• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.63-73
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• 2014

In this study, the large scale test was performed to investigate the behavior of failure on the embankment and spillway transitional zone by overtopping. The pore water pressure, earth pressure, settlement and failure behaviors according to several reinforcing method were compared and analyzed. The pore water pressure showed a small change in the spillway transition zone and core, indicating that the riprap and geotextile efficiently reinforced the embankment, but non-reinforcement showed a largely change in pore water pressure. The earth pressure by riprap and geotextile at upstream slope and bottom core increased rapidly with the infiltration of the pore water by overtopping. And the earth pressure at crest showed a smally change due to effect of the inclined core. A settlement by riprap showed a small change and the geotextile decreased a rapidly due to failure of crest. The width of failure by riprap at intermediate stage (50 min) showed a largely due to sliding of crest. But, the width and depth of the seepage erosion after the intermediate overtopping period (100 min) were very small due to the effect of riprap than geotextile and non-reinforcement which delayed failure. It has the effect that protect reservoir embankment from erosion in the central part. The pore water pressure at the spillway transition zone due to overtopping increased a rapidly in the case of non-reinforcement, but the reinforced methods by geotextile and riprap showed a smally change. Therefore, the reinforced method by riprap and geotextile was a very effective method to protect permanently and the emergency an embankment due to overtopping, respectively.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 1985

Stability analysis of the embankment as to water level varation is the most important problem in the safety of the slope because the stress of embankment inside varies as to drawdown of seepage line. Especially when the water level is rapidly drawdown, because the flow direction of the free surface changes the toe of embankment, the factor of safety comes to small, therefore the embankment is dangered. For the purpose of studing these phenomena, the experimental models are built with sand in the laboratory. In the experimental consideration, the falling seepage line and the shape of failure are measured. This paper intends to study the failure slip surface, the relationship between the factor of safety and drawdown velocity, and hydraulic gradient. The results of the experimental study are summarized as follows; 1. Owing to the drawdown of free surface, sliding failure occurred in the upstream fill, the height of failure is 5~10, 9~15, and 13~21(cm) in each model. 2. In consideration of the distribution of pore water pressure Table-5 shows each factor of safety. In the relationship between the drawdown velocity and the factor of factor it's velocity should be limited to 0.21~0.28 (cm/sec), according to each models. In the relationship between the factor of safety and the hydraulic gradient within the upstream slope, it's gradient must be below 0.36~0.43.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.5-16
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• 2002

A hydrogeomechanical numerical model is presented to evaluate rainfall impacts on groundwater flow in slopes and slope stability. This numerical model is developed based on the fully coupled poroelastic governing equations for groundwater flow in deforming variably saturated geologic media and the Galerkin finite element method. A series of numerical experiments using the model developed are then applied to an unsaturated slope under various rainfall rates. The numerical simulation results show that the overall hydromechanical slope stability deteriorates, and the potential failure nay initiate from the slope toe and propagate toward the slope crest as the rainfall rate increases. From the viewpoint of hydrogeology, the pressure head and hence the total hydraulic head increase as the rainfall rate increases. As a result, the groundwater table rises, the unsaturated zone reduces, the seepage face expands from the slope toe toward the slope crest, and the groundwater flow velocity increases along the seepage face. From the viewpoint of geomechanics, the horizontal displacement increases, and the vertical displacement decreases toward the slope toe as the rainfall rate increases. This may result from the buoyancy effect associated with the groundwater table rise as the rainfall rate increases. As a result, the overall deformation intensifies toward the slope toe, and the unstable zone, in which the factor of safety against shear failure is less than 1, becomes thicker near the slope toe and propagates from the slope toe toward the slope crest. The numerical simulation results also suggest that the potential tension failure is likely to occur within the slope between the potential shear failure surface and the ground surface.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2023

This study evaluated slope stability through a case study to determine the disaster risks associated with increased deforestation in structures, including schools and apartments, located in urban areas adjacent to slopes. The slope behind the ○○ High School in Gwangju, Korea, collapsed owing to heavy rain in August 2018. Historically, rainwater drained well around the slope during the rainy season. However, during the collapse, a large amount of seepage water flowed out of the slope surface and a shallow failure occurred along the saturated soil layer. To analyze the cause of the collapse, the images of the upper area of the slope, which could not be directly identified, were captured using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A digital elevation model of the slope was constructed through image analysis, making it possible to calculate the rainfall flow direction and the area, width, and length of logging areas. The change in the instability of the slope over time owing to rainfall lasting ten days before the collapse was analyzed through numerical analysis. Imaging techniques based on the UAV images were found to be effective in analyzing ground disaster risk maps in urban areas. Furthermore, the analysis was found to predict the failure before its actual occurrence.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.23-30
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• 2012

This paper is research results of slope stability analysis associated with seepage infiltration for unsaturated soil in debris-flow occurrence slopes. Site investigations were carried out in two slopes, located at Inje in Kangwon province where debris flow occurred in 2006 and at Yangpyung in Kyeunggi province where it occurred in 2010. For unsaturated soil sampled at the zone of debris-flow initiation, soil water characteristic curves with tempe pressure cells and shear strength parameters with newly designed shear strength apparatus were obtained respectively. The commertially available software SEEP/W was used to analyze seepage infiltration in unsaturated soil, based on their properties obtained from test results and the actual rainfall data at the moment of debris flow occurrence, and slope stability analysis with the program of SLOPE/W, associated with results of seepage analysis, was performed to simulate slope failure. As results of this research, seepage infiltration to unsaturated soil due to intensive rainfall was found to cause increase of ground water table as well as degree of saturation. Through this research slope stability analysis for unsaturated soil, considering the actual rainfall characteristic, might be a reasonable method of investigating characteristics of debris flow behavior, in particular, the moment of debris flow occurrence.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.163-171
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• 2020

In this study, a large laboratory model experiment was conducted with the aim of developing an embankment reinforcement method to prevent overtopping, which is the main cause for the failure of agricultural reservoirs. The model experiment was carried out with concrete and asphalt as a permanent reinforcement method and with geomembrane as the emergency method at a deteriorated homogeneous reservoir. Under the non-reinforced conditions, the pattern of the failure appeared in several scour directions from the downstream slope as the overtopping began, and the width and depth of the erosion were magnified as it gradually moved to the dam crest. Under the conditions reinforced with asphalt and concrete, the overtopping was stabilized. In the case of the concrete reinforcement, it was found that the slope of the riprap boundary exhibited downward erosion by the current; thus, it was necessary to construct an extension up to the riprap joint of the upstream and downstream sides to prevent the expansion of the failure. Under the conditions reinforced with the geomembrane sheet, the overtopping was stabilized, and no seepage was found that required the emergency reinforcement method. Asphalt, concrete, and geomembrane sheet reinforcements have been shown to be capable of delaying failure for about 1 hour and 40 minutes compared to the non-reinforcement conditions. The reinforcement method is considered to be a very effective method to prevent disasters during overtopping. The pore water pressure can be used as useful data to predict the risk of failure at an embankment.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.569-581
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• 2012

The levee is the facility which is constructed along with river for the protection of landside and for passage of water when there is a flood. When the seepage is exposed to the atmosphere on the landside surface of levee, it may eventually lead to levee failure. The seepage water may be removed from the landside surface by a properly designed drainage system. The purpose of the study is to show seepage control effect of a pervious toe drain, and to compare two drainage methods of a pervious toe drain. One is the pervious toe drain suggested by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the other is that suggested by Japan Institute of Construction Engineering (JICE). The levee model constructed has the following dimension: the base width is 2.6 m; the crest width is 0.4 m; the side slope 1 : 2. The water depth in the riverside is 0.5 m. The shape of the toe drain by USACE is triangular. The shape of the toe drain by JICE is rectangular. They were installed with the base length of 0.4 m. The levee model without the toe drain showed saturation surface on the land side in the experiment but not with the toe drain. The experiment results was applied to a numerical analysis model using SEEP/W to calibrate and verify. The numerical analysis results for 35 cm and 30 cm drain width showed that the drain by JICE is a little bit safer than the drain by USACE. It is also easier to construct the toe drain by JICE. The results in the study would be applied to plan the seepage control for a levee with pervious toe drain.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.21-35
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• 2016

Employing non-associated flow rule and Power-Law failure criterion, the failure mechanisms of tunnel roof in homogeneous and layered soils are studied in present analysis. From the viewpoint of energy, limit analysis upper bound theorem and variation principle are introduced to study the influence of dilatancy on the collapse mechanism of rectangular tunnel considering effects of supporting force and seepage force. Through calculation, the collapsing curve expressions of rectangular tunnel which are excavated in homogeneous soil and layered soils respectively are derived. The accuracy of this work is verified by comparing with the existing research results. The collapsing surface shapes with different dilatancy coefficients are draw out and the influence of dilatancy coefficient on possible collapsing range is analyzed. The results show that, in homogeneous soil, the potential collapsing range decreases with the decrease of the dilatancy coefficient. In layered soils, the total height and the width on the layered position of possible collapsing block increase and the width of the falling block on tunnel roof decrease when only the upper soil's dilatancy coefficient decrease. When only the lower soil's dilatancy coefficient decrease or both layers' dilatancy coefficients decrease, the range of the potential collapsing block reduces.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.207-215
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• 2005

This paper presents a case history of a geosynthetics-reinforced segmental retaining wall, which collapsed during a sever rainfall immediately after the completion of the wall construction. In an attempt to identify possible causes for the collapse, a comprehensive investigation was carried out including physical and strength tests on the backfill, stability analyses on the as-built design based on the current design approaches, and slope stability analyses with pore pressure consideration. The investigation revealed that the inappropriate as-built design and the bad-quality backfill were mainly responsible for the collapse. This paper describes the site condition including wall design, details of the results of investigation and finally, lessons learned. Practical significance of the findings from this study is also discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.41-49
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• 2014

Intensive rainfall causes frequent slope failures at the shallow depths of slopes. Because soil layers at shallow depths of slopes usually become dense, and its permeability and soil strength vary according to depth, forensic studies and stability analyses of shallow slope failure need to consider the depth-variant soil properties. In this study, the effect of depth-variant soil properties on surface failure of slopes during rain infiltration is investigated using numerical analysis. Three different cases considering depth-variant soil properties were conducted and the results were compared. For the analysis, undisturbed soils at three different depths were sampled at actual slope failure sites and the properties including strength and permeability characteristics at each depth were obtained. Stability analysis and seepage analysis were conducted using actual rainfall records. The comparison of the results shows that analysis could lead to an erroneous conclusion according to the way of considering depth-variant soil properties. The case in which depth-variant soil properties were considered predicted similar failure times and failure shapes with the actual failure. Therefore it is recommended that the depth-variant soil properties should be considered for the analysis of shallow slope failure during rain infiltration.