개별요소법을 이용한 핵석층의 물성 산정 : 화강암질 편마암 지역에 분포하는 핵석층의 예

We have carried out numerical compression experiments to estimate the mechanical properties (Mohr-Coulomb and elastic) of corestone-bearing saprolites in Beolgyo area. The studied saprolite, consisting of mechanically much stronger corestone and weaker matrix, is a weathering product of the Precambrian granitic gneiss in the Youngnam massif. Since the saprolite consists of larger corestones with diameter up to 2m, it is impossible to directly measure the mechanical properties by physical experiments. We have measured the mechanical properties of corestone and matrix from naturally occurring saprolite and have used them as a reference for our numerical model. Then, we mixed each material and carried out biaxial compression tests while varying the volume percentage of corestones from 0 to 57%. We found that both cohesion and internal friction angle increase with the volume percentage of corestones while elastic modulus remains constant. We found the results from numerical experiments are in contradiction to what is known from physical experiments using artificial saprolites. This may be due to a possibility that the sharp and discrete nature of interface between corestone and matrix in physical experiments differs from the gradual interfacial nature in numerical modelling and natural saprolites.