• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.19
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• pp.197-208
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• 1999

The process of localization of cracks and movement of the fracture process zone(FPZ) was studied using the acoustic-emission(AE) techniques. The rate of AE events and sources of AE activity were studied for mortar and rock specimens loaded in uniaxial compression. A series of transducers could be used to detect and AE activity. Based on the time differences between detection of the event at different transducers, source of AE activity could be detected. The rate of AE events increased sharply before peak load. The highest rate occurred just after peak load was attained. The effective crack length estimated from the modified linear-elastic fracture mechanics seemed consistent with the optical and AE measurements.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.4 s.57
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• pp.250-263
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• 2005

Progressive and localized brittle failures around an excavated opening by the overstressed condition can act as a serious obstacle to ensure the stability and the economical efficiency of construction work. In this paper, the characteristics of the brittle failure around an circular opening with stress level was studied by the biaxial compressive test using sealed specimen and by the numerical simulation with $PFC^{2D}$, one of the discrete element codes. The occurring pattern and shape of the brittle failure around a circular opening monitored during the biaxial loading were well coincided with those of the stress induced failures around the excavated openings observed in the brittle rock masses. The crack development stages with stress level were evaluated by the detailed analysis on the acoustic emission event properties. The microcrack development process around a circular opening was successfully visualized by the particle flow analysis. It indicated that the scaled test had a good feasibility in understanding the mechanism of the brittle failure around an opening with a high reliability.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.274-286
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• 1994

Direct shear tests were on ducted in a laboratory setting in order to investigate the shear strength and deformation behavior of rock joints. Also, the characteristics of acoustic emissions (AE) during shearing of rock joints were studied. The artificial rock joints were created by splitting the intact blocks of Hwangdeung granites and Iksan marbles. Joint roughness profiles were measured by a profile gage and then digitized by Image analyzer. Roughness profile indices(Rp) of the joints were calculated with these digitized data. Peak shear strength, residual shear strength, shear stiffness and maximum acoustic emission(AE) rate were investigated with joint roughness. The peak shear strenght, the residual shear strength and the shear stiffness were increased as roughness popfile index or normal stress increased in the shear tests of granites. In the tests of marble samples, the shear deformation characteristics were not directly affected by joint roughness. As the result of two directional shear tests, the shear characteristics were varied with shear direction. AE count rates were measured during the shear deformation and the AE signals in several stages of the deformation were analyzed in a frequency domain. The AE rate peaks coincided with the stress drops during the shear deformation of joint. The dominant frequencies of the AE signals were in the vicinity of 100 kHz fo rgranite sample and 900 kHz for marble samples. The distribution of amplitude was dispersed with increasing normal stress.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.946-956
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• 2008

Acoustic emission(AE) is low-energy seismic event associated with a sudden inelastic deformation such as the sudden movement of existing fractures, the generation of new fractures or the propagation of fractures. These events rapidly increase before major failure and happen within a given rock volume and radiate detectable seismic waves. Rock slopes are usually large in scale and there are many discontinuities in rock mass. AE waves are strongly attenuated when they propagate through joints. Thus we should resolve the attenuation problem to monitor large volume. In this study, we developed waveguide which is composed of two different materials, cement mortar and stainless steel rod. And several laboratory tests on developed waveguide are performed to obtain generalized AE parameters to predict the failure stage in rock slope. Comparing field data with experimental data in laboratory tests, failure stage of rock slope can be evaluated. To verify and optimize the developed monitoring method, we are now carrying out the field application at a rock slope.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.67-80
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• 2014

Long-term stability and delayed failure of granite were evaluated through the laboratory test based on Wilkins method and Brazilian disc test (BDT) which yields tensile strength, mode I fracture toughness and subcritical crack growth parameters. Then, the long-term strength of granite was estimated by using analytical models and long-term stability of compressed air-energy storage (CAES) pilot cavern pressurized up to 5 ~ 6 MPa was evaluated using numerical code, FRACOD with the determined subcritical crack growth parameters. The results of test and analyses showed that the subcritical crack growth index, n was determined as 29.39 and the inner pressure of 5 ~ 6 MPa had an insignificant effect on the long-term stability of pilot cavern. It was also found that the measurement and analysis of acoustic emission events can describe the accumulation of damage due to subcritical crack growth quantitatively. That is, AE monitoring can provide the current status of rock under loading if we make an identical installation condition in the field with that of the laboratory test.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.657-673
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• 2019

A monitoring method based on acoustic emission (AE) sensor has been widely used to evaluate the damage of structures in underground rock. The acoustic emission signal generated from cracking in material is analyzed as various acoustic emission parameters in time and frequency domain. To investigate from initial crack generation to final failure of rock material, it is important to understand the characteristics of acoustic emission parameters according to the stress ratio and rock strength. In this study, uniaxial compression tests were performed using very strong and weak rock specimen in order to investigate the acoustic emission parameters when the failure of specimen occurred. In the results of experimental tests, the event, root-mean-square (RMS) voltage, amplitude, and absolute energy of very strong rock specimen were larger than those of the weak rock specimen with an increase of stress ratio. In addition, the acoustic emission parameters related in frequency were more affected by specification (e.g., operation and resonant frequency) of sensors than the stress ratio or rock strength. It is expected that this study may be meaningful for evaluating the damage of underground rock when the health monitoring based on the acoustic emission technique will be performed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.09a
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• pp.743-748
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• 2010

The stability forecasting of rock slope is more difficult than soil slope because catching the sign of failure in monitoring is not easy and deformation of the rock is small in failure process. But in the rock slope, there is small deformation like crack propagation in rock itself and it accumulates gradually in failure process. If it is possible to detect the small change in the rock slope, we can know the failure time exactly. Because the individual signal is gathered in the acoustic emission monitoring, it is possible to monitoring the slope if many sound signal is accumulated. Detection test of acoustic emission was performed. Uniaxial, two types of bending test, and two plane shear test were done with various cement paste sample. Wave propagation velocity of uniaxial test sample was increased with curing time. Wave Analysis give us the result that there is a AE sign signal before the failure, the AE count is suddenly increased. And frequency level 125kHz before failure is changed to level 200-250kHz after failure. In two plane shear test we can catch the AE signal and can know the failure type from wave shape. Monitoring test site is tunnel slope in Hongcheon but special signal is not collected.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.233-244
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• 2017

We conducted hydraulic fracturing experiments on cement samples to investigate the dependency of fracture propagation on the viscosity of injection fluid and the in situ stress state. Ten cubic samples (20 cm side length) were produced using cement that was cured in water for more than one month. Samples were placed in a tri-axial compression apparatus with three independent principal stresses. An injection hole was drilled and the sample was hydraulically fractured under a constant injection rate. We measured injection pressures and acoustic emissions (AE) during the experiments, and investigated the fracture patterns produced by hydraulic fracturing. Breakdown pressures increased exponentially with increasing viscosity of the injection fluid. Fracture patterns were dependent on differential stress (i.e., the difference between the major and minor principal stresses). At low differential stress, multiple fractures oriented sub-parallel to the major principal stress axis propagated from the injection hole, and in some samples the fracture orientation changed during propagation. However, at high differential stress, a single fracture propagated parallel to the major principal stress axis. AE results show similar patterns. At low differential stress, AE source locations were more widespread than at high differential stress, consistent with the fracture pattern results. Our study suggests that hydraulic fracturing during shale gas extraction should be performed parallel to the orientation of minimum differential stress.