• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2011

Mine closure does often accompany the flooding of mine galleries due to ceasing a pumping operation. When a mine gallery is flooded, rocks around the gallery are fully saturated and the gallery is subject to a water pressure. The uniaxial unconfined compressive strength of a rock depends on its water content and decreases as the water content increases. A water pressure may originate the crack growth of a rock or the discontinuity growth of rock mass. Although the water in a gallery will give some support pressure inside the gallery, the degradation of rock mass properties caused by a water pressure will reduce the stability of the gallery. In this study, 2-dimensional discontinuous and 3-dimensional continuous numerical analyses have been conducted to evaluate an effect that a reduction of rock mass properties around the gallery induced by a water pressure has on the stability of mine gallery. The numerical analyses show that a reduction of rock mass properties caused by a water pressure increases displacements of rock mass around mine gallery. 2-dimensional model is found to give larger values of displacement than 3-dimensional model.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.6 s.59
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• pp.411-424
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• 2005

Weathering is defined as a process by which surface rock, once formed in the deep ground, is broken down and altered to keep the equilibrium with the ambient environment. In this study granitic rock samples of different weathering grades were collected in the field and the microscopic observation, X-ray diffraction analysis, electron microscopic observation, chemical analysis, and rock property tests were carried out. Formation of secondary minerals, especially clay minerals, by weathering was identified and the mechanism for the change of engineering properties such as rock strength degradation was analyzed. Tunnel model test, Failure behaviour, Shallow tunnel, Unsupproted tunnel length.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.476-492
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• 2018

In this study, various laboratory experiments were conducted on tuff, basalt and diorite specimens, which were obtained in the southern part of Korean Peninsula. Experiments were performed under dry and water saturated conditions. Results showed that strength degradation and change of deformation characteristics were remarkable although the specimens had small porosity. Based on the results, regression models that are capable of predicting important mechanical rock properties, such as uniaxial compressive strength, Young's modulus, Brazilian tensile strength were proposed. P-wave velocity and Shore hardness were selected as independent variables and the results showed satisfactory prediction performance for the experimental data collected in this study.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.2 s.61
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• pp.109-134
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• 2006

Rocks undergo weathering processes influenced by changing in pressure-temperature condition, atmosphere, underground water, and rainfall. The weathering processes change physical and chemical characteristics of the rocks. Once the rocks are weathered, the characteristics of them are changed and, because of the changing, several disadvantages such as rock slope failures and underground water spouts are can occur. Before we cut a large rock slope, therefore, we must analyze current weathering conditions of rocks and predict weathering processes in the future. Through the results of such analyses, we can judge reinforcement works. In order to comply with such requests, chemical weathering sensitivity analysis which was analyzed from chemical weathering velocities and other characteristics of rocks has been applied in several prior construction works in Korea. But, It is defective to use directly in engineering fields because it was developed for soils(not rocks), it has too mny factors must be considered and the relationships between the factors are not clear, and it is hard to explain the weathering processes in engineering time range. Besides above, because it has been used for isotropic rocks, this method is hard to apply to anisotropic rocks such as sedimentary rocks. Acceding to studies from morphologists (e.g. Oguchi et al., 1994; Sunamura, 1996; Norwick and Dexter, 2002), time dependent strength reduction influenced by weathering shows a negative exponential function form. Appling this relation, one can synthesize the factors which influence the weathering processes to the strength reduction, and get meaningful estimates in engineering viewpoint. We suggest this weathering sensitivity characterization method as a technique that can explain time dependent weathering sensitivity characteristics through strength changes and can directly applied the rock slope design.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2006

For the accurate safety assessment of potential radioactive waste disposal site which is located in the crystalline rock it is important to simulate the mass transportation through engineered and natural barrier system precisely, characterized by porous and fractured media respectively. In this work the methods to construct discrete fracture network for the analysis of flow and mass transport through fractured-porous medium are described. The probability density function is adopted in generating fracture properties for the realistic representation of real fractured rock. In order to investigate the intersection between a porous and a fractured medium described by a 2 dimensional rectangular and a cuboid grid respectively, an additional imaginary fracture is adopted at the face of a porous medium intersected by a fracture. In order to construct large scale flow paths an effective method to find interconnected fractures and algorithms of swift detecting connectivities between fractures or porous medium and fractures are proposed. These methods are expected to contribute to the development of numerical program for the simulation of radioactive nuclide transport through fractured-porous medium from radioactive waste disposal site.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2012

In a material, micro-cracks can be progressively occurred, propagated and finally lead to failure when it is subjected to cyclic or periodic loading less than its ultimate strength. This phenomenon, fatigue, is usually considered in a metal, alloy and structures under repeated loading conditions. In underground structures, a static creep behavior rather than a dynamic fatigue behavior is mostly considered. However, when compressed air is stored in a rock cavern, an inner pressure is periodically changed due to repeated in- and-out process of compressed air. Therefore mechanical properties of surrounding rock mass and an inner lining system under cyclic loading/unloading conditions should be investigated. In this study, considering an underground lined rock cavern for compressed air energy storage (CAES), the mechanical properties of a lining system, that is, concrete lining and plug under periodic loading/unloading conditions were characterized through cyclic bending tests and shear tests. From these tests, the stability of the plug was evaluated and the S-N line of the concrete lining was obtained.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.541-554
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• 2023

The utilization of underground spaces in relation to tunnels and energy/waste storage is on the rise. To ensure the stability of underground spaces, it is crucial to reinforce rock fractures and discontinuities. Discontinuities, such as joints, can weaken the strength of the rock and lead to groundwater inflow into underground spaces. In order to enhance the strength and stability of the area around these discontinuities, rock grouting techniques are employed. However, during rock grouting, it is impossible to visually confirm whether the grouting material is being smoothly injected as intended. Without proper injection, the expected increases in strength, durability, and degree of consolidation may not be achieved. Therefore, it is necessary to predict in advance whether the grouting material is being injected as designed. In this study, we aimed to assess the injection performance based on injection variables such as the water/cement mixture ratio, injection pressure, and injection flow using UDEC (Universal Distinct Element Code) numerical program. Additionally, numerical results were validated by the lab experiment. The results of this study are expected to help optimize variables such as injection material properties, injection time, and pump pressure in the grouting design in the field.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.137-150
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• 2021

The rock-carved standing Buddha triad in Seoak-dong is a large stone Buddha statue of the Unified Silla era (AD 676 to 935) in ancient Korea, built near the top of the southeastern side of mountain Seondosan in Gyeongju, is characterized by its locational importance, the powerful Amitabha and the gentle sculptural technique of the Bodhisattva. In particular, Amitabha Buddha in andesite rock slope with biotite granite pedestal and two Bodhisattva parallel made by alkali granites seems to express the dignity through the color and texture of the stones. In the Amitabha Buddha, deterioration characteristics are accelerating due to the combination of various joint systems, instability of the slopes and relaxation by the root pressure of plants occurring at the top. In addition, physical properties have deteriorated owing to the increase of discontinuous surfaces as joints, cracks and scalings, and the coverage of algae and lichen is also high. Therefore, deterioration degree in Buddha triad is accelerated due to the physical weathering characteristics from natural rock mass and various biological invasion.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.241-251
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• 2010

The polar region is in the limelight for an academic worth as well as plenty of natural resources. The study on the polar region was reviewed for better understanding of the polar region and its rock properties. The antarctica has a windy and dry climate along with the lowest temperature on the earth. The thermal distribution according to depth in the area was reported: The freezing-thawing process was repeated in shallow depth, and the temperature falls down below zero under the specific depth. There is a great temperature difference between the atmosphere and rock. A research reported for the degree of weathering of the antarctic slope by using Schmidt hammer and Taffoni test. The rock specimens weathered by repeated freezing-thawing process were tested of the shore hardness and uniaxial compressive strength: The rock strength gradually decreased as the freezing-thawing process was repeated. The comprehensive mechanical properties of the polar region rocks and the relationship between the laboratory weathering test result and the real rock property change in the site remain as future research topics.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.444-454
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• 2003

Rock fragmentation technique by cutter penetration has widely been used in the mechanical tunnel excavation. Microcracks propagate and interact because of locally concentrated high stress induced by cutter penetration. which is caused by heterogeneity of rocks. In this study Weibull distribution function and degradation index are used to consider the strength heterogeneity of a rock and the degradation of rock properties after failure. Through the numerical analyses, it is shown that the lateral pressure has an important influence on the rock fragmentation. In the single cutter penetration, large chips are formed as lateral pressure increase. The cutter spacing is also an important factor that affects the rock fragmentation in the double cutter penetration. The fragmentation efficiency of the double cutter penetration is better when cutter spacing is 70 mm than 40 mm and 100 mm. From the results, it is expected that this study can be applied to a TBM tunnel design by understanding of chipping process and mechanism of rock due to cutter penetration.