• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.471-491
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• 2016

Traditional limit equilibrium method needs an assumption of the failure surface to calculate the bearing capapcity of the shallow foundation. From the viewpoint of the mechanics of granular materials, however, the failure of the soil mass is initated by the local buckling of the contact force chains. In this study we observed the directional distribution of the contact force chains in the granular assembly stacked by model particles subjected to the model shallow foundation during loading. Two sets of the assemblies with a regular structure and initially local imperfection were prepared for tests. Existence of the initial local imperfection has a significant effect on the directional distribution of the contact force chains. The bearing capacity of the assembly with local imperfection is only 67% the capacity of the assembly with the regular structure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.867-877
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• 2016

Collapse shape of tunnel roof in layered Hoek-Brown rock media is investigated within the framework of upper bound theorem. The traditional collapse mechanism for homogeneous stratum is no longer suitable for the present analysis of roof stability, and it would be necessary to propose a curve failure mode to describe the velocity discontinuity surface in layered media. What is discussed in the paper is that the failure mechanism of tunnel roofs, consisting of two different functions, is proposed for layered rock media. Then it is employed to investigate the impending roof failure. Based on the nonlinear Hoek-Brown failure criterion, the collapse volume of roof blocks are derived with the upper bound theorem and variational principle. Numerical calculations and parametric analysis are carried out to illustrate the effects of different parameters on the shape of failure mechanism, which is of overriding significance to the stability analysis of tunnel roof in layered rock media.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.193-205
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• 2022

The face stability of shield tunnelling is the most important control index for safety risk management. Based on the reliability of the transparent clay (TC) model test, a series of TC model tests under different buried depth were conducted to investigate the progressive failure mechanism of tunnel face. The support pressure was divided into the rapid descent stage, the slow descent stage and the basically stable stage with company of the local failure and integral failure in the internal of the soil during the failure process. The relationship between the support pressure and the soil movement characteristics of each failure stage was defined. The failure occurred from the soil in front of the tunnel face and propagated as the slip zone and the loose zone. The fitted formulas were proposed for the calculation of the failure process. The failure mode in clay was specified as the basin shape with an inverted trapezoid shape for shallow buried and appeared as the basin shape with a teardrop-like shape in deep case. The implications of these findings could help in the safety risk management of the underground construction.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.83-91
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• 2006

Recently, the intensive rainstorm possibly induced by global warming plays a key role on the instability of railway adjacent slopes. The instability of slopes results as covering and loss of railway lines induced by slided soil mass. According to the site investigation on the failed slopes triggered by rainfall, low types of slope failure were observed: shallow, intermediate, gully erosion, and soil-rock interface failures. The observation reveals the different characteristics of slope failure depending on the thickness of soil layer, morphological features of slope, etc. Based upon the observations, flume tests were conducted to analyze the sliding mechanism of each failure. The variables of flume test are soil layer thickness, rainfall intensity, and morphology of slope under the constant condition of the percentage of fine, initial soil moisture content, slope angle and compaction energy. Test results show that shallow failure was mostly observed from the surface of the slope and caused by the soil erosion; in addition, compared to the other types of failure, the occurrence of initial erosion is late, however, the development of erosion is fast. In gully erosion failure, the collected water from the water catchment area helps erosion of the upper soil layer and transfer of residual corestone, which impedes the erosion process once the upper soil layers are eroded and corestone are exposed. The soil-rock interface failure shows the most fast initial erosion process among the failure types. Interestingly, the common feature observed from the different types of failure was the occurrence of the initial deformation near the toe of slopes which implies the existence of surbsurface flow along the downslope direction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.69-78
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• 2007

In this study, a time-dependent aspect of an embankment failure is considered to simulate a flood inundation map and calculate overtopping discharge induced by an embankment failure. A numerical model has been developed by solving the two dimensional nonlinear shallow water equations with a finite volume method on unstructured grids. To analyze a Riemann problem, the HLLC approximate Riemann solver and the Weighted Averaged Flux method are employed by using a TVD limiter and the source term treatment is also employed by using the operator splitting method. Firstly, the numerical model is applied to a dam break problem and a sloping seawall. Obtained numerical results show good agreements with experimental data. Secondly, the model is applied to a flow induced by an embankment failure by assuming that the width and elevation of embankment are varied with time-dependent functions. As a result of the comparison with each numerical overtopping discharge, established flood inundation discharges in the previous studies are overestimated than the result of the present numerical model.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.67-78
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• 1986

This paper presents how to determine the system reliability of a typical shallow foundation constituted four potential correlated failure modes of hearing capacity (BCM), consolidation settlement (CSM), moment (MFM), and tension shear (PCM). Through the idenfication of the distinct and different modes and evaluation of range of system reliability, the obtained conclusions are as follows; 1. The CSM and the PCM are the lowest and highest of reliability indices of single performance function, and the BCM and the MFM are medium of them. 2. For the correlated failure modes, the hi-modal bounds Is narrower and lower of failure probability than the unimodal bounds. Not to be overestimated, therefore, the system reliability should be based on the second-order bounds using correlated performance functions.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.6322-6328
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• 2014

Finite element analyses were performed to find out the load bearing behavior of three kinds of shallow foundations. The analysis results for strip footing showed that local shear failure mode could be observed for a zero dilatancy angle and general shear failure mode could be seen for non-zero dilatancy angles. The ultimate bearing loads for non-zero dilatancy angles were approximately 1.5 times higher than that of a zero dilatancy angle. General shear failure mode was observed for circular footing and square footing regardless of the dilatancy angle. The ultimate bearing loads for a non-zero dilatancy angle were slightly greater than that for a zero dilatancy angle. A comparison of the load-settlement curves for three kinds of footing showed that the load bearing capacities for non-zero dilatancy angle were greater than those for a zero-dilatancy angle.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.167-178
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• 2019

Open-pit (OP) and underground (UG) mining are usually used to exploit shallow and deep ore deposits, respectively. When mine deposit starts from shallow subsurface and extends to a great depth, sequential use of OP and UG mining is an efficient and economical way to maintain mining productivity. However, a transition from OP to UG mining could induce significant rock movements that cause the slope instability of the open pit. Based on Yanqianshan Iron Mine, which was in the transition from OP to UG mining, a large-scale two-dimensional (2D) model test was built according to the similar theory. Thereafter, the UG mining was carried out to mimic the process of transition from OP to UG mining to disclose the triggered rock movement as well as to assess the associated slope instability. By jointly using three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning, distributed fiber optics, and digital photogrammetry measurement, the deformations, movements and strains of the rock slope during mining were monitored. The obtained data showed that the transition from OP to UG mining led to significant slope movements and deformations that can trigger catastrophic slope failure. The progressive movement of the slope could be divided into three stages: onset of micro-fracture, propagation of tensile cracks, and the overturning and/or sliding of slopes. The failure mode depended on the orientation of structural joints of the rock mass as well as the formation of tension cracks. This study also proved that these non-contact monitoring technologies were valid methods to acquire the interior strain and external deformation with high precision.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.283-298
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• 2022

Landslides triggered by the combination of heavy precipitation and anthropological disturbance in hilly areas cause severe damage to human lives, properties, and infrastructure constructions. A comprehensive investigation of the influencing factors and failure mechanisms of landslides are significant for disaster mitigation and prevention. This paper utilized the combination of detailed geological investigation, physical experimental testing as well as numerical modelling to determine the failure mechanism, and proposed a countermeasures of the Lantian landslide occurred on 2, July 2017. The results reveal that the Lantian landslide is a catastrophic reactivated slide which occurred in an active tectonic region in Southwest China. Because of the unique geological settings, the fully to highly weathered basalts in the study area with well-developed fractures favored the rainwater infiltration, which is the beneficial to slide reactivation. Engineering excavation and heavy precipitation are the main triggering factors to activate the slide motion. Two failure stages have been identified in the landslide. The first phase involves a shallow mass collapse originated at the upper slopes, which extends from the road to platform at rear part, which is triggered by excavation in the landslide region. Subjected to the following prolonged rainfall from 19 June to 2 July, 2017, the pore water pressure of the slope continually increased, and the groundwater table successively rise, resulting in a significant decrease of soil strength which leads to successive large-scale deep slide. Thereinto, the shallow collapse played a significant role in the formation of the deep slide. Based on the formation mechanisms of the landslide, detailed engineering mitigation measures, involving slope cutting, anchor cable frame, shotcrete and anchorage, retaining wall and intercepting ditch were suggested to reduce the future failure risk of the landslide.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.03a
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• pp.288-298
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• 2009

It is well known that the peak strength envelope of geomaterials with no cohesion, such as sand, gravel and rockfill, exhibits significant curvature over a range of stresses. In a practical design of slope, however, the linear Mohr-Coulomb's failure envelope is used as a failure criterion and consequently gives inaccurate safety factors, especially for some ranges of small normal stresses on shallow failure surfaces. Necessity of a nonlinear shear strength envelope in slope stability analysis is on this point. Hence, this study describes how to evaluate nonlinear shear strength of gravel fill materials using the results of large triaxial tests under consolidated-drained condition, and compares the safety factors from slope stability analyses for a homogeneous gravel fill or rockfill embankment incorporating the non-linearity of strength, so as to show its effects on safety factors.