• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.55-64
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• 2010

Since various weathered soils are encountered in many domestic construction sites, it is necessary to estimate characteristics of natural weathered soils. However, the remolded sample of weathered soils are commonly used to estimate their characteristics because it is very difficult to sample weathered soils in undisturbed states. However, it is well known that the behavior of remolded sample is different from that of the undisturbed sample particularly in the dynamic response, because the particle structure of undisturbed sample maintains its original structure from the mother rock. Thus, to evaluate the influence of sampling method and preparation method on stress-strain behavior, the resonant column tests were performed on the block, tube samples, remolded samples with static compression and remolded samples with tamping of the weathered granite soils. The shear modulus of the remolded sample with tamping is larger than the other samples presumably due to the high tamping pressure enough to induce particle breakage. The tube samples show larger damping ratios than other samples. Furthermore, one-dimensional ground response analysis was performed to compare the results qualitatively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.106-115
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• 2009

Knowledge about how to stabilize soil structure is essential to conserve soil systems and maintain various biogeochemical processes through soil. In urban area, soil structural systems are degraded with inappropriate management and land use and become vulnerable to erosion. We analyzed the structural changes of surface soils with different land uses, i.e., forests, parks, roadside green area, riparian area, and farmlands (soybean fields), in the Anyang Stream Watershed in order to find the factors influencing the stability of soil structure and the implication for better management of surface soil. Soil organic matter contents of other land use soils were only 18~52% of that in forest soils. Soil organic matter increased the stability of soil aggregates in the order of soybean fields < roadsides < riparian < parks < forests and also reduced soil bulk density (increased porosity). The lowest stability of soybean field soils was attributed to the often disturbance like tillage and it was considered that higher stability of park soils comparing to other land use soils except forests was owing to the covering of soil surface with grass. These results suggest that supply of soil organic matter and protection of soil surface with covering materials are very important to increase porosity and stability of soil structure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.337-348
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• 2020

Tropical organic soils having more than 65% of organic matters are named "peat". This soil type is extremely soft, unconsolidated, and possesses low shear strength and stiffness. Different conventional and industrial binders (e.g., lime or Portland cement) are used widely for stabilisation of organic soils. However, due to many factors affecting the behaviour of these soils (e.g., high moisture content, fewer mineral particles, and acidic media), the efficiency of the conventional binders is low and/or cost-intensive. This research investigates the impact of different constituents of cement-sodium silicate grout system on the compressibility behaviour of organic soil, including settlement and void ratio. A microstructure analysis is also carried out on treated organic soil using Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The results indicate that the settlement and void ratio of treated organic soils decrease gradually with the increase of cement and kaolinite contents, as well as sodium silicate until an optimum value of 2.5% of the wet soil weight. The microstructure analysis also demonstrates that with the increase of cement, kaolinite and sodium silicate, the void ratio and porosity of treated soil particles decrease, leading to an increase in the soil density by the hydration, pozzolanic, and polymerisation processes. This research contributes an extra useful knowledge to the stabilisation of organic soils and upgrading such problematic soils closer to the non-problematic soils for geotechnical applications such as deep mixing.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.689-700
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• 2019

The adsorption and leaching characteristics of five ionic pesticides including four acidic pesticides (2,4-D, dicamba, MCPA, and MCPP) and one amphoteric pesticide (imazaquin) in agricultural soils were investigated. Soils around spring waters that were heavily affected by pesticide run-off and soils around wells considering the regional characteristics in Jeju Island were collected at 24 stations. The Freundlich constant, $K_F$ value, which is a measure of the adsorption capacity, decreased in the order of 2,4-D > MCPA > MCPP > dicamba > imazaquin. The adsorption capacity of these ionic pesticides decreased with increasing pH owing to the effects of ionization of pesticides and different ionizable functional groups of soils. The leaching of ionic pesticides in the soil column showed a reverse relationship with their adsorption in soils, namely, the ionic pesticides were leached more quickly for the pesticides with lower adsorption capacity. The groundwater contamination potential of the ionic pesticides was evaluated in the order of imazaquin > MCPA > MCPP > dicamba > 2.4-D according to the groundwater ubiquity score based on soil Koc and the half-life of the pesticide.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.375-384
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• 2022

The glacial tills and shales in Midwestern states of the USA often show strength degradation after construction. They are often in need of applying soil modification techniques to remediate their strength degradation with weathering process. This study investigated the weathering durability of these natural soils and biopolymer treated soils by comparing direct shear test results for wet-dry and wet-freeze-thaw-dry cycled specimens. The tests showed that untreated glacial tills maintained only 62% and 50% initial shear strength after eight wet-dry cycles and eight wet-freeze-thaw-dry cycles, respectively. These untreated soils could not withstand by themselves after 16 weathering cycles. The same soils treated with 1.5% (by dry weight) food-grade Xanthan gum maintained 140% and 88% initial shear strength of untreated soils after 16 weathering cycles for wet-dry cycles and wet-freeze-thaw-dry cycles, respectively. The same soils treated with 1.5% (by dry weight) Gellan gum maintained 82% and 60% initial shear strength of untreated ones after 16 weathering cycles, respectively. Similar results were obtained for crushed shales, manifesting that the biopolymerization method may be adopted as a new eco-friendly method to enhance the weathering durability of these problematic soils of glacial tills and shales.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.183-194
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• 2023

This study presents the prediction of the California bearing ratio (CBR) of coarse- and fine-grained soils using artificial intelligence technology. The group method of data handling (GMDH) algorithm, an artificial neural network-based model, was used in the prediction of the CBR values. In the design of the prediction models, various combinations of independent input variables for both coarse- and fine-grained soils have been used. The results obtained from the designed GMDH-type neural networks (GMDH-type NN) were compared with other regression models, such as linear, support vector, and multilayer perception regression methods. The performance of models was evaluated with a regression coefficient (R²), root-mean-square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). The results showed that GMDH-type NN algorithm had higher performance than other regression methods in the prediction of CBR value for coarse- and fine-grained soils. The GMDH model had an R² of 0.938, RMSE of 1.87, and MAE of 1.48 for the input variables {G, S, and MDD} in coarse-grained soils. For fine-grained soils, it had an R² of 0.829, RMSE of 3.02, and MAE of 2.40, when using the input variables {LL, PI, MDD, and OMC}. The performance evaluations revealed that the GMDH-type NN models were effective in predicting CBR values of both coarse- and fine-grained soils.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.36-40
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• 2014

Korea's agricultural land is constantly being reduced. The reasons for this are due to the change of agricultural profitability and the policy conditions. The reduction of agricultural land in 2010 showed a decline trend by 14.4 % of paddy fields and 1.2% of uplands compared to areas from 2000. These reductions were mainly due to switch rice paddy fields into upland or greenhouse facility cultivation because of low profitability of rice products compared to farm products. In addition, the permit system of agricultural areas was relaxed in switching paddy fields and this accelerated the reduction of agricultural land. For this reason, more than 1% of agricultural land area has been reduced every year for last five years. Moreover, indiscreet fill and cover materials such as construction wastes were used in agricultural lands and caused land contamination which threatened foundation as sustainable agricultural lands. For these reasons, it is a desperate situation to conserve good agricultural lands. However, the standards of transported soils, filling soils and cutting soils in the Agricultural Land Act are qualitative and have a problem of causing complaints. Therefore, the following criteria (proposals) are proposed in the Agricultural Land Act; (1) Use the proper soils for crops (criterion), (2) Soil components and amounts should be proper as transported soils (range), and (3) Prohibiting usage of improper earth rocks or recycled aggregates in case of filling soils (kinds). The presented criteria (proposals) suggest following; (1) Use physio-chemically proper soils for crops (criterion), (2) In case of transported soils, i, exclude potential acid sulphate soils, ii, gravel content sould be less than 15%, and iii, Heavy metals and other contaminants should be less than the soil contamination warning limit from the Ministry of Environments, (3) In case of filling soils, 13 kinds of recycled wastes specified in the Wastes Control Act should not be used as filling soils, (4) Practice soil conservation technology in case of sloping areas, and (5) Follow proper fertilizer application standards for maturing paddy fields and uplands when cutting soils.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.239-247
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• 1983

The effects of some soil conditions on the degradation rate and decomposing pattern of parathion were investigated and the obtained results are summarized as follows: Parathion degraded more rapidly in flooded soils than in non-flooded, in wet soils than in dry soils under non-flooded soils. The degradation rates in paddy and upland soils increased at high temperature than low temperature, higher pesticide concentration than low concentration and higher soil pH level. Parathion in paddy and upland soils was more persistent under soil sterilization than under non-sterilization and degraded rapidly in glucose application. Parathion was more persistent in upland soils than paddy soils under several factors described above. The metabolites identified from the paddy and upland soils by TLC include para-oxon (Rf 0.5), aminoparathion(Rf 0.27), p-nitrophenol(Rf 0.2), p-aminophenol(Rf 0.15). Soil enzyme, acid phosphatase activities decreased more at flooded soils than non-flooded, higher pesticide concentration than low concentration and higher soil pH level and the activity in glucose application was increased. Soil enzymes, urease and dehydrogenase activity decreased more at higher pesticide concentration than low concentration. Comparing with soil enzyme activity in paddy and upland soil, the former was higher than the latter.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: Soil carbon sequestration has been investigated for a long time because of its potential to mitigate the greenhouse effect. No- or reduced tillage, crop rotations, or cover crops have been investigated and practiced to sequester carbon in soils but the roles of soil biota, particularly microorganisms, have been mostly ignored although they affect the amount and stability of soil organic matters. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study we analyzed the organic matter and microbial community in organically cultivated corn field soils where no-tillage (NT) or conventional tillage (CT) had been practiced for about three years. The amounts of organic matter and recalcitrant carbon pool were 18.3 g/kg dry soil and 4.1 g C/kg dry soil, respectively in NT soils, while they were 12.4 and 2.5, respectively in CT soils. The amounts of RNA and DNA, and the copy numbers of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS sequences were higher in NT soils than in CT soils. No-tillage treatment increased the diversities of soil bacterial and fungal communities and clearly shifted the bacterial and fungal community structures. In NT soils the relative abundances of bacterial phyla known as copiotrophs, Betaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, increased while those known as oligotrophs, Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, decreased compared to CT soils. The relative abundance of a fungal phylum, Glomeromycota, whose members are known as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, was about two time higher in NT soils than in CT soils, suggesting that the higher amount of organic matter in NT soils is related to its abundance. CONCLUSION: This study shows that no-tillage treatment greatly affects soil microbial abundance and community structure, which may affect the amount and stability of soil organic matter.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.731-737
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• 2006

Four well-characterized soils collected from A- and B-horizon in the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation in USA, mainly distributed with Inceptisol(Inc) and Ultisol(Ult) soils, were used in this work. The bioaccessibility of arsenic as well as oxidation phenomena of As(III) was investigated with soils spiked with As(III) and As(V) using a physiologically based extraction test(PBET) at pH 1.5 and 1:100 soil to solution ratio. Also effect of aging time on the bioaccessibility of arsenic was investigated over the 6 months. After 48 hours(fresh) contacting As(V) solution with soils, all soils rapidly and strongly sequestrated As(V), especially Ult-B. However, little sequestration was observed after 3-months. When As(III) was spiked on the same soils, a great portion of As(III) was oxidized to As(V) after 48 hrs, especially Inc-A and Ult-A soils, which is strongly related with Mn content in soils. By using As(III)-spiked soils, much reduced bioaccessibility as total arsenic was observed from Inc-B and Ult-B soils over the 6 months aging time compared to that from Inc-A and Ult-A soils. This result can be explained by the continuous sequestration of As(V), produced from oxidation of As(III), onto Inc-B and Ult-B soils having much amount of iron. The trend of As(III) sequestration over six months aging time was quite similar with that of As(V) sequestration.