• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.144-159
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• 2022

The present study developed a sequential approach-based numerical simulator for modeling coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical (THM) processes in the ground and investigated the computational performance of the coupling analysis algorithm. The present sequential approach linked the two different solvers: an open-source numerical code, OpenGeoSys for solving the thermal and hydrological processes in porous media and a commercial code, FLAC3D for solving the geomechanical response of the ground. A benchmark test of the developed simulator was carried out using a THM problem where an analytical solution is given. The benchmark problem involves the coupled behavior (variations in temperature, pore pressure, stress, and deformation with time) of a fully saturated porous medium which is subject to a point heat source. The results of the analytical solution and numerical simulation were compared and the validity of the numerical simulator was investigated.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-57
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• 2022

A workflow is presented to estimate the size of a representative elementary volume and 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor based on fluid flow analysis for a discrete fracture network (DFN). A case study is considered for a Cretaceous granitic rock mass at Gijang in Busan, Korea. The intensity and size of joints were calibrated using the first invariant of the fracture tensor for the 2-D DFN of the study area. Effective hydraulic apertures were obtained by analyzing the results of field packer tests. The representative elementary volume of the 2-D DFN was determined to be 20 m square by investigating the variations in the directional hydraulic conductivity for blocks of different sizes. The directional hydraulic conductivities calculated from the 2-D DFN exhibited strong anisotropy related to the hydraulic behavior of the study area. The 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor for the fractured rock mass of the study area was estimated from the directional block conductivities of the 2-D DFN blocks generated for various directions in 3-D. The orientations of the principal components of the 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor were found to be identical to those of delineated joint sets in the study area.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.463-499
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• 2011

Control of ground water is one of the most important factors for long-term operation of tunnel because most tunnels are located under the ground water level. In case of a drainage tunnel, there is no pore water pressure on the lining when the drainage system is properly working. After long-term operation, however, residual pore water pressure can be developed on the lining due to the deterioration of the drainage system. In this study, the water pressure distribution under obstruction condition of drainage material and conduit on the tunnel is numerically investigated using the ICFEP program and compared with the current value being applied to the residual water pressure for rational application plan of residual water pressure on the tunnel linings.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.5-16
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• 2002

A hydrogeomechanical numerical model is presented to evaluate rainfall impacts on groundwater flow in slopes and slope stability. This numerical model is developed based on the fully coupled poroelastic governing equations for groundwater flow in deforming variably saturated geologic media and the Galerkin finite element method. A series of numerical experiments using the model developed are then applied to an unsaturated slope under various rainfall rates. The numerical simulation results show that the overall hydromechanical slope stability deteriorates, and the potential failure nay initiate from the slope toe and propagate toward the slope crest as the rainfall rate increases. From the viewpoint of hydrogeology, the pressure head and hence the total hydraulic head increase as the rainfall rate increases. As a result, the groundwater table rises, the unsaturated zone reduces, the seepage face expands from the slope toe toward the slope crest, and the groundwater flow velocity increases along the seepage face. From the viewpoint of geomechanics, the horizontal displacement increases, and the vertical displacement decreases toward the slope toe as the rainfall rate increases. This may result from the buoyancy effect associated with the groundwater table rise as the rainfall rate increases. As a result, the overall deformation intensifies toward the slope toe, and the unstable zone, in which the factor of safety against shear failure is less than 1, becomes thicker near the slope toe and propagates from the slope toe toward the slope crest. The numerical simulation results also suggest that the potential tension failure is likely to occur within the slope between the potential shear failure surface and the ground surface.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.77-84
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• 2007

One of the most sensitive design specifications to be considered is infiltration and external pore-water pressures on underground structure construction. Development of pore-water pressure may accelerate leakage and consequently cause deterioration of the lining. In this paper, the development of pore-water pressure due to malfunctioning of drainage system and its potential effect on the linings are investigated using physical model tests. The deterioration procedure was simulated by controlling both permeability and flow rate. Development of pore-water pressure was monitored on the lining using pore pressure measurement cells. Test results identified the mechanism of pore-water pressure development on the tunnel lining. In addition, they showed that controlling flow rate is more effective method fur simulating deterioration procedure than permeability control. The laboratory model tests were reproduced using coupled numerical method, and showed that the effect of deterioration of drainage system can be theoretically expected using coupled numerical modeling method.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.265-280
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• 2023

Water leakage in tunnels is a defect that can affect tunnel stability and the ground movement by changing the stress and pore water pressure of the surrounding ground. Long-term or large-scale water leaks may lead to damage of tunnel structure and the surrounding environment, such as tunnel lining instability and ground surface settlement. The present study numerically investigated the effects of water leakage on the structural stability of a tunnel and the ground behavior. The tunnel was assumed to be under undrained conditions for preventing the inflow of the surrounding water and leaks occurred in the concrete lining after completion of the tunnel construction. A coupled hydro-mechanical analysis using a TOUGH-FLAC simulator developed in Python was conducted for assessing the leakage induced-behavior of the tunnel structure and ground under different conditions of the amount and location of water leak. Additionally, the effect of hydro-mechanical coupling terms on the results of coupled response was investigated and discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.119-131
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• 2005

Seepage analysis through unsaturated zone based on the theory of unsaturated flow is commonly performed to evaluate dam safety. However, the concepts of unsaturated soil behavior have not been transferred into the hands of practicing geotechnical engineers since the problems involving unsaturated soils often have the appearances of being extremely complex. The behavior of dam such as seepage rate and the pore water pressure distribution is different according to the unsaturated hydraulic properties, but nevertheless simply assumed properties have been used due to insufficient data from domestic soils. In this paper, the effect of unsaturated hydraulic properties on the behavior of dam was studied through a series of numerical analyses, and then the results were discussed. It is observed that water table moves at a (aster rate, as the values of unsaturated soil parameter a and n increase. The value of m showed opposite trend. The sensitivity calculated using the approximation form showed maximum values near the water table. And the value of n that is related to the slope of soil water characteristic curve gives greatest influence on the change of sensitivity with time.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.101-113
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• 2012

The degradation of a tunnel drainage system leads to increases in pore water pressure around the tunnel and the lining stress, which results in affecting the tunnel stability. In the present study of the Namsan 3th tunnel, more than 30 year old tunnel, the effects of the drainage performance reduction due to drain hole clogging on the tunnel lining stability were investigated by examining pore water pressure distribution around the tunnel and the lining stresses through numerical analysis. Groundwater flow modeling on the Mt. Namsan region was done first and 3D seepage and coupled stress-pore water pressure finite element analysis were performed on the tunnel using the results of the groundwater flow modeling. The pore water pressure distribution and the tunnel lining stresses could be predicted using a drain hole outflow data measured in the tunnel site. This analysis method may be used to evaluate the current stability of old tunnels for which in most cases field investigations and related information are not readily available.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.59-67
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• 2003

In this study, the change in hydraulic conductivity according to the changes in the contact area, aperture, confining pressure and temperature was observed to improve the reliability of the analysis of underground water flow. Also, the mechanical and thermal properties of domestic crystalline rocks in a great depth were obtained. It was found that the averaged intial aperture ranged from 544.33${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ to 898.62${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and it followed a log-normal distribution. The hydraulic conductivity decreased with the increase of normal stress on the fracture surface and the hydraulic conductivity decreased as temperature increased. The change in hydraulic conductivity was strongly correlated with the change in contact area. It was verified by experiments that hydraulic conductivity was inversely proportional to the contact area. The measured mechanical and thermal properties were very close to the existing typical properties of domestic granites.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.355-363
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• 2006

In this study, it was analyzed how the pore pressure behind a subsea tunnel influences on the stability of the tunnel. The tunnel is located in the soft rock layer, and a soft sandy layer and weathered soil layer are located on the top of it. Coupled numerical analyses are performed for both drained and undrained condition with varying coefficients of lateral earth pressure. In the case of undrained conditions, the stability of the tunnel was analyzed with different thicknesses of shotcrete. On the other hand, a sensitivity analysis was performed with different hydraulic conductivities and porosities of the shotcrete for the drained conditions. The stability of a subsea tunnel was evaluated in terms of safety factor suggested by You et al.(2000, 2001, 2005) based on the shear strength reduction technique. In this paper, the safety factor of a tunnel was calculated under steady state flow condition during hydro-mechanical coupled analysis. As a result, it was found that the stability of a subsea tunnel could be rather increased by allowing a proper amount of groundwater inflow into a subsea tunnel.