• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.89-103
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• 2024

In the disposal environment, gases can be generated at the interface between canister and buffer due to various factors such as anaerobic corrosion, radiolysis, and microbial degradation. If the gas generation rate exceeds the diffusion rate, the gas within the buffer may compress, resulting in physical damage to the buffer due to the increased pore pressure. In particular, the rapid movement of gases, known as gas breakthroughs, through the dilatancy pathway formed during this process may lead to releasing radionuclide. Therefore, understanding these gas generation and movement mechanism is essential for the safety assessment of the disposal systems. In this study, an experimental apparatus for investigating gas migration within buffer was constructed based on a literature review. Subsequently, a gas injection experiment was conducted on a compacted bentonite block made of Bentonile WRK (Clariant Ltd.) powder. The results clearly demonstrated a sharp increase in stress and pressure typically observed at the onset of gas breakthrough within the buffer. Additionally, the range of stresses induced by the swelling phenomenon of the buffer, was 4.7 to 9.1 MPa. The apparent gas entry pressure was determined to be approximately 7.8 MPa. The equipment established in this study is expected to be utilized for various experiments aimed at building a database on the initial properties of buffer and the conditions during gas injection, contributing to understanding the gas migration phenomena.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.169-184
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• 2024

This study investigates acoustic emission (AE) and micro-deformation characteristics of circular openings through biaxial compression experiments. The experimental results showed a significant increase in the frequency, count, energy, and amplitude of AE signals immediately before damage occurred in the circular opening. The differences in frequency and count between before and after damage initiation were significantly pronounced, indicating suitable factors for identifying damage occurrence in circular openings. The results for digital image correlation (DIC) technique revealed that micro-deformation was concentrated around the openings, as evidenced by the spatial distribution of strain. In addition, spalling was observed at the end of the experiments. The AE and micro-deformation characteristics presented in this study are expected to serve as fundamental data for evaluating the stability of underground openings and boreholes for deep subsurface projects.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.99-108
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Adding pulsation to the Fontan circulation might change the fate of patients palliated by this procedure. Our aim was to compare the pulsatility index (PI) of the pulmonary artery (PA) between the various modifications of Fontan palliation. METHODS: Doppler-derived PI was measured in PA branches of a cohort of 28 patients palliated by 6 modifications of Fontan procedure. A group of normal individuals was included for comparison. RESULTS: Atriopulmonary connection (APC) group had the highest PA branches PI and statistically was close to the PI of the normal individuals (right pulmonary artery [RPA] PI of 1.58 vs. 1.63; p = 0.99 and left pulmonary artery [LPA] PI of 1.54 vs. 1.68; p = 0.46, respectively). The lowest PA branches PI was seen in the group of extracardiac total cavopulmonary connection (RPA PI of 0.62 and LPA PI of 0.65). Other 4 modifications including the extracardiac conduit with oversewn pulmonary valve, extracardiac conduit with preserved adjusted antegrade flow, extracardiac conduit from inferior vena cava onto the rudimentary right ventricle and lateral tunnel had a mean "RPA and LPA" PI of "1.19 and 1.17", "1.16 and 1.11", "1.13 and 1.11", "0.82 and 0.84", respectively. The modified Dunnett's post hoc test has shown a significant statistical decline in PI of all modifications compared to the normal individuals except for the APC group. CONCLUSIONS: Fontan palliated patients in different groups of surgical modification showed a spectrum of Doppler-derived PI with the highest amounts belong to the groups of pulsatile Fontan.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.389-395
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• 2024

This study aims to deeply analyze the military strategies and tactics used in the battles between Israel and Hamas, to understand the military approaches, technical capabilities, and their impact on the outcomes of the conflict. To achieve this, methodologies such as literature review, data analysis, and case studies were utilized. The research findings confirm that Hamas employed asymmetric tactics, such as rocket attacks and surprise attacks through underground tunnels, to counter Israel's military superiority. On the other hand, Israel responded to Hamas's attacks with the Iron Dome interception system and intelligence-gathering capabilities, but faced difficulties due to Hamas's underground tunnel network. After six months of fighting, the casualties in the Gaza Strip exceeded 30,000, and more than 1.7 million people became refugees. Israel also suffered over 1,200 deaths. Militarily, neither side achieved a decisive victory, resulting in a war of attrition. This study suggests that the Israel-Hamas war exemplifies the complexity of modern asymmetric warfare. Furthermore, it recommends that political compromise between the two sides and active mediation efforts by the international community are necessary for the peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Most reservoirs in South Korea are earthen dams, mainly because they are cost-effective and easy to construct. However, earthen dams are highly vulnerable to seepage and overtopping, making them prone to sudden failure during excessive flooding. Such sudden failures can lead to a rapid increase in flood discharge, causing significant damage to downstream rivers and inhabited areas. This study investigates the effect of riprap placement on the slopes of earthen dams in delaying dam failure. Delaying the failure time is crucial as it allows more time for evacuation, significantly reducing potential casualties, which is essential from a disaster response perspective. Hydraulic experiments were conducted in a straight channel, using two different sizes of riprap for protection. Unlike previous studies, these experiments were performed under unsteady flow conditions to reflect the impact of rising water levels inside the dam. The target dam for the study was a cofferdam installed in a diversion tunnel. Experimental results indicated that the presence of riprap protection effectively prevented slope failure under the tested conditions. Without riprap protection, increasing the size of the riprap delayed the failure time. This delay can reduce peak discharge, mitigating damage downstream of the dam. Furthermore, these findings can serve as critical reference material for establishing emergency action plans (EAP) for reservoir failure.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.312-329
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• 2024

In various underground research projects such as energy storage and development and radioactive waste disposal targeting deep underground, the characteristics of permeable rock fractures that serve as major pathway of groundwater flow in deep rock aquifer are considered as an important evaluation factor in the design, construction, and operation of research facilities. In Korea, there is little research and database on the location and hydraulic characteristics of permeable rock fractures and the pattern of groundwater flow patterns that may occur between fractures in deep rock boreholes. In this paper, the hydraulic characteristics of permeable rock fractures in deep rock aquifer were evaluated through the analysis of geothermal gradient and pumping test data. First, the deep geothermal distribution was identified through temperature logging, and the geothermal gradient was obtained through linear regression analysis using temperature data by depth. In addition, the hydraulic characteristics of the fractured rock were analyzed using outflow temperature obtained from pumping tests. Ultimately, the potential location and hydraulic characteristics of permeable rock fractures, as well as groundwater flow within the boreholes, were evaluated by integrating and analyzing the geophysical logging and hydraulic testing data. The process and results of the evaluation of deep permeable rock fractures proposed in this study are expected to serve as foundational data for the successful implementation of underground research projects targeting deep rock aquifers.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.330-354
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• 2024

In site characterization of high-level radioactive waste, discontinuity(joint) distribution and rock mass classification, which are key evaluation parameters in the rock engineering field, were evaluated using deep boreholes in the Wonju granite and Chuncheon granite, which belong to Mesozoic Jurassic era. To evaluate joint distribution characteristics, fracture zones and joint surfaces extracted from ATV data were used, and major joint sets were evaluated along with joint frequency according to depth, dip direction, and dip. Both the Wonju and Chuncheon granites that were studied showed a tendency for the frequency of joints to increase linearly with depth, and joints with high angles were relatively widely distributed. In addition, relatively large amounts of weathering tended to occur even in deep depth due to groundwater inflow through high-angle joints. RQD values remained consistently low even at considerable depth. Meanwhile, joint groups with low angles showed different joint characteristics from joint sets with high angles. Rock mass classification was performed based on RMR system, and along with rock mass classification for 50 m intervals where uniaxial compressive strength was performed, continuous rock mass classification according to depth was performed using velocity log data and geostatistical techniques. The Wonju granite exhibited a superior rock mass class compared to the Chuncheon granite. In the 50 m interval and continuous rock mass classification, the shallow part of the Wonju granite showed a higher class than the deep part, and the deep part of the Chuncheon granite showed a higher class than the shallow part.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.355-373
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• 2024

The Generalized Hoek-Brown (GHB) criterion is a nonlinear failure criterion specialized for rock engineering applications and has recently seen increased usage. However, the GHB criterion expresses the relationship between minimum and maximum principal stresses at failure, and when GSI≠100, it has disadvantage of being difficult to express as an explicit relationship between the normal and shear stresses acting on the failure plane, i.e., as a Mohr failure envelope. This disadvantage makes it challenging to apply the GHB criterion in numerical analysis techniques such as limit equilibrium analysis, upper-bound limit analysis, and the critical plane approach. Consequently, recent studies have attempted to express the GHB Mohr failure envelope as an approximate analytical formula, and there is still a need for continued interest in related research. This study presents improved formulations for the approximate GHB Mohr failure envelope, offering higher accuracy in predicting shear strength compared to existing formulas. The improved formulation process employs a method to enhance the approximation accuracy of the tangential friction angle and utilizes the tangent line equation of the nonlinear GHB failure envelope to improve the accuracy of shear strength approximation. In the latter part of this paper, the advantages and limitations of the proposed approximate GHB failure envelopes in terms of shear strength prediction accuracy and calculation time are discussed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.431-439
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• 2014

The purposes of this research were to investigate the enrichment of metal-reducing bacteria from KURT groundwater and the identification of the microbial diversity by 16S rRNA as well as to examine microbial Fe(III)/Mn(IV) reduction and to analyze morphological features of interactions between microbes and precipitates and their mineralogical composition. To cultivate metal-reducing bacteria from groundwater sampled at the KURT in S. Korea, different electron donors such as glucose, acetate, lactate, formate, pyruvate and Fe(III)-citrate as an electron accepter were added into growth media. The enriched culture was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for the diversity of microbial species. The effect of electron donors (i.e., glucose, acetate, lactate, formate, pyruvate) and electron acceptors (i.e., akaganeite, manganese oxide) on microbial iron/manganese reduction and biomineralization were examined using the 1st enriched culture, respectively. SEM, EDX, and XRD analyses were used to determine morphological features, chemical composition of microbes and mineralogical characteristics of the iron and manganese minerals. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis, the four species, Fusibacter, Desulfuromonas, Actinobacteria, Pseudomonas sp., from KURT groundwater were identified as anaerobic metal reducers and these microbes precipitated metals outside of cells in common. XRD and EDX analyses showed that Fe(III)-containing mineral, akaganeite (${\beta}$-FeOOH), reduced into Fe(II)/Fe(III)-containing magnetite ($Fe_3O_4$) and Mn(IV)-containing manganese oxide (${\lambda}-MnO_2$) into Mn(II)-containing rhodochrosite ($MnCO_3$) by the microbes. These results implicate that microbial metabolism and respiratory activities under anaerobic condition result in reduction and biomineralization of iron and manganese minerals. Therefore, the microbes cultivated from groundwater in KURT might play a major role to reduce various metals from highly toxic, mobile to less toxic, immobile.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to introduce the double bundle posterior cruciate ligament(PCL) reconstruction using Achilles allograft by the tibial inlay method and evaluate the clinical results of 11 cases who had PCL reconstruction using this method and were followed for more than 2 years after surgery. Materials and Methods: Our series consists of 11 cases of PCL reconstruction due to chronic posterior instability of knee and acute PCL rupture. The clinical results were assessed using the IKDC(International Knee Documentation Committee) scoring system, posterior stress radiographs and the maximum posterior displacement using a KT-1000TM arthrometer. Results: The average preoperative posterior displacement in 90 degree flexion stress radiograph was measured 13.4 mm and in 10 degree flexion the average posterior displacement using the KT-1000TM arthrometer was measured 11.4 mm. Postoperatively the 13.4 mm reduced to 4.4 mm and the 11.4 mm reduced to 3.9 mm. According to IKDC scoring system, 9 cases(81.8%) were satisfied. One case showed limitation of flexion with mild stiffness in the knee and another one case was not improved the posterior instability sufficiently and no complication of allograft was noticed. Conclusion: The double bundle PCL reconstruction using Achilles allograft by the tibial inlay method is a useful method for acute PCL rupture and chronic posterior instability of the knee including failed PCL reconstruction, because it will also make the posterior stability in the extension and 90 degree flexion position, and avoid the grafted tendon abrasion by acute turn of tibial tunnel.