• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

This study investigated use cases of machine learning technology in domestic medical, manufacturing, finance, automobile, urban sectors and those in overseas mining industry. Through a literature survey, it was found that the machine learning technology has been widely utilized for developing medical image information system, real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis system, security level of information system, autonomous vehicle and integrated city management system. Until now, the use cases have not found in the domestic mining industry, however, several overseas projects have found that introduce the machine learning technology to the mining industry for improving the productivity and safety of mineral exploration or mine development. In the future, the introduction of the machine learning technology to the mining industry is expected to spread gradually.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.12-29
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• 2019

Permeability and its change due to a fluid injection in jointed rock mass is an important factor to be well identified for a safe and successful implementation of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) projects which may accompany injection-induced hydromechanical deformation of the rock mass. In this technical report, we first reviewed important issues in evaluating initial permeability using borehole hydraulic tests and numierical approaches for understanding coupled hydromechanical properties of rock mass. Recent SIMFIP testing device to measure these hydromechanical properties directly through in-situ borehole experiments was also reviewed. The technical significance and usefulness of the device for further applications was discussed as well.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.157-171
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• 2019

The fracturing by liquid carbon dioxide ($LCO_2$) as a fracking fluid has been an alternative to mitigate the environmental issues often caused by the conventional hydraulic fracking since it facilitates the fluid permeation owing to its low viscosity. This study presents how $LCO_2$ injection influences the breakdown pressure, acoustic emission, and fracture morphology. Three fracturing fluids such as $LCO_2$, water, and oil are injected with different pressurization rate to the synthetic and porous mortar specimens. Also, the shale which has been a major target formation in conventional fracking practices is also tested to examine the failure characteristics. The results show that $LCO_2$ injection induces more tortuous and undulated fractures, and particularly the larger fractures are developed in cases of shale specimen. On the other hand, the relationship between the fracturing fluids and the breakdown pressure shows opposite tendency in the tests of mortar and shale specimens.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.135-147
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• 2019

This paper introduced a impact load estimation method by examining vibration transfer path analysis (TPA). The theoretical background and the load quantification procedure are explained, and a case study of hydraulic breaker is reported. We explained the merits and limitations of the load estimation method of TPA, and improvement method was suggested through case analyses of drilling equipment. The necessity of R&D of load-estimation technology was discussed. A new strategy for developing new techniques for impact load measurement was proposed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.75-88
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• 2019

With Kori nuclear power plant unit 1 as a beginning in April 1978, 24 nuclear power plants have been operated in Korea and two more plants are under construction. As the nuclear power plants being operated, radioactive wastes from the plants have been accumulated so that various methods for disposing them have been proposed. In Korea, researches have been conducted, being focused on DGD (Deep Geological Disposal), however, DBD (Deep Borehole Disposal) method needs considering as an alternative. In this technical note, element technologies for DBD were analyzed by compiling previous researches and their applicability on domestic cases were investigated. Conceptual studies regarding relevant designs were conducted and finally, technical challenges for actual disposal were described.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.555-568
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• 2018

To perform efficient and safe haulage operations in mines, the condition of unsurfaced roads where dump trucks are moving should be regularly investigated, and systematic maintenance should be carried out according to the results. In this study, we developed a smartphone application that can be used to periodically investigate the unsurfaced road conditions in mines. Using the developed application, necessary data can be easily collected on site to evaluate the condition of unsurfaced roads according to the Unsurfaced Road Condition Index (URCI) evaluation system presented by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The smartphone application was tested at several sections of unsurfaced road in the Ilkwang mine, Busan, Korea. The results showed that the field investigation about 7 factors considered in the URCI evaluation system can be conducted through the user interface screen, and the URCI value can be calculated in the field to evaluate the condition of unsurfaced road. The smartphone application developed in this study can be useful for surveying and evaluating the unsurfaced road conditions at the mine site.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.569-583
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to identify the collapse characteristics by analyzing various factors causing collapse based on field survey and existing data on rock slopes occurring in the construction of roads and industrial complexes in Gyeongsangnam - do area. In the case of the slope where the slope has been directly surveyed, the analysis of the collapse characteristics can be used for the prediction and prevention of slope failure through the continuous collection of the slope data, database construction, management and analysis. The evaluation items used in the collapse characteristics of slope were selected among the items that can be regarded as objective evaluation items among the overlapping factors by comparing the evaluation items frequently used for the evaluation of the existing slope stability among various factors. The type of destruction of the rock slope depends on the type of carcass of the bedrock, such as planar fracture, wedge fracture, onho fracture, and conduction fracture, which are different from each other. And the slope stability analysis should be performed accordingly.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.228-236
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• 2019

Recently, multi-sensor integration techniques have been actively studied to obtain reliable and accurate navigation solution in GPS (Global Positioning System)-denied harsh environments such as urban canyons, tunnels, and underground roads. In this paper, we propose a low-cost ultrasonic-speedometer utilizing the characteristics of the ultrasonic propagation. An efficient integrated INS (inertial navigation system)/ultrasonic-speedometer navigation system is also proposed to improve the accuracy of positioning in GPS-denied environments. To evaluate the proposed system, car experiments with field-collected measurements were performed. By the experiment results, it was confirmed that the proposed INS/ultrasonic-speedometer system bounds the positioning error growth effectively even though GPS signal is blocked more than 10 seconds and a low-cost MEMS IMU (micro electro mechanical systems inertial measurement unit) is utilized.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.38-51
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• 2019

Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) can describe not only swelling owing to decrease in effective stress, but also wetting-induced swelling due to decrease in suction. And the BBM can also consider increase in cohesion and apparent preconsolidation stress with suction, and decrease in the apparent preconsolidation stress with temperature. Therefore, the BBM is widely used all over the world to predict and to analyze coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of bentonite which is considered as buffer materials at the engineered barrier system in the high-level radioactive waste disposal system. However, the BBM is not well known in Korea, so this paper introduce the BBM to Korean rock engineers and geotechnical engineers. In this study, Modified Cam Clay (MCC) model is introduced before all, because the BBM was first developed as an extension of the MCC model to unsaturated soil conditions. Then, the thermo-elasto-plastic version of the BBM is described in detail.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.360-373
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• 2021

Many sources of uncertainty exist in geotechnical analysis ranging from the material parameters to the sampling and testing techniques. The conventional deterministic stability analysis of a plane failure in rock slope produce a safety factor but not a probability of failure or reliability index. In the conventional slope stability analysis by evaluating the ground uncertainty as an overall safety factor, it is difficult to evaluate the stability of the realistic rock slope in detail. This paper reviews some established probabilistic analysis techniques, such as the MCS, FOSM, PEM, Taylor Series as applied to plane failure of rock slopes in detail. While the Monte - Carlo methods leads to the most accurate calculation of the probability of safety, this method is too time consuming. Therefore, the simplified probability methods could be alternatives to the MCS. In this study, using these simple probability methods, the failure probability estimation of a plane failure in rock slope is presented.