• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.1 s.50
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• pp.135-142
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• 2007

Although rock itself has high strength or low permeability, engineering properties of rock masses are significantly influenced by discontinuities such as cracks and joints. Considered with possibility of groundwater flow in massive rock mass of deep subsurface, the connectivity of micro cracks should be analyzed as a conduit of ground-water flow. The objective of this study is to estimate permeability characteristics of granite dependent on damage process with application of joint distribution analysis and modeling of permeability analysis in rock masses. In case of average permeability coefficients, the modeling results based on micro cracks data are well matched with the results from permeability tests. Based on the visualization result of three dimensional model, the average permeability coefficients through the discharge plane have a positive relationship with the number of microcrack induced by rock damage.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.439-448
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• 2001

A two-dimensional finite difference numerical model was developed in order to simulate two-phase fluid flow in a single fracture. In the model, variation of viscosity with pressure and that of relative permeability with water saturation can be treated. For the numerical solution, IMPES method was used, from which the pressure and the saturation of water and gas were computed one by one. Seven cases of model test using parallel plates for a single fracture were performed in order to obtain the characteristic equation of relative permeability which would be used in the numerical model. it was difficult to match the characteristic curves of relative permeability from the model tests with the existing emperical equations, consequently a logistic equation was proposed. As the equation is composed of the parameters involving aperture size, it can be applied to any fracture.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.4 s.63
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• pp.313-325
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• 2006

In this study, scaled model tests were performed to investigate the deformation behaviors around tunnels located in anisotropic rocks. Fifteen types of test models which had respectively different joint angles and rock pressure conditions were made, where the modelling materials were the mixture of sand, plaster and water. All of the tested models showed the shear failure mechanism at the stress-concentrated regions and sliding phenomena according to the joint planes. The direction of joint inclination turned out to have great effect on the tunnel deformation behaviors. The models of joint inclination less than $30^{\circ}$ showed considerable floor heavings. The model of $50^{\circ}$ joint inclination showed the least tunnel convergence among the tested models regardless of rock pressure condition, so that it was thought as the most stable model. Furthermore, the failure mechanisms and deformation behaviors of tunnel models were strongly dependent on the coefficient of rock pressure.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.85-96
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• 2014

A waterfall is a channel unit with steep bedrock. No strict criteria for height, water volume, gradient to define waterfalls exist in Korea. The goal of our study is to classify waterfalls based on morphological forms which are the outcomes of developmental processes. The genesis of waterfall depends upon erosional properties of waterfall. The height, gradient, bedrock strength and stream power of waterfalls are regarded as the main factors, by which waterfalls can be classified. We find out that the most important factor for the development of waterfalls is joint system. Development of joint system varies depending on bedrocks. Flow directions and erosional types are decided by the density and direction of joint system in the bedrock, which also decide the height and gradient of stream bed. Joint type decides the gradients of the bed, gradient and height of waterfalls, therefore, decides morphological forms.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.101-108
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• 2024

A system with the ability to recognize potential key blocks during tunnel construction by analyzing the rock face was developed in this study. This system predicts the formation of key blocks in advance and evaluates their safety factors. A laser scanner was used to collect a three-dimensional point cloud of the rock face, which was then utilized to model the excavation surface and derive the joint surfaces. Because joint surfaces have specific strikes and dip angles, the key blocks formed by these surfaces are deduced through iterative calculations, and the safety factor of each key block can be calculated accordingly. The model experiments confirmed the accuracy of the system's output in terms of the joint surface characteristics. By inputting the joint surface information, the calculated safety factors were compared with those from the existing commercial software, demonstrating stable calculation results within a 1% error margin.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.542-557
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• 2019

The behavior of rock mass is influenced by its microscopic feature of internal structure generating from forming and metamorphic process. This study investigated a new methodology for characterization of rock based on the X-ray CT (computed tomography) images reflecting the spatial distribution characteristics of internal constituent materials. The X-ray image based analysis is capable of quantification of heterogeneity and anisotropy of rock fabric, size distribution and shape parameter analysis of rock mineral grains, fluid flow simulation based on pore geometry image and roughness evaluation of unexposed joint surface which are hardly acquired by conventional rock testing methods.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.575-593
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• 2012

This paper briefly introduces the scope and objectives of SKB Task 8, which is an international cooperative research project. In addition, the hydraulic behaviors of bentonite buffer focusing on the interactions between bentonite and a rock mass with a joint were investigated using TOUGH2 code as part of a sub-mission of Task 8a. The effects of a rock joint and high capillary pressure of bentonite on the re-saturation properties and pressure distribution in a buffer were identified and successfully incorporated in the TOUGH2 code. Based on the numerical results, it was found that the speed of re-saturation in bentonite surrounded by a rock mass with a joint is 2.5 to 12 times faster than that in a condition without a rock joint, while the degree of saturation in the lower part of the buffer material is generally higher than in the upper part in both the cases of with and without a joint. It can be anticipated that the results obtained from this study can be applied to an estimation of the full saturation time and a determination of optimum thickness with regard to the design of the bentonite buffer in a high level waste disposal system.

• 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.14 no.3
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• pp.215-228
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• 2004

Rock mass contains discontinuities such as faults and joints, and their mechanical properties and spatial distribution dominate the stability of rock mass. Because the deformation of rock mass occurs discontinuities in many cases. However in the case of poor quality rock mass under high stresses, the deformation along intact rock can also influence the structure's stability. In this study, two dimensional finite element program was developed with a rheological model to analyze the stability of the structure excavated in jointed rock mass. The “equivalent material” approach was used assuming intact rock, joints and rock bolts as visco-plastic materials. The program was verified by analysing an intact rock model, a jointed rock mass model and a reinforced jointed rock mass model. The displacement was examined in each model with changing the intact rock behaviour as elastic and visco-plastic. In the case of poor quality rock mass under high stresses, e assumption of visco-plastic behaviour of intact rock resulted in larger displacement than when assuming elastic behaviour for intact rock. Therefore it is recommended to add intact rock's visco-plastic behaviour to the existing model, which only assumes visco-plastic behaviour of joints and rock bolts.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.82-91
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• 2010

Grouting technology is one of the ground improvement methods used in water controlling and reinforcement of rock mass in underground structure construction. It is necessarily required to find out the characteristics of grout flow through discontinuities in a rock mass for an adequate grout design and performance assessment. Laminar flow is not always applicable in simulating a grout flow in a rock mass, since the rock joints usually have apertures at a micro-scale and the flow through these joints is affected by the joint roughness and the velocity profile of the flow changes partially near the roughness. Thus, the influence of joint roughness and aperture on the grout flow in rough rock joint was numerically investigated in this study. The commercial computational fluid dynamics code, FLUENT, was applied for this purpose. The computed results by embedded Herschel-Bulkley model and VOF (volume of fluid) model, which are applicable to simulate grout flow in a narrow rock joint that is filled with air and water, were well compared with that of analytical results and previously published laboratory test for the verification. The injection pressure required to keep constant injection rate of grout was calculated in a variety of Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC) and aperture conditions, and the effect of joint roughness and aperture on grout flow were quantified.