. This study used a temperature-controllable cell to investigate the impact of frozen fringe thickness on the characteristics of frost heave. A series of laboratory tests was performed with various temperature boundary conditions and specimen heights, revealing that: (1) the amount and rate of development of frost heave are dependent on the frozen fringe thickness; (2) the thicker the frozen fringe, the thinner the resulting ice lens; and (3) care must be taken when using the frost heave ratio to characterize frost heave and evaluate frost susceptibility because the frost heave ratio is not a normalized factor but a specimen height-dependent factor.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.145-157
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• 2023

This paper aims at investigating the face stability of large-diameter underwater shield tunnels considering seepage in soft-hard uneven strata. Using the kinematic approach of limit upper-bound analysis, the analytical solution of limit supporting pressure on the tunnel face considering seepage was obtained based on a logarithmic spiral collapsed body in uneven strata. The stability analysis method of the excavation face with different soft- and hard-stratum ratios was explored and validated. Moreover, the effects of water level and burial depth on tunnel face stability were discussed. The results show the effect of seepage on the excavation face stability can be accounted as the seepage force on the excavation face and the seepage force of pore water in instability body. When the thickness ratio of hard soil layer within the excavation face exceeds 1/6D, the interface of the soft and hard soil layer can be placed at tunnel axis during stability analysis. The reliability of the analytical solution of the limit supporting pressure is validated by numerical method and literature methods. The increase of water level causes the instability of upper soft soil layer firstly due to the higher seepage force. With the rise of burial depth, the horizontal displacement of the upper soft soil decreases and the limit supporting pressure changes little because of soil arching effect.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.497-505
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• 2019

Biocementation based on the microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) process is a novel soil improvement method. Biocement can improve significantly the properties of soils by binding soil particles to increase the shear strength or filling in the pores to reduce the permeability of soil. In this paper, results of triaxial consolidated undrained (CU) tests and constant shear drained (CSD) tests on biocemented Ottawa sand are presented. In the CU tests, the biocemented sand had more dilative behaviour by showing a higher stress-strain curves and faster pore pressure reducing trends as compared with their untreated counterparts. In the CSD tests, the stress ratio q/p' at which biocemented sand became unstable was higher than that for untreated sands, implying that the biocementation will improve the stability of sand to water infiltration or liquefaction.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.100-100
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• 1991

A novel system to thicken the concentrated colloidal solution from membrane water treat-ment processes was developed. A hollow-fiber microfilter(hydrophilic polyethylene nominal pore size 0.1 μm total surface area 0.42 m2) was installed in an acrylic housing that has an aeration port 5 cm below the membrane and a clarifier in the bottom. The concentrate was uniformly supplied from the top of the housing. Bacuum filtration caused downward flow of concentrate and as a result thickening interface. The addition of poly-aluminum chloride (PAC) resulted in rapid increase of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) and in no improvement of the filtered water turbidity and thickening process. Two types of con-centrate and concentrate turbidity had little effect on the increase of TMP and concentrate thickening. It was observed that for the same height of membrane housing membrane surface area to housing volume (A/V) ratio had significant effect on the increase of TMP. When the housing volume was increased ten times the increasing rate of TMP was three times faster as compared to the original housing. A hydraulic model successfully simulated the formation and sedimentation of thickening interface.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.151-160
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• 1999

A series of laboratory tests for the marine clay sampled under the sea of Kwangyang bay have been conducted. The main types of tests are the general index property tests, the oedometer tests and the triaxial compression tests in both undrained(CIU) and drained(CID) conditions. The clayey samples, classified as CL, CH with natural water content of 38.3~84.6% and liquidity index of 0.71~0.98, are in the normally consolidated state with O.C.R. of 1.0l~l.60. The undrained stress path from CIU tests can be normalized with isotropic consolidation pressure$(p_0)$ and equal shear strain contour is linear passing through the origin in the (q, p) plot. The undrained shear strain is found to be the only function of the stress ratio($\eta$) and linear with intercept in the ($\varepsilon/\eta,\eta$) plot. The built-up pore pressure normalized with pc is also linear with respect to $\eta$. and its slope is defined by ´C´ as a pore pressure parameter. Equations to predict the undrained stress path and the shear strain are proposed. It is proved that the proposed equations give better agreements to the measured values than the Cam-clay theories. The failure points of the stress path are located on the same C.S.L. in (q, p) plot during both CIU and CID tests, which justifies the concept of critical state theory.