• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.503-516
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• 2021

Autonomous fire detection and suppression system requires advanced technology for complex detection technology and injection/control technology for accurate hitting by fire location. Also, foam spraying should be included to respond to oil fires. However, when a single spray monitor is used in common, water and foam spray properties appear different, so for accurate fire suppression, research on the spray trajectory and distance will be required. In this study, experimental studies and numerical analysis studies were combined to analyze the foam spray characteristics through the spray monitor developed for the establishment of an autonomous fire extinguishing system. For flow analysis of foam injection, modeling was performed using OpenFOAM analysis software, and the commonly used foaming agent (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam) was applied for foam properties. The injection distance analysis was performed according to the injection pressure and the injection angle according to the form of the foam, and at the same time, the results were verified and presented through the injection experiment.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.375-393
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• 2022

This study was deal with blow-out and buoyancy stability evaluation method for slurry shield TBM. When applying a slurry shield TBM for the construction of a shallow tunnel under river or sea, the stability of slurry blow-out and segment lining buoyancy should be evaluated. However, there is a problem in that the currently applied theoretical formula is somewhat complicated, making it inconvenient to calculate in practice. In this study, some simple charts were proposed to easily evaluate the stability of slurry blow-out and segment lining buoyancy. In addition, the buoyancy safety factor of segment lining using the strength reduction method was evaluated and compared with the buoyancy safety factor based on the theoretical formula. The buoyancy safety factor by the theoretical formula was evaluated to be rather small, and it was confirmed that it was on the safe side. The simplified charts for the evaluation of slurry blow-out and buoyancy stability presented in this study are expected to be usefully utilized in the planning and design of undersea tunnels.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.119-131
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• 2021

In general, the stress is concentrated on the pillar of very near parallel tunnel (VNPT), and the pillar has been reinforced by using steel-wires to maintain the stability of the tunnel. However, since the strength of the pillar decreases in the soil layer, the reinforcing pillar with the steel-wires is insufficient for tunnel stability. In this study, the laboratory tunnel experiment was conducted to examine the reinforcement effect for a new method, of which the pillar of VNPT is strengthened by using steel-pipes. As a result, against overburden stress, the bearing capacity of the steel-pipe reinforcement was 22% greater than that of the steel-wire reinforcement. In using the Particle Image Velocimetry method, the analysis shows that the steel-pipe reinforcement forms a more favorable condition of which uniformly the overburden load acts on the VNPT and the pillar than the steel-wire reinforcement. Based on the results, the steel-pipe reinforcement is expected to bring a more positive effect on tunnel stability than the steel-wire reinforcement.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.535-547
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• 2021

A policy to expand the hydrogen economy has been established in Korea and the supply of FCEV is being expanded to realize a hydrogen society. Therefore, the supply of FCEV is expected to increase rapidly, and a solution to respond to accidents of FCEV is required. In this study, an experimental study was conducted to analyze the effect of the hydrogen jet flame generated by a FCEV on the inner wall of the tunnel and the characteristics of the internal radiant heat. For the experiment, the initial pressure of hydrogen tank was set to 700 bar, and the injection nozzle diameter was set to 1.8 mm in order to make the same as the conditions generated in the FCEV. In addition, a tunnel fire resistance test specimen having the same strength as the compressive strength of concrete applied to general tunnels of 40 MPa was manufactured and used in the experiment. The results were analyzed for the separation distance (2 m and 4 m) between the hydrogen release nozzle and the tunnel fire resistance test concrete. As the result, the maximum internal temperature of the test concrete was measured to 1,349.9℃ (2 m separation distance), and the radiant heat around the jet flame was up to 39.16 kW/m².

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.263-278
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• 2022

This paper contains experimental study for the development and performance of TBM backfill material with thixotropic properties. The LW backfill material is widely applied to fill the cavity on the back side of the shield TBM excavation, but has disadvantages such as settlement caused by strength reduction, material separation by groundwater, and reduced plasticity. In this paper, laboratory tests and a model test were conducted to assess the performance of inorganic thixotropic backfill material proposed to improve these problems. The results of laboratory tests show that 1 hr-uniaxial compressive strength of ITB was 12 times higher than LW, and the rate of bleeding of 20 hr was 8.3 times lower, and the result of flow table test was more than 27 times higher. This result indicated that the inorganic thixotropic backfill material has superior properties to LW backfill in terms of strength reduction, material separation, and thixotropy. In the model experiment, a model injection device tester was manufactured and the injection performance and filling rate were verified. When material was injected in the water, it was visually checked whether material separation occurred, and it was confirmed that the filling rate was 96% or more. Comparison results with the test of LW and ITB materials was concluded that ITB can reduce the material separation by groundwater and the occurrence of tunnel cavity.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.231-245
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• 2022

When vertical shafts are constructed in soft clay with low strength, there is a risk of basal heave, which causes the excavation surface to heave due to the low bearing capacity of the ground against the imbalance of earth pressure at the excavation surface. Methods of deriving a safety factor have been proposed to evaluate the stability against the basal heave. However, there are limitations in that it is difficult to accurately evaluate the heave stability because many assumptions are included in the theoretical derivation. In this study, assuming that a circular vertical shaft is constructed in soft clay, the existing safety factor equation proposed through a theoretical approach was supplemented. Bearing capacity according to the shaft geometry, inhomogeneity of the soil, and the effect of soil plug were considered theoretically and applied in a previous safety factor equation. A three-dimensional numerical analysis was conducted to simulate the occurrence of basal heave and review the supplemented equation through various case studies. Several series of case studies were conducted targeting various factors affecting heave stability. It was verified that the additionally considered characteristics were properly reflected in the supplemented equation. Furthermore, the effects of each factor constituting the safety factor equation were examined using the results of the numerical analysis performed by simulating various cases. It was confirmed that considering the undrained shear strength increment according to depth had the most significant effect on the calculation of the safety factor.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.605-612
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• 2021

Amid growing global damage due to abnormal weather caused by global warming, the introduction of eco-friendly cars is accelerating to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from internal combustion engines. Accordingly, many studies are being conducted in each country to prepare for the explosion of hydrogen fuel in semi-closed spaces such as tunnels and underground parking lots to ensure the safety of hydrogen-electric vehicles. As a result of predicting the explosion pressure of the hydrogen tank using the equivalent TNT model, it was found to be about 1.12 times and 2.30 times higher at a height of 1.5 meters, respectively, based on the case of 52 liters of hydrogen capacity. A review of the impact on the human body and buildings by converting the predicted maximum explosive pressure into the amount of impact predicted that all predicted values would result in lung damage or severe partial destruction. The predicted degree of damage was applied only by converting the amount of impact caused by the explosion, and considering the additional damage caused by the explosion, it is believed that the actual damage will increase further and safety and disaster prevention measures should be taken.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.371-384
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• 2021

Underground space, especially very-deep tunnel development in urban area, is a good alternative to solve the problem of insufficient ground space, and the need for underground space development is steadily increasing. However, due to the complex and time-consuming nature of design and construction, public conflicts related to the deep tunnel project are getting aggravating and more complex. In addition, since the public budget is mainly invested, when civil complaints arise, they often respond passively, resulting in amplification of conflicts or prolonging the deadlock in many cases. In this study, by analyzing the progress of major conflicts related to the construction of very-deep tunnels in urban area, the causes of conflicts, factors prolonging conflicts, and solutions are reviewed. Through a survey targeting ordinary citizens and tunnel experts, thoughts about the deep tunnel construction and major conflict factors were analyzed, and suggestions for minimizing conflicts were presented. The results of this study can be used to prepare alternatives such as various public involvement measures and improvement of project procedures to form a civic consensus on the construction of very-deep tunnels, and to prepare measures to improve prejudice against very-deep tunnels.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.201-220
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• 2023

Power cable tunnels is one of the underground structures meant for electricity transmission and are constructed using shield TBM method when transitting across urban and subsea regions. With the increasing shaft depth for tunnels excavation when the shield TBM excavated the rock mass, the review of selecting closed-type shield TBM in rocks becomes necessary. A simplified shield TBM design method is also necessary based on conventional geotechnical survey results. In this respect, design method and related design program are developed based on combined results of full-scale tests, considerable amount of accumulated TBM data, and numerical simulation results. In order to validate the program results, excavation data of a completed power cable tunnel project are utilized. Thrust force, torque, and power of shield TBM specification are validated using Kernel density concept which estimates the population data. The robustness of design expertise is established through this research which will help in stable provision of electricity supply.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.387-401
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• 2023

The Earth Pressure Balanced (EPB) Shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is widely employed for constructing urban underground spaces due to its minimal vibration and low noise levels. The injection of additives offers several advantages, including maintaining shield chamber pressure, reducing shear strength, minimizing cutter wear, and decreasing the permeability of the excavated soil. This technique is known as soil conditioning and involves the application of additives such as foam, polymer, and bentonite slurry. In this study, weathered granite soil commonly encountered at domestic tunnel sites was used as a soil specimen. Foam and polymer were applied as additives to assess the rheological properties of conditioned soils. The workability was evaluated through slump tests, while the rheological properties were assessed through laboratory pressurized vane shear tests conducted under the same conditions. Specially, the polymer was applied under specific conditions with low workability with high slump values, with the aim of evaluating the impact of polymer application. The test results revealed that with an increase in the Foam Injection Ratio (FIR), the slump value also increased, while the torque, peak strength, yield stress, apparent viscosity, and thixotropic area decreased. Conversely, an increase in the Polymer Injection Ratio (PIR) led to results opposite to those of FIR. Additionally, a correlation between the slump value and yield stress was proposed. When comparing conditions with only foam applied to those with both foam and polymer applied, even with similar slump values, the yield stress was found to be lower in the latter conditions.