• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.2 s.55
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• pp.119-128
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• 2005

Although the evaluation of the mechanical properties and behavior of jointed rock masses is very important for the design of tunnel and underground openings, it has always been considered the most difficult problem. One of the difficulties in describing the rock mass behavior is the selection of the appropriate constitutive model. This limitation may be overcome with the progress in discrete element software such as PFC, which does not need the user to prescribe a constitutive model for rock mass. In this paper, a 30\;m\;\times\;30\;m\;\times\;30\;m m jointed rock mass of road tunnel site was analyzed. h discrete fracture network was developed from the joint geometry obtained from core logging and surface survey. Using the discontinuities geometry from the DFN model, PFC simulations were carried out, starting with the intact rock and systematically adding the joints and the stress-strain response was recorded for each case. With the stress-strain response curves, the mechanical properties of jointed rock masses were determined. As expected, the presence of joints had a pronounced effect on mechanical properties of the rock mass. More importantly, getting the mechanical response of the PFC model doesn't require a user specified constitutive model.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.3 s.62
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• pp.251-258
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• 2006

In this paper, the applicability to the Korean rock condition of using the deformation moduli based on Rock Mass Rating (RMR) and Pressuremeter Test (PMT) is evaluated. The correlations among deformation moduli and various rock properties were also analyzed. It appears that the existing correlations using RMR overestimate the deformation moduli and wide variation was found between predicted moduli using these correlations and measured values. As for the correlations among the deformation moduli and various rock properties, Rock Quality Designation (RQD) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) were found to correlate to deformation moduli reasonably well, but joint spacing and joint conditions appear to correlate poorly to RQD and UCS. Additionally, groundwater can not be correlated with the modulus values. While the depth has very little contribution to deformation modulus, it should be factored in the simple regression analyses with various rock mass properties, especially with the correlations made with UCS, RQD etc. With the deficiencies of these correlations, more in depth analysis techniques such as multivariate correlations may be to reliably estimate deformation modulus of rock mass.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.227-242
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• 2012

Youngju multipurpose dam is planned to minimizing the damage by flood and obtaining the water for industrial use in Nakdong river region. Faults in rock mass have strong influences on the behaviors of dam structure. Thus, it is very important to analyse for the characteristics of fault rocks in dam design. However, due to the limitation of geotechnical investigation in design stages, engineers have to carry out the additional geological survey including directional boring to find the distribution of faults and the engineering properties of faults for stability of dam. Especially, the selection of location of dam and type of dam considering fault zone must be analyzed through various experimental and numerical analysis. In this study, various geological survey and field tests were carried out to analyse the characteristics of the large fault zone through the complex dam is designed in foundation region. Also, the distribution of structural geology, the shape of faults and the mechanical properties of fault rock were studied for the reasonable design of the location and type of dam for long-term stability of the complex dam.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.255-261
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to obtain a large amount of saline groundwater around coastal aquaculture farms. Thus, we have proposed a method for evaluating the potential amount of saline groundwater resources through the combined analysis of geophysical methods. Refraction seismic survey and electrical resistivity survey were conducted in the vicinity of fish farm at Hadong, Gyeongnam Province. As the result, the velocity of layer in the range of 900 ~ 2,400 m/s was found to be saltwater aquifer with high water content. Geological drilling investigation and analysis of soil samples also showed that the soil at study area was the same as the texture of sandy loam layer in agricultural radial collector wells installed by KRC (Korea Rural Community Corporation). Futhermore, the study area turned out to be quite possible to develop saline groundwater from the coastal shallow aquifer. Therefore, parallel analysis of refraction seismic surveys and electrical resistivity surveys at coastal area are expected to be very useful for the detection of the aquifer composed of sand and gravel layers with high porosity in sandy sedimentary layers along the coastal area.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.559-572
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• 2020

This paper performs laboratory experiments for borehole stability considering temperature and true triaxial stress condition, and observes a thermo-mechanical behavior of the rock under stress and temperature conditions of deep underground. China yellow sandstone and Hwangdeung granite specimens were used to perform a true triaxial compression test. Mechanical tests were carried out under nine confining pressure conditions, and thermo-mechanical tests using granite samples were carried out under six confining pressure conditions at 60-100℃. In the mechanical tests, maximum principal stress at borehole breakout was proportional to intermediate principal stress. In the thermo-mechanical tests, it was confirmed that thermal stress is added to the stress field of the borehole with the increase in temperature, resulting in additional breakout progress. To analyze the results of the laboratory experiment, Mogi-Coulomb failure criterion was used. The results of traditional triaxial compression test on cylindrical specimens and borehole breakout under true triaxial compressions matched well with Mogi-Coulomb failure criterion.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2021

Although underground works are essential to use underground spaces in urban areas efficiently, various damages caused by constructions have often occurred, making them major social problems. Since 2018, it is stipulated in the Special Act on Underground Safety Management that appropriate construction methods must be used in the design stage to prevent various damage cases. This Special Act includes establishing an area subject to underground safety impact assessment, analysis of ground and geological status, review of effects caused by changes in groundwater, review of ground safety, and establishment of measures to secure underground safety. This study area consists of various strata in order of landfill, sedimentary silt, sedimentary sand, sedimentary gravel, weathering zone, and foundation rock. Also, the slurry wall, a highly rigid underground continuous wall, was chosen as a construction method to consider high water table distribution and minimize the influence of the surroundings in this area. However, ground subsidence occurred on the road nearby in December 2019 due to the inflow of loosening soil to the construction area. Thus, several types of site investigations were conducted to suggest an appropriate analysis method and to find out loosed ground behavior and its area for the subsided site. As a result, new design soil properties were re-calculated, and the reinforcement measures were proposed through analytical verification.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2022

Excavation-Disturbed Zone (EDZ) is an important design factor in constructing final disposal facilities for spent nuclear fuel, since EDZ affects mechanical stability including a spacing between disposal holes, and the hydraulic properties within EDZ plays a significant role in estimating in-flow rate of groundwater as well as a subsequent corrosion rate of a canister. Thus, it is highly required to characterize in-situ EDZ with precision and control the EDZ occurrence while excavating disposal facilities and constructing relevant underground research facilities. In this report, we not only reviewed EDZ-related researches carried out in the ONKALO facility of Finland but also examined appropriate methods for field inspection and quality control of EDZ occurrence. From the review, GPR can be the most efficient method for in-situ characterization of EDZ since it does not demand drilling a borehole that may disturb a surrounding environment of caverns. And the EDZ occurrence was dominant at a cavern floor and it ranged from 0 to 70 cm. These can provide useful information in developing necessary EDZ-related regulations for domestic disposal facilities.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.28-53
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• 2024

In general, high-level radioactive waste (HLW) generated as a result of nuclear power generation should be disposed within the country. Determination of the disposal site and host rock for HLW deep geological repository is an important issue not only scientifically but also politically, economically, and socially. Considered host rock types worldwide for geological disposal include crystalline rocks, sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks, and salt dome. However, South Korea consists of various rock types except salt dome. This paper not only analyzed the geological and rock mechanical characteristics on a nationwide scale with the preliminary results on various rock type studies for the disposal host rock, but also reviewed the characteristics and possibility of various rock types as a host rock through deep drilling surveys. Based on the nationwide screening for host rock types resulted from literature review, rock distributions, and detailed case studies, Jurassic granites and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks (Jinju and Jindong formations) were derived as a possible candidate host rock types for the geological disposal. However, since the analyzed data for candidate rock types from this study is not enough, it is suggested that the disposal rock type should be carefully determined from additional and detailed analysis on disposal depth, regional characteristics, multidisciplinary investigations, etc.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.307-327
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• 2008

Geochemical study on the rocks and minerals of the Gyeongju low and intermediate level waste repository was carried out in order to provide geochemical data for the safety assessment and geochemical modeling. Polarized microscopy, X-ray diffraction method, chemical analysis for the major and trace elements, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and stable isotope analysis were applied. Fracture zones are locally developed with various degrees of alteration in the study area. The study area is mainly composed of granodiorite and diorite and their relation is gradational in the field. However, they could be easily distinguished by their chemical property. The granodiorite showed higher $SiO_2$ content and lower MgO and $Fe_2O_3$ contents than the diorite. Variation trends of the major elements of the granodiorite and diorite were plotted on the same line according to the increase of $SiO_2$ content suggesting that they were differentiated from the same magma. Spatial distribution of the various elements showed that the diorite region had lower $SiO_2,\;Al_2O_3,\;Na_2O\;and\;K_2O$ contents, and higher CaO, $Fe_2O_3$ contents than the granodiorite region. Especially, because the differences in the CaO and $Na_2O$ distribution were most distinct and their trends were reciprocal, the chemical variation of the plagioclase of the granitic rocks was the main parameter of the chemical variation of the host rocks in the study area. Identified fracture-filling minerals from the drill core were montmorillonite, zeolite minerals, chlorite, illite, calcite and pyrite. Especially pyrite and laumontite, which are known as indicating minerals of hydrothermal alteration, were widely distributed in the study area indicating that the study area was affected by mineralization and/or hydrothermal alteration. Sulfur isotope analysis for the pyrite and oxygen-hydrogen stable isotope analysis for the clay minerals indicated that they were originated from the magma. Therefore, it is considered that the fracture-filling minerals from the study area were affected by the hydrothermal solution as well as the simply water-rock interaction.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.63-76
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• 2022

Dacitic tuffs, 97 to 118 m thick, were recovered from the lower part of the subsurface Seongdongri Formation, Janggi Basin, which was drilled to assess the potential for underground storage of carbon dioxide. The tuffs are divided into four depositional units(Unit 1 to 4) based on internal structures and particle componentry. Unit 1 and Units 3/4 are ignimbrites that accumulated in subaerial and subaqueous settings, respectively, whereas Unit 2 is braided-stream deposits that accumulated during a volcanic quiescence, and no dacitic tuff is observed. A series of analysis shows that mordenite and clinoptilolite mainly fill the vesicles of glass shards, suggesting their formation by replacement and dissolution of volcanic glass and precipitation from interstitial water during burial and diagenesis. Glass-replaced clinoptilolite has higher Si/Al ratios and Na contents than the vesicle-filling clinoptilolite in Units 3. However, the composition of clinoptilolite becomes identical in Unit 4, irrespective of the occurrence and location. This suggests that the Si/Al ratio and pH in the interstitial water increased with time because of the replacement and leaching of volcanic glass, and that the composition of interstitial water was different between the eastern and western parts of the basin during the formation of the clinoptilolite in Units 1 and 3. It is also inferred that the formation of the two zeolite minerals was sequential according to the depositional units, i.e., the clinoptilolite formed after the growth of mordenite. To summarize, during a volcanic quiescence after the deposition of Unit 1, pH was higher in the western part of the basin because of eastward tilting of the basin floor, and the zeolite ceased to grow because of the closure of the pore space as a result of the growth of smectite. On the other hand, clinoptilolite could grow in the eastern part of the basin in an open system affected by groundwater, where braided stream was developed. Afterwards, Units 3 and 4 were submerged under water because of the basin subsidence, and the alkali content of the interstitial water increased gradually, eventually becoming identical in the eastern and western parts of the basin. This study thus shows that volcanic deposits of similar composition can have variable distribution of zeolite mineral depending on the drainage and depositional environment of basins.