• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.165-178
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• 2021

The influence of Soil-Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC) fitting parameters for an unsaturated natural slope was evaluated through seepage and slope stability analysis as a function of rainfall. Soil samples were collected from the study area in Jirisan National Park and the physical and mechanical characteristics of unsaturated soil layers were measured in laboratory tests. The saturation depth was calculated via seepage analysis by changing fitting parameters α, the parameter related to the Air Entry Value (AEV) and n, the parameter related to the slope of the SWCC in the range of natural conditions. Slope stability analysis using the limit equilibrium method considered the calculated depth of saturation. Results from seepage analysis for various rainfall conditions indicate the saturation depth in the soil layer suddenly increased as the fitting parameter α decreased; the saturation time for the entire soil layer also decreased. Slope stability analysis considering the calculated depth of saturation shows that the slope safety factor rapidly decreased as the fitting parameter α decreased, whereas the variation in slope safety factor was very small when n increased. Hence, fitting parameter α has a large effect on saturation depth during rainfall and therefore on slope stability, whereas slope stability is relatively unaffected by the fitting parameter n.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.15-23
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• 2023

In this study, the infiltration behavior of slopes composed of mixed soils with clay contents of 0%, 5%, and 10% in weathered Gneiss soil, which is a representative weathered soil in Korea, was investigated, and the stability of unsaturated slopes due to rainfall infiltration was examined. For this, in this study, the soil water characteristic curve was obtained through the water retention test, and the strength constant was obtained through the triaxial compression test. Based on the obtained results, the influence of clay content and antecedent rainfall effect (i.e., initial suction) on the formation of saturated zone (i.e., wetting band) and slope stability due to rainfall infiltration was examined through infiltration and stability analyses. As a result, it was found that the hig her the initial suction, the slower the formation of the saturated zone on the slope. In addition, it was found that as the clay content increases, the shear strength of the ground increases and the resistance to rainfall infiltration increases, and eventually the slope stability is greatly improved.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.1878-1882
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• 2010

이 연구는 제방의 침투 수리모형 실험의 자료를 이용해 안전도 평가 지표 선정을 위한 자료 제공하고 향후 수행할 침투 수치모의에 필요한 보정 및 검증 자료를 확보할 목적으로 수행하였다. 제방 축조 현장에서 구한 제체재료를 사용하여 실험실에 제방축소모형을 $14.5m{\times}0.6m{\times}1.6 m$의 수조 내부에 제작하였다. 제방 사면의 경사는 1:2, 제방 저면의 길이는 4.60 m, 제방 상부의 길이는 2.40 m, 제체의 높이는 0.55 m로 제작하였다. 모형제방은 제방축조 방법과 유사하게 다짐을 하기위해 흙을 쌓으면서 0.20 m 높이 마다 다짐을 실시하였다. 다짐방법은 고무망치를 이용한 층다짐을 하였다. 들밀도실험에 의한 제방모형의 건조단위중량과 다짐도는 각각 1.71g/cm3, 93%로 측정되었다. 홍수위 증가에 따른 비정상 상태의 침투수위 측정을 수행하였다. 수리모형실험은 약 8일 동안 수행하였다. 침윤선의 수두와 위압계별 수두는 상류쪽(제외지 사면)부터 증가하기 시작하며 하류쪽(제내지 사면)로 확장됨을 알 수 있으며, 실험 초기에는 상류쪽의 수두가 급격히 상승하지만, 점차 상승속도가 둔화되는 등의 일반적인 경향이 나타나고 있음을 확인할 수 있다. 실험시작 18시간 경과 후부터 제외지 사면 하단부에서 유출이 발생하였으며, 21시간 경과 후부터는 상류부의 수두가 안정되는 현상이 나타났다. 측정된 침투수위의 변화 양상은 향후 수치모형을 이용한 침투해석의 검보정 자료로 활용할 계획이다.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.87-99
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• 2016

We present the results of two-dimensional numerical simulations predicting the flow of groundwater in a fractured unsaturated zone. We applied the k-field distribution of permeability derived from discrete fracture network (DFN) modeling as the hydraulic properties of a model domain. To model an unsaturated zone, we set the depth from the ground surface to the underground aquifer. The rate of water infiltration into the unsaturated zone was divided into two parts, an artificial structure surface and unsaturated soil zone. The movement of groundwater through the unsaturated zone was simulated with particular emphasis on contaminant transport. It was clearly observed that the contaminants dissolved in groundwater transported vertically from the ground surface to the saturated zone.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.123-133
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• 2001

Since most of soil slopes are in an unsaturated state, it is necessary to consider the unsaturated characteristics of soil slopes, in order to obtain more reasonable results. Therefore in this study we supplemented a slope stability analysis program to consider them, based on the concept of limit equilibrium. We also applied an optimization technique to search for a failure surface. Besides, we carried out experiments to obtain the unsaturated soil properties required in the analysis with weathered granite soils. We formulated a nonlinear apparent cohesion relationship with the matrix suction to be able to apply the unsaturated shear strength characteristics to the stability analysis. In addition, we intended to obtain more accurate soil water characteristic curves(SWCC) by measuring the change in volume of the specimen in the SWCC tests. As a result, we could appropriately assess the change of the safety factor according to the rainfall intensity and duration, by considering the variation of suction, permeability, and shear strength caused by the infiltration of rainfall into slopes.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2023

Recent weather changes have led to an increase in heavy rainfall resulting in frequent large-scale slope failures. To minimize damage to life and property, a measurement system is used in slope failure warning systems. However, understanding the slope failure behavior is difficult as the measurement system only measures a specific point. Therefore, numerical analysis must be p erformed with the measurement system. The soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) drying curve and boundary conditions that consider evapotranspiration and precipitation have been applied to numerical analysis, but the hysteresis of SWCC affects the numerical analysis results. To address this, a new evapotranspiration calculation method is proposed and applied to boundary conditions, and the measurement data are compared with the results of the numerical analysis. This method takes into account the different infiltration behaviors on evapotranspiration according to the drying and wetting curves of the SWCC, and allows for a more rational prediction of water movement on unsaturated slopes.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.57-65
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• 2007

Slope collapse occurs mostly at the rainy season or thawing season in Korea. From a engineer point of view, the design criterion in recent of soil slopes during the rainfall have a conservative tendency because a slope stability is evaluated in the condition that ground water level is located in the surface. However, for the rational design of soil slopes during rainfall, the raining conditions and the unsaturated soil characteristics of soil slopes have to be considered. For the unsaturated soil characteristics of soil slopes, the laboratory tests for unsaturated soils and the seepage analyses for the raining conditions have to be performed. Due to these difficulties, a conservative design of soil slopes in the current design criterion has been carried out. In this paper, therefore, a simple design method is proposed. The method is considered to the unsaturated soil characteristics and the results of seepage analysis without numerical analysis. To verify the suggested design method, it is compared with both analysis results by current design criterion and analysis results based on the seepage analysis. Through the comparative study, it was found that the current design criterion has been excessively conservative. Hence, simple design method in this study was evaluated as the rational design for the soil slopes during rainfall.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.102-105
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• 1996

난지도 매립지는 매립충의 불균질성과 고온의 침출수 및 가스의 흐름이 동시에 복합적으로 일어나는 현상 때문에 수리지질학적으로 매우 복잡한 지역이다. 난지도의 수문층서단위 조사와 디스크-장력 침투계(Disc tension Infiltrometer)로 불포화대 수리 특성을 추정하였으며 가스 거동 현상을 이해하기 위해 지온을 측정하였다. 매립지 주변의 지하수위 변화를 조사하기 위해 양수정과 다중-수위관측정(Multi-Level Monitoring Well)에서 수위변화를 관측하였다. 불포화대 수리특성과 기상자료를 바탕으로 매립지로의 순침투량을 추정하였다. 이것을 근거로 총 침출수 발생량을 추정하였으며, 기저 지하수면 상부에 분포하는 포화 침출수대, 즉 부유침출수의 생성 메카니즘에 대한 연구도 수행하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 2016

Stability analysis based on the limit equilibrium method combined with the result of infiltration analysis is commonly used to evaluate the effect of rainfall infiltration on the slope stability. Soil is a three-phase mixture composed of solid particle, water and air. Therefore, a fully coupled mixture theories of stress-deformation behavior and the flow of water and air should be used to accurately analyze the process of rainfall infiltration through soil slope. The purpose of this study is to study the effect of interaction of air and water flow on the mechanical stability of slope. In this study, stability analyses based on the coupled hydro-mechanical model of three-phases were conducted for slope of weathered granite soil widespread in Korea. During the process of hydro-mechanical analysis strength reduction technique was applied to evaluate the effect of rainfall infiltration on the slope stability. The results showed an increase of air pressure during infiltration because rain water continuously displaced the air in the unsaturated zone. Such water-air interaction in the pore space of soil affects the stress-deformation behavior of slope. Therefore, the results from the three-phase model showed different behavior from the solid-water model that ignores the transport effect of air in the pores.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.57-64
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• 2013

In this paper, in order to solve high water content of water sludge and promote its recycle, sludge mixtures with various mixing ratios were produced. Sludge mixture consisted of water sludge and weathered granite soil. Their physical properties and unsaturated characteristics (soil-water characteristic curve, and unsaturated permeability function) were investigated by laboratory tests. Experimental test results indicated that at a given matric suction volumetric water content of sludge mixture increased as water sludge content increased. Air entry values of sludge mixture increased from 0.9 kPa to 2.4 kPa with an increase in water sludge content or fine content. In addition, unsaturated permeability function, which is an important factor for performing infiltration analysis, was predicted using saturated permeability and soil-water characteristic curve of sludge mixture.