• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2024

In this study, physical property tests and standard consolidation tests were conducted on the marine clay of Busan New Port and North Port, the middle and lower reaches of the Nakdong River including Gimhae and Yangsan, and Ulsan regions. The moisture content, a property unrelated to sample disturbance with small individual test errors, was used for regression analysis with the compression index, virgin compression index, consolidation coefficient, expansion index, and secondary compression index, among others. Subsequently, the correlation and accuracy were evaluated. Upon analyzing the correlation between the moisture content, void ratio, and liquid limit commonly used physical properties for calculating compression indexes, it was confirmed that the liquid limit had the lowest correlation. Through a linear regression analysis of the consolidation constants using the current moisture content in the natural state, a high correlation was demonstrated. Relationship equations were then presented to determine settlement and settlement time. This study suggests that moisture content can be utilized as an alternative for evaluating and calculating consolidation constants when examining ground settlement in sedimentary clays distributed in the Busan and Gyeongnam regions.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2011

Individual Vacuum Pressure Method (IVPM) is a soft ground improvement technique, in which a vacuum pressure can be directly applied to the vertical drain board to promote consolidation and to strengthen the soft ground. This method does not require surcharge loads, different to embankment or pre-loading method. In this study, the ground improvement efficiency of Individual Vacuum Pressure Method was estimated when suction pressure increases step by step(-20, -40, -60, -80kPa) with different periods. During Individual Vacuum Pressure Method process, surface settlement and pore pressure were monitored, and cone resistance as well as water content were also measured after the completion of Individual Vacuum Pressure Method treatment. From the results, optimum duration of each step of vacuum pressure was determined, and the settlement was calculated using FEM numerical analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 2023

There are a lot of difference between the surface settlement and the differential settlement measured at the Busan New Port, where the dredged and reclaimed clay layer exists and below the clay is originally thickly distributed. To find the cause and solution of this, the actual conditions of each differential settlement used for the soft ground improvement, characteristics, installation method, measurement frequency, measurement data management, and data analysis of each type were considered. In the deep soft ground improvement work where large deformation occurs, the bending deformation of the screw-type differential settlement gauge is less than that of other types of measuring instruments, so there is less risk of loss, and the reliability of data is relatively high as the instruments are installed by drilling for each stratum. Since the greater the amount of high-precision settlement measurement data, the higher the settlement analysis precision. It is necessary to manage with higher criteria than the measurement frequency suggested in the standard specification. For the data management of the differential settlement gauge, it is desirable to create graphs of the settlement and embankment height of the relevant section over time, such as surface, differential, and settlement of pore water pressure gauge for each point. In the case of multi-layered ground with different compression characteristics, it is more appropriate to perform settlement analysis by calculating the consolidation characteristics of each stratum using a differential settlement data.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.29-34
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• 2008

A large diameter sampler was developed to take undisturbed samples from not only soft ground but also sandy and weathered ground. The large diameter sampler which was developed in Korea Institute of Construction Technology(KICT-type large diameter sampler) was manufactured based on the principle of triple core barrel sampling. A specially designed cutting device was used to cut and contain various kinds of samples in the sampler during a sampling and retrieval procedure. By adjusting the stiffness of the spring located at the top of the sampler, the distance between the cutting shoe and auger can be controlled in accordance with the ground condition. In order to investigate the applicability of the developed sampler and compare the quality of the samples taken by the sampler with that by the traditional thin-walled tube sampler, samples were taken at various sites according to the ground condition. And a series of laboratory tests such as the unconfined compress ion test, triaxial compression test, oedometer test, large diameter Rowe cell consolidation test (D: 150 mm) were performed. The test results showed that the samples by the KICT-type large diameter sampler show higher quality than the samples by the thin-walled tube sampler. And the validity and applicability of the developed KICT-type large diameter sampler was confirmed accordingly.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.26 no.A
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• pp.101-108
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• 2006

This study is the results of experimental and numerical study on the consolidational behavior of multi-layered soft soil ground installed with plastic board drains (PBD). Centrifuge model tests with a marine clay sampled from field were performed to investigate the consolidational behavior of multi-layered ground where a dredged soil was placed on the soft clay ground and PBDs were installed. Test results were compared with those of numerical analyses, using the 2-D equivalent model previously proposed. From test results, it was found that the amount of consolidation settlement occurred in the original ground due to embankment surcharge loads was in the range of 38% of total settlement in the whole ground. From the results of cone penetration tests executed after finishing the centrifuge model tests, the cone resistance was found to increase with depth. The measured water contents inbetween PBDs were in the ranges of 38~50% and their values tended to increase with increasing the distance between PBDs.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.51-61
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• 2011

Spatial estimation of the thickness and depth of the geological profile has been regarded as an important procedure for the design of soft ground. A minimum variance criterion, which has often been used in traditional kriging techniques, does not always guarantee the optima1 estimates for the decision-making process in geotechnical engineering. In this study, a geostatistica; framework is used to determine the optimal thickness of the consolidation layer and the optimal area that needs the adoption of prefabricated vertical drains via indicator kriging and loss function. From the exemplary problem, different optimal estimates can be obtained depending on the loss function chosen. The design procedure and method considering the minimum expected loss presented in this paper can be used in the decision-making process for geotechnical engineering design.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.149-160
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• 2008

Offshore pile foundations are prone to lateral soil pressures resulting from embankment construction for the reclamation on deepwater soft clay. Since the 1990s, offshore reclamation has actively progressed in Korea, connecting with the development of Songdo newtown, Incheon newport, and Busan newport representatively. Special attention has been given to lateral soil-structure interaction problems related to passively-loaded offshore pile foundations. Based on a plane strain large deformation finite element (LDFE) approach, this paper presents the results of investigation into undrained (short-term) and drained (long-term) behavior of passively-loaded offshore pile foundations. This study examines the effects of major factors, such as soil profile, pile head boundary condition, magnitude of embankment load, and average degree of consolidation. The results allowed quantification of differences in the magnitude of lateral soil pressure acting on the piles between undrained and drained phases.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.57-65
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• 2006

In the Nakdong River estuary soft and thick clay, which called Pusan clay, are deposited. Despite a number of great reclaimed projects that have been performed in the area, the consolidation settlement and time have been significantly underestimated due dominantly to sample disturbance, since the last decade. In order to resolve the underestmation, it was necessary to examine the compressibility characteristics through a systematic geotechnical investigation on the clay. In this study an advanced sampling technique was adopted on two sites chosen along the coastline, and then oedometer testing and geological investigation were performed for the undisturbed and reconstituted samples. As the results, the compressibility parameters of the clay were representatively determined, as well as their correlation. Particularly the effects of depositional environment on the physical indexes, level of structure, sample disturbance and compressibility parameters were analyzed for the clay.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.39-43
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• 2015

In this study, the infiltration quantity of fine-grained soil into coarse-grained soil or aggregate for methods to accelerate consolidation drainage is checked by laboratory tests under various conditions and those characteristics on infiltration are examined closely. Irrespectively of pressures to fine-grained soil corresponding to stresses in a soil mass or moisture contents of fine-grained soil, fine-grained soil does not infiltrate into standard sand and marine sand, so it is verified that drain-resistance into sand mass of drainage / pile does not occur entirely and its shear strength would increase highly by water compaction. It is known that the infiltration depth of fine-grained soil into aggregate increases according that those size is larger in case of aggregates and it increases according that the pressure or the moisture contents is higher in case of same size aggregate. It is thought that drain-resistance into aggregate mass of drainage / pile would occurs by infiltrated fine-grained soil in advance though the infiltration depth of fine-grained soi of lower moisture content than liquid limit into 13 mm aggregate is low quietly. So gravel drain method or gravel compaction pile method, etc. using aggregate of gravels or crushed stones, etc. larger than sand particle size should be not applied in very soft fine-grained soil mass of higher natural moisture contents than liquid limit, and it is thought that its applying is not nearly efficient also in soft fine-grained soil mass of lower natural moisture contents than liquid limit.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.41-52
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• 2012

Suction drain method can directly apply vacuum pressure to the soft ground through vertical drains so it can make hardening zones around them. These hardening zones make steeply lower the discharge efficiency of the pore water with decreasing permeability. This paper considered a stepped vacuum pressure to minimize a hardening zone which is one of the important parameters that can decrease discharge efficiency. A series of laboratory tests were conducted in order to examine the effect of the hardening zones and to evaluate their effects to the ground improvements with varying durations which applied stepped vacuum pressures(-20kPa, -40kPa, -60kPa and -80kPa) with Busan marine clay. According to strength(CPT), water content test and theoretical investigation indicate a size of the hardening zone within 7cm and the decreasing ratio of permeability about 2.0~4.0. Also, the total settlements are larger for the stepped vacuum pressure than the instant vacuum loading. The application time with vacuum pressure is determined considering the geotechnical properties of the interested clays. Results of numerical analysis show that consolidation behavior is appropriate to measurement for considering hardening zones.