• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.165-178
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• 2021

The influence of Soil-Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC) fitting parameters for an unsaturated natural slope was evaluated through seepage and slope stability analysis as a function of rainfall. Soil samples were collected from the study area in Jirisan National Park and the physical and mechanical characteristics of unsaturated soil layers were measured in laboratory tests. The saturation depth was calculated via seepage analysis by changing fitting parameters α, the parameter related to the Air Entry Value (AEV) and n, the parameter related to the slope of the SWCC in the range of natural conditions. Slope stability analysis using the limit equilibrium method considered the calculated depth of saturation. Results from seepage analysis for various rainfall conditions indicate the saturation depth in the soil layer suddenly increased as the fitting parameter α decreased; the saturation time for the entire soil layer also decreased. Slope stability analysis considering the calculated depth of saturation shows that the slope safety factor rapidly decreased as the fitting parameter α decreased, whereas the variation in slope safety factor was very small when n increased. Hence, fitting parameter α has a large effect on saturation depth during rainfall and therefore on slope stability, whereas slope stability is relatively unaffected by the fitting parameter n.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.57-65
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• 2007

Slope collapse occurs mostly at the rainy season or thawing season in Korea. From a engineer point of view, the design criterion in recent of soil slopes during the rainfall have a conservative tendency because a slope stability is evaluated in the condition that ground water level is located in the surface. However, for the rational design of soil slopes during rainfall, the raining conditions and the unsaturated soil characteristics of soil slopes have to be considered. For the unsaturated soil characteristics of soil slopes, the laboratory tests for unsaturated soils and the seepage analyses for the raining conditions have to be performed. Due to these difficulties, a conservative design of soil slopes in the current design criterion has been carried out. In this paper, therefore, a simple design method is proposed. The method is considered to the unsaturated soil characteristics and the results of seepage analysis without numerical analysis. To verify the suggested design method, it is compared with both analysis results by current design criterion and analysis results based on the seepage analysis. Through the comparative study, it was found that the current design criterion has been excessively conservative. Hence, simple design method in this study was evaluated as the rational design for the soil slopes during rainfall.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2017

Ground subsidence caused by damaged water pipe and sewer is recently increasing due to the aging of city and pipeline in many city. Although many recent studies have verified characteristics of ground subsidence due to wastewater pipe breakdown, research about characteristics of ground subsidence due to water pipe is insignificant. subsidence due to water pipe is insignificant. This study aims to identify the ground failure mechanism caused by water and sewer pipe breakdown. Accordingly, we conducted an indoor model experiment to verify characteristics of ground subsidence considering characteristics of ground and ground failure. The water pipe pressure and velocity head was considered to find out ground subsidence mechanism. Also comparative analysis is conducted by analyzing relative density and fine-grain content considering embedded condition of water pipe. When the relative density and seepage pressure is low, small scale ground subsidence can occur, but when the conditions are opposite, ground subsidence occur in large scale and expands to ground level over time. Furthermore, it is acknowledgeable that ground cavity that is formed after soil run off due to seepage in deep earth, maintains steady strength and stays on the ground level for long period.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.43-52
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• 2017

This study analyzed pore water pressure, earth pressure and settlement through laboratory model tests in order to suggest the effective remodeling method in the case of reinforcing the upstream and downstream slope of deteriorated reservoirs that has no cores and filters or is not functional. The method of remodeling the upstream slope using dredge soil is first prevent seepage by installing the core, and the leakage water can be rapidly discharged through a filter installed on the downstream slope. Therefore, it is considered a highly efficient method of remodeling that reduces piping phenomena and increasing the storage capacity of the reservoir. The variation of earth pressure without the core and filter was greater than with it, while the change largely showed in the upstream slope, the downstream slope did not show any significant changes. The remodeling method of the downstream slope with the core appeared differently pore water pressure depending on the presence of the vertical and horizontal filters. In the upstream slope, the pore water pressure rises sharply, the base and middle gradually increased, and the downstream slope appeared small. The pore water pressure of embankment with a vertical and horizontal filter will be smaller than without it. The remodeling of deteriorated reservoir that does not have the function of the filter, the vertical filter must be installed in a position that is higher than the expected seepage line by removing portions of the downstream slopes. Since the horizontal filter is an important structure that provides stable drainage during an earthquake or concentrated leak, it is necessary to examine any change in the seepage characteristics depending on the filter intervals via three-dimensional finite element analysis, and it should be connected to the tow-drain to reduce the possibility of the collapse of the reservoir.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.119-129
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• 2020

Through 3D seepage analysis of pressure relief well installed on the embankment of agricultural reservoir, the effects of reducing pore water pressure and hydraulic gradient, and increasing piping safety, depending on diameter (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 m) and space (10, 25, 50 m) of relief well, were analyzed. The conclusions drawn through this study are as follows. i) At the location of pressure relief well, pore water pressure decreases by 25.3~62.5%, and hydraulic gradient decreases by 22.4~55.7%. ii) Between relief wells, pore water pressure decreases by 2.7~40.3%, and hydraulic gradient decreases by 2.8~47.0%, which are relatively less than at the cross section of installed location of relief well. iii) Piping safety factor by critical hydraulic gradient increases by 28.9~125.6% at the location of relief well and increases by 2.9~88.8% between relief wells. iv) Seepage analysis needs to be performed by the 3D method to make evaluation of seepage at the location of relief well and between relief wells possible. v) Additional evaluation is required for various conditions such as waterhead, engineering characteristics of embankment body and its foundation, location, diameter, spacing and depth of pressure relief well.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.105-111
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• 2008

To improve the stability of levee structure, it is required to use good quality fill materials, intensive management, appropriate hydraulic structure and construction of cut-off wall. In particular, the most important factor of levee construction technology is to use bed sediment for its safety. In this study, seepage model test and numerical analysis were performed based on a standard section of levee recommended in the river design standard of korea (2005). The results of test and analysis show that most of the bed soil is a sand (SP in USCS), which does not satisfy the permeability criteria for levee materials ($< k=10^{-3}cm/sec$), thus for the safety of levee it is required to adopt a stabilizing method such as good quality soil mixing, water content control.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.87-92
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• 2015

Cultivation on reclaimed tidal land is often difficult in the problem such as high salinity of soil, bad drainage because of high level of groundwater. Many researches have been made efforts to solve these problems, but effect of improvement is low and practicality is insufficient. In this study, through numerical analysis of the transport properties of salt and water, we suggested underground drainage of the reclaimed land and the desalination promotion methods in the soil. The results of characteristic of desalination and seepage analysis of underdrain show that underdrain is able to increase twice of the underground seepage amount when installing perforated pipe with horizontal filter (width 50cm) more than installing only the perforated pipe. For soil which coefficient of permeability is below $1{\times}10^{-4}cm/s$ that desalination with pond water is not possible, a method to increase the permeability of the soil is necessary. Therefore, it was concluded that application of underdrain using perforated pipe with horizontal filter would be low-cost and practical.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.123-131
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• 2005

In the present study, laboratory pull-out tests with screw anchors are carried out to investigate behavior characteristics of the anchors used in foundation system of underground structures which are applied to uplifting seepage forces. Small scaled pull-out tests in sand under saturated condition and dry condition were carried out. For estimating the group effects of the anchors, the upward displacement and the pullout load varied with spacing of the anchor were observed. The test results were compared with theoretical equation for the ultimate pull-out force. Also, the result of tests can be used to the finite element analysis program, $PENTAGON^{2D}$.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.179-191
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• 2019

Based on the effective stress principle, a new formula for shear strength of unsaturated soil is derived under the general nonlinear Mohr-Coulomb (M-C) strength criterion to improve the classical strength criterion of unsaturated soil. Meanwhile, the simple irrigation model under steady seepage is adopted to obtain the distribution of the matrix suction or the degree of saturation (DOS) above the groundwater table in the slope. Then, combined with the improved strength criterion of unsaturated soil and the simple irrigation model under steady seepage, the limit equilibrium (LE) solutions for the unsaturated slope stability are established according to the global LE conditions of the entire sliding body with assumption of the stresses on the slip surface. Compared to the classical strength criterion of unsaturated soil, not only the cohesion soil but also the internal friction angle is affected by the matric suction or the DOS in the improved strength criterion. Moreover, the internal friction angle related to the matric suction has the nonlinear characteristics, particularly for a small of the matric suction. Thereafter, the feasibility of the present method is verified by comparison and analysis on some slope examples. Furthermore, stability charts are also drawn to quickly analyze the unsaturated slope stability.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.219-238
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• 1999

In the present study, laboratory tests including the seepage-induced consolidation test, suction test, and desiccation shrinkage test are performed to investigate characteristics of the desiccation shrinkage in reclaimed hydraulic fills. Soil samples for laboratory tests are obtained from three sites (districts of Haenam, Kogeum and Koheung in Chunnam area). Desiccation shrinkage settlement caused by three dimensional volume change is numerically evaluated using finite difference technique based on the governing equation proposed by Abu-Hejleh & Znidarcic. Also characteristics of the desiccation shrinkage analyzed from the test results are used as input data for numerical evaluations. Further predicted total settlements including the self-weight consolidation settlement are compared with values measured at the site of Haenam district. Finally, effects of parameters related to the desiccation shrinkage on settlements are examined.