• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.23-41
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• 2023

Coupled thermo-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes are essential for the long-term performance of deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In this study, a numerical sensitivity analysis was performed to analyze the effect of rock properties on THM responses after the execution of the heater test at the Kamaishi mine in Japan. The TOUGH-FLAC simulator was applied for the numerical simulation assuming a continuum model for coupled THM analysis. The rock properties included in the sensitivity study were the Young's modulus, permeability, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficients of crystalline rock, rock salt, and clay. The responses, i.e., temperature, water content, displacement, and stress, were measured at monitoring points in the buffer and near-field rock mass during the simulations. The thermal conductivity had an overarching impact on THM responses. The influence of Young's modulus was evident in the mechanical behavior, whereas that of permeability was noticed through the change in the temperature and water content. The difference in the THM responses of the three rock type models implies the importance of the appropriate characterization of rock mass properties with regard to the performance assessment of the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.315-325
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• 2001

A series of laboratory tests was conducted to observe damage process by stress and to understand characteristics of permeability related with rock damage. Rock specimens which were composed of the Cretaceous medium grained granites were experienced of damage stress between 65% and 95% of the compressive strength. Rock deformation by damage process was identified with the elastic wave velocity test. Relationship between rock damage and permeability change was also analyzed by water injection test in the laboratory. According to the results of the tests, damage tends to be occurred from stress level of 80% of the compressive strength and it reduces elastic wave velocity. The damaged specimens with stress more than 80% of the compressive strength showed crack density more than 0.6 and persistent length with good connectivity of cracks. They also have higher permeability than that of specimens with crack density less than 0.6. Considered with the above results, the rock specimens used in this study were fully damaged from stress level of 80% of the compressive strength. Crack initiation and propagation by damage caused good connectivity of cracks through rock specimen. These damage process, therefore, brought high permeability coefficient through water flow conduit in the rock specimen.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.304-311
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• 2002

This study reports the influence of vocid geometry on fracture closure and permeability from numerical experiments. As the aperture distributions of rock fractures are characterized by statistical methods, synthetic fractures have successfully been simulated in this way. Based on the generated fracture models, models for fracture closure and flow calculation have been developed. A fracture closure model has been developed by considering the asperity compression and half-space deformation, and flow calculations have been performed using a finite difference method adopting a local cubic law. The results of numerical experiments have shown that the increase in the aperture spatial correlation leads the fracture closure and the decrease in fracture permeability to increase. Also, it has been indicated that there is an implicit relation between fracture normal stiffness and permeability. The importance of this study is to enhance the understanding the hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured rock massed due to engineering projects.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.45-58
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• 2000

Cyclic shear test system, which is capable of measuring flow rate inside rock joint, was established to investigate the hydraulic behavior of rough rock joints under various loading conditions. Laboratory hydraulic tests during compression and shear were conducted for artificial rough rock joints. Prior to tests, aperture characteristics of specimens were examined by measuring surface topography. Permeability changes under compression were well approximated with several hydraulic model. Hydraulic behavior conformed to dilation characteristics in the first stage, and permeability increased with increase of dilation. As the shear displacement progressed, flow rate became somewhat constant due to gouge production and offset of apertures. Hydraulic behavior under cyclic shear loading was also influenced by the degradation of asperities and gouge production. In addition. the relation between hydraulic aperture and mechanical aperture under compression and shear loading was investigated and compared.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.861-866
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• 2003

While coarse geomaterials with abundant fine particles are common, comparatively little information is available to know their engineering behaviour. In this study, the effects of fine particle content of coarse geomaterials on engineering properties, such as shear strength, deformability and permeability were investigated. It was known through large triaxial compression tests that when they are compared with good rock materials, the rock materials with abundant fine particles have different compaction characteristics, low shear strength, low stiffness, and low permeability.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.661-668
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• 2003

This paper presents Lattice-Boltzmann simulation techniques for single-phase and two-phase fluid flow in porous media. Numerical experiments were performed in a digital rock sample from X-ray microtomography. Computed results showed very good agreement with laboratory measurements of permeability and relative permeability. Two applications using these simulation techniques show the potential of the Lattice-Boltzmann flow simulation to solve many difficult problems coupled with fluid flow in porous media.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.12-29
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• 2019

Permeability and its change due to a fluid injection in jointed rock mass is an important factor to be well identified for a safe and successful implementation of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) projects which may accompany injection-induced hydromechanical deformation of the rock mass. In this technical report, we first reviewed important issues in evaluating initial permeability using borehole hydraulic tests and numierical approaches for understanding coupled hydromechanical properties of rock mass. Recent SIMFIP testing device to measure these hydromechanical properties directly through in-situ borehole experiments was also reviewed. The technical significance and usefulness of the device for further applications was discussed as well.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.593-600
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• 2016

To understand the mechanical properties of rock masses and intact rock in Korea, data from 4,280 in situ and laboratory tests from 107 tunnels on general national roads were analyzed. The mechanical properties (unit weight, cohesion, friction angle, modulus of deformation, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, coefficient of permeability, and specific gravity) were analyzed by rock types and strength of rock in each rock type. The results of analysis, the mean specific gravity was highest in gneiss. The coefficient of permeability and Poisson's ratio show the highest mean values in granite and metamorphic rock, respectively. In addition, the unit weight, cohesion and friction angle in sedimentary rock, modulus of deformation, Young's modulus, uniaxial compressive strength and tensile strength in volcanic rock have the highest mean values. The values for each mechanical property showed wide ranges by the heterogeneity and anisotropy of rock masses in spite of detailed analysis by rock type and classification of rocks according to the strength.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.434-445
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• 2010

Underground compressed air energy storage (CAES) system in a lined rock cavern is considered one of the promising large-scale energy storage technologies. In this study, permeabilities of concrete lining block and its construction joint, which are the major components of an air tightness system of the undeground CAES, were measured from a model experiment. From the experiment, it was found that intrinsic permeability of construction joint was larger than that of concrete block by the order scale of $10^1{\sim}10^4$, so that it would be very important to control the quality of construction joints in-situ in order to secure air tightness of storage system. And the permeability of construction joint could be decreased as low as that of the concrete block by pasting an acryl-type adhesive on bonding surfaces. Higher degrees of water saturation of the concrete block resulted in the lower permeability, which is more preferable in the viewpoint of air tightness of storage cavern.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.519-539
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• 2020

We reviewed numerical approaches to assess a hydraulic properties of excavation-disturbed zone (EDZ)created in argillaceous sedimentary rocks. It has been reported that fractures in the sedimentary rocks containing expansive clays are gradually closing due to swelling and their permeabilities are evolving to the level of in-tact rock, which is known as a self-healing or self-sealing process. The numerical approaches introduced here are capable of simulating spatio-temporal variation of EDZ permeability during long-term operation of a repository by including the self-healing characteristics of fractures, which wa observed in laboratory as well as in-situ experiments, The applicability of the numerical approaches was verified from the comparison to in-situ measurements of EDZ permeability at underground research laboratories.