• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.5D
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• pp.839-848
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• 2006

Korea has become the 5th country to own and operate the high speed railroad in 2004. However, there were many difficulties until Koreans enjoy the first bullet train service with the average hourly speed of 300km. The high speed railroad requires elevated quality standards differently from the traditional railways. In addition to the technical difficulties, the construction project itself was an unpleasant case with huge delays and cost overruns mainly due to the lack of experiences, deficiency of owner$^{\circ}{\O}$s role, and increase of public resistances triggered by environmental concerns. This paper analyzes the reasons for delays on this mega-project. With respect to the characteristics of the whole project level, it is very complicated/linear project, whose total length is around 412 km with the composition of various sections in the route of the railway which have basically different conditions. For that reason, the analysis is performed in both macro and micro level. First, macroscopic analysis is performed to find critical subdivisions in the railway route that induces the significant delay in the opening due date. Then, microscopic analysis is followed to quantify the causes and effects of delays focused on these critical subdivisions in more detailed way. Finally, this paper provides lessons learned from this project to avoid the decisive delays in performing the similar large-scaled projects.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.5A
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• pp.649-656
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• 2008

The enhancement of the service life of damaged or cracked structures is a major issue for researchers and engineers. The hierarchic void element based on the integrals of Legendre polynomials is used to characterize the fracture behaviour of unpatched crack as well as repaired crack with bonded composite patches by computing the stress intensity factors and stress contours at the crack tip. Since the equivalent single layer approach is adopted in this study, the proposed element is necessary to represent a discontinuous crack part as a continuum body with zero stiffness. Thus the aspect ratio of this element to represent the crack should be extremely slender. The sensitivity of numerical solution with respect to energy release rate, displacement and stress has been tested to show the robustness of zero stiffness element as the aspect ratio is increased up to 2000. The stiffness derivative method and displacement extrapolation method have been applied to calculate the stress intensity factors of Mode I problem. It is noted that the proposed hierarchical void element can be one of alternatives to analyze the patched crack problems.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.2C
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• pp.85-93
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• 2010

The shear stiffness has become an important design parameter to understand the soil behavior. In particular, the elastic moduli and void ratio has been considered as important parameters for the design of the geotechnical structures. The objective of this paper is the development of the penetration type Field Velocity and Resistivity Probe (FVRP) which is able to assess the elastic moduli and void ratio based on the elastic wave velocities and electrical resistivity. The elastic waves including the compressional and shear wave are measured by piezo disk elements and bender elements. And the electrical resistivity is measured by the resistivity probe, which is manufactured and installed at the tip of the FVRP. The penetration tests are carried out in calibration chamber and field. In the laboratory calibration chamber test, after the sand-clay slurry mixtures are prepared and consolidated. The FVRP is progressively penetrated and the data are measured at each 1 cm. The field experiment is also carried out in the southern part of Korea Peninsular. Data gathering is performed in the depth of 6~20 m at each 10 cm. The elastic moduli and void ratio are estimated based on the analytical and empirical solutions by using the elastic wave velocities and electrical resistivity measured in the chamber and field. The void ratios based on the elastic wave velocities and the electrical resistivity are similar to the volume based void ratio. This study suggests that the FVRP, which evaluates the elastic wave velocities and the electrical resistivity, may be a useful instrument for assessing the elastic moduli and void ratio in soft soils.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.255-260
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• 2023

As demanding the detection of explosive molecules, it is required to develop rapidly and precisely responsive sensors with ultra-high sensitivity. Since two-dimensional semiconductors have an atomically thin body nature where mobile carriers accumulate, the abrupt modulation carrier in the thin body channel can be expected. To investigate the effectiveness of WSe₂ semiconductor materials as a detection material for TNT (Trinitrotoluene) explosives, WSe₂ was synthesized using thermal chemical vapor deposition, and afterward, WSe₂ FETs (Field Effect Transistors) were fabricated using standard photo-lithograph processes. Raman Spectrum and FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared) spectroscopy reveal that the adsorption of TNT molecules induces the structural transition of WSe₂ crystalline. The electrical properties before and after adsorption of TNT molecules on the WSe₂ surface were compared; as -50 V was applied as the back gate bias, 0.02 μA was recorded in the bare state, and the drain current increased to 0.41 μA with a dropping 0.6% (w/v) TNT while maintaining the p-type behavior. Afterward, the electrical characteristics were additionally evaluated by comparing the carrier mobility, hysteresis, and on/off ratio. Consequently, the present report provides the milestone for developing ultra-sensitive sensors with rapid response and high precision.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.12
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• pp.939-953
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• 2023

Shallow water equations (SWE) serve as fundamental equations governing the movement of the water. Traditional numerical approaches for solving these equations generally face various challenges, such as sensitivity to mesh generation, and numerical oscillation, or become more computationally unstable around shock and discontinuities regions. In this study, we present a novel approach that leverages the power of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) to approximate the solution of the SWE. PINNs integrate physical law directly into the neural network architecture, enabling the accurate approximation of solutions to the SWE. We provide a comprehensive methodology for formulating the SWE within the PINNs framework, encompassing network architecture, training strategy, and data generation techniques. Through the results obtained from experiments, we found that PINNs could be an accurate output solution of SWE when its results were compared with the analytical method. In addition, PINNs also present better performance over the Artificial Neural Network. This study highlights the transformative potential of PINNs in revolutionizing water resources research, offering a new paradigm for accurate and efficient solutions to the SVE.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.9-17
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• 2024

When constructing on soft ground, managing ground settlement and safety is crucial. However, there often exists a significant disparity between the actual behavior of the ground and the design plans. In this study, we aimed to compare and analyze the difference between the predicted settlement based on theoretical formulas and the measured settlement during construction, in order to predict settlement. For this purpose, we analyzed settlement data from 18 construction sites. The results indicated that the back analysis settlement values were similar to the measured settlement values, whereas the design settlement values were significantly higher compared to the measured settlement values. Specifically, the design settlement values were 1.2 to 1.4 times higher than those derived from back analysis using measured values. The RMSE analysis revealed a value of 0.6212m for the design settlement and 0.1697m for the back analysis settlement. The difference between the back analysis settlement and the measured settlement was more than 70% lower than the difference between the design settlement and the measured settlement. This indicates that the back analysis settlement values exhibit lower error rates compared to the design settlement values.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.125-131
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• 2024

In this study, synthesized Ni/Ce_xZr_1-xO₂ catalysts were coated on the surface of honeycomb metalic monoliths to investigate catalytic activity in steam reforming of methane reactions. Supports with varying Ce/Zr ratios were synthesized to observe their behavior in the reforming reaction, and catalysts with Ni contents ranging from 5 wt% to 20 wt% were prepared to analyze the effect of Ni loading contents on catalytic activity. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, TPR, and SEM. The TPR analysis indicated the formation of Ni-Ce-Zr oxide with a strong interaction between the active metal Ni and CeO₂-ZrO₂ support. The 15 wt% Ni/Ce_0.80Zr_0.20O₂ catalyst exhibited the highest activity and stability in the steam reforming of methane reaction. Catalysts with enhanced activity and stability were synthesized by manufacturing composite materials using excellent oxygen storage and donor properties of CeO₂ and the thermal properties of ZrO₂.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2014

A new cold neutron triple-axis spectrometer (Cold-TAS) was recently constructed at the 30 MWth research reactor, HANARO. The spectrometer, which is composed of neutron optical components and radiation shield, required a redesign of the segmented monochromator shield due to the lack of adequate support of its weight. To shed some weight, lowering the height of the segmented shield was suggested while adding more radiation shield to the top cover of the monochromator chamber. To investigate the radiological effect of such change, we performed MCNPX simulations of a few different configurations of the Cold-TAS monochromator shield and obtained neutron and photon intensities at 5 reference points just outside the shield. Reducing the 35% of the height of the segmented shield and locating lead 10 cm from the bottom of the top cover made of polyethylene was shown to perform just as well as the original configuration as radiation shield excepting gamma flux at two points. Using gamma map by MCNPX, it was checked that is distribution of gamma. Increased flux had direction to the top and it had longer distance from top of segmented shield. However, because of reducing the 35% of the height, height of dissipated gamma was lower than original geometry. Reducing the 35% of the height of the segmented shield and locating lead 10cm from the bottom of the top cover was selected. After changing geometry, radiation dose was measured by TLD for confirming tester's safety at any condition. Neutron(0.21 ${\mu}Svhr^{-1}$) and gamma(3.69 ${\mu}Svhr^{-1}$) radiation dose were satisfied standard(6.25 ${\mu}Svhr^{-1}$).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.185-201
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• 2018

Nuclear power plants(NPP) are constructed and operated to ensure safety against natural disasters and man-made disasters in all processes including site selection, site survey, design, construction, and operation. This paper will introduce a series of efforts conducted in Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., to assure the safety of nuclear power plant against earthquakes and other natural hazards. In particular, the present status of the earthquake, fault, and slope safety monitoring system for nuclear power plants is introduced. A earthquake observatory network for the NPP sites has been built up for nuclear safety and providing adequate seismic design standards for NPP sites by monitoring seismicity in and around NPPs since 1999. The Eupcheon Fault Monitoring System, composed of a strainmeter, seismometer, creepmeter, Global Positioning System, and groundwater meter, was installed to assess the safety of the Wolsung Nuclear Power Plant against earthquakes by monitoring the short- and long-term behavioral characteristics of the Eupcheon fault. Through the analysis of measured data, it was verified that the Eupcheon fault is a relatively stable fault that is not affected by earthquakes occurring around the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. In addition, it was confirmed that the fault monitoring system could be very useful for seismic safety analysis and earthquake prediction study on the fault. K-SLOPE System for systematic slope monitoring was successfully developed for monitoring of the slope at nuclear power plants. Several kinds of monitoring devices including an inclinometer, tiltmeter, tension-wire, and precipitation gauge were installed on the NPP slope. A macro deformation analysis using terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) was performed for overall slope deformation evaluation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.158-169
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• 2019

A probabilistic model that can predict the residual useful lifetime of structure is formulated by using the gamma process which is one of the stochastic processes. The formulated stochastic model can take into account both the sampling uncertainty associated with damages measured up to now and the temporal uncertainty of cumulative damage over time. A method estimating several parameters of stochastic model is additionally proposed by introducing of the least square method and the method of moments, so that the age of a structure, the operational environment, and the evolution of damage with time can be considered. Some features related to the residual useful lifetime are firstly investigated into through the sensitivity analysis on parameters under a simple setting of single damage data measured at the current age. The stochastic model are then applied to the rubble-mound breakwater straightforwardly. The parameters of gamma process can be estimated for several experimental data on the damage processes of armor rocks of rubble-mound breakwater. The expected damage levels over time, which are numerically simulated with the estimated parameters, are in very good agreement with those from the flume testing. It has been found from various numerical calculations that the probabilities exceeding the failure limit are converged to the constraint that the model must be satisfied after lasting for a long time from now. Meanwhile, the expected residual useful lifetimes evaluated from the failure probabilities are seen to be different with respect to the behavior of damage history. As the coefficient of variation of cumulative damage is becoming large, in particular, it has been shown that the expected residual useful lifetimes have significant discrepancies from those of the deterministic regression model. This is mainly due to the effect of sampling and temporal uncertainties associated with damage, by which the first time to failure tends to be widely distributed. Therefore, the stochastic model presented in this paper for predicting the residual useful lifetime of structure can properly implement the probabilistic assessment on current damage state of structure as well as take account of the temporal uncertainty of future cumulative damage.