• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.35-81
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• 1998

Distinct Element Method(DEM) has a great advantage to model the discontinuous behaviour of jointed rock masses such as rotation, sliding, and separation of rock blocks. Geometrical data of joints by a field monitoring is not enough to model the jointed rock mass though the results of DE analysis for the jointed rock mass is most sensitive to the distributional properties of joints. Also, it is important to use a properly joint law in evaluating the stability of a jointed rock mass because the joint is considered as the contact between blocks in DEM. In this study, a stochastic modelling technique is developed and the dilatant rock joint is numerically modelled in order to consider th geometrical and mechanical properties of joints in DE analysis. The stochastic modelling technique provides a assemblage of rock blocks by reproducing the joint distribution from insufficient joint data. Numerical Modelling of joint dilatancy in a edge-edge contact of DEM enable to consider not only mechanical properties but also various boundary conditions of joint. Preprocess Procedure for a stochastic DE model is composed of a statistical process of raw data of joints, a joint generation, and a block boundary generation. This stochastic DE model is used to analyze the effect of deviations of geometrical joint parameters on .the behaviour of jointed rock masses. This modelling method may be one tool for the consistency of DE analysis because it keeps the objectivity of the numerical model. In the joint constitutive law with a dilatancy, the normal and shear behaviour of a joint are fully coupled due to dilatation. It is easy to quantify the input Parameters used in the joint law from laboratory tests. The boundary effect on the behaviour of a joint is verified from shear tests under CNL and CNS using the numerical model of a single joint. The numerical model developed is applied to jointed rock masses to evaluate the effect of joint dilation on tunnel stability.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.203-212
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• 2009

The prediction of near field behavior around an underground high-level radioactive waste repository is important for the repository design as well as the safety assessment. In this study, a sensitivity analysis for seven parameters consisted of design parameters and material properties was carried out using a three-dimensional finite difference code. From the sensitivity analysis, it was found that the effects of borehole spacing, tunnel spacing, cooling time and rock thermal conductivity were more significant than the other parameters. For getting a statistical distribution of buffer and rock temperatures around the repository, an artificial neural network, backpropagation, was applied. The reliability of the trained neural network was tested with the cases with randomly chosen input parameters. When the parameter variation is within ${\pm}10%$, the prediction from the network was found to be reliable with about a 1% error. It was possible to calculate the temperature distribution for many cases quickly with the trained neural network. The buffer and rock temperatures showed a normal distribution with means of $98^{\circ}C$ and $83.9^{\circ}C$ standard deviations of $3.82^{\circ}C$ and $3.67^{\circ}C$, respectively. Using the neural network, it was also possible to estimate the required change in design parameters for reducing the buffer and rock temperatures for $1^{\circ}C$.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2022

The existence of underground cavity should be considered in the assessment of georisk such as ground subsidence. Even if the shear strength of the ground around the cavity is known, it is difficult to accurately analyze the safety around the cavity due to the uncertainties related to geometric conditions such as the cavity size. In this paper, stability chart representing dimensionless stability constants was proposed based on the ground strength and geometric conditions. Numerical analysis had been carried out accounting for the stability constants such as the ground strength, the adhesion and friction angles, and the size and depth of the underground cavity. The proposed charts can help estimating the stability of ground with underground circular cavity.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.55-63
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• 2022

A modular underground arch structure using steel and concrete has been proposed as a structure that has a simple construction process and can effectively resist cross-sectional forces generated during construction and use. Structural behavior of modular underground arch was evaluated about span length less than 15m through 3D structural analysis and test. In general, 2D and 3D structural analysis methods may be applied for structural analysis such as underground arch and tunnels. However, if a 2D or 3D structural analysis method is applied to evaluate the structural safety of a modular underground arch structure, it is difficult to model for structural analysis and it may take an excessively long time to interpret. Therefore, it may not be reasonable as a structural analysis method for considering the structural safety and earth pressure in the design process of a modular underground arch structure. In addition, when a modular underground arch structure is configured for span lengths to which the predetermined cross-section is applicable, it may be reasonable to evaluate only the safety of the structure and cross-section according to the cross-section and load conditions. Therefore, in this study, a structural analysis model using frame elements was proposed for efficient structural safety evaluation. In addition, structural analysis results of the 2D structural analysis model and the simplified analysis model using frame elements were compared, and the structural safety of the modular underground arch structure for a span length of 20m was evaluated with a simplified analysis method.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.695-703
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• 2012

Recently, major infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, PCCVs (Prestressed Concrete Containment Vessel), and gas tanks are Prestressed Concrete (PSC) structure types, which improve their safety by using confining effect from prestressing. Generally, concrete is known to be an outstanding fire resistant construction material. Because of this reason, researches related to extreme fire loaded PSC member behaviors are not often conducted even though PSC behavior under extreme fire loading is significantly different than that of ordinary reinforced concrete (RC) behavior. Therefore, in this study, RABT fire loading tests were performed on bi-directionally prestressed concrete panels with $1000{\times}1400{\times}300mm$ dimensions. The prestressed specimens were applied with 430 kN prestressing (PS) force using unbonded PS thread bars. Also, residual strength structural tests of fire tested PSC and ordinary RC structures were performed for comparison. The study results showed that PSC behavior under fire loading is significantly different than that of RC behavior.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.350-359
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• 2007

Most large cut slopes of open pit mines, roadways, and railways are steeply inclined and composed with rocks that do not contain soils. However, these rock slopes suffer both weathering and fragmentation. In the case of steep slopes, falling rock and collapse of a slope may often occur due to surface erosion. Cast-in place concrete and rubble work are the most widely used earth structure-based pressure supports that act as restraints against the collapse of the rock slope. In order to overcome the shortcomings of conventional retaining walls, a segmental grid retaining wall is being used with connects precasted segments to construct the wall. In this study, laboratory model test was conducted to estimate deformation behavior of segmental grid retaining wall with configuration of rear strecher, height and inclination of the wall. In order to examine the behavior characteristics of a segmental grid retaining wall, this research analyzes the aspects of spacial displacement through relative displacement according to change in the inclination of the wall. Also, the walls behavior according to the formation and status of the rear stretcher which serves the role of transferring the load from the header and the stretcher which make up the wall, the displacement of backfill materials in the wall, and the location of the maximum load were surveyed and the characteristics of displacement in the segmental grid retaining wall were observed. The test results of the segmental grid retaining wall showed that there was a sudden increase in failure load according to the decrease in the wall's height and the size of the in was greatly decreased. Furthermore, it revealed that with identical inclination and height, the structure of the rear stitcher did not greatly affect the starting point or size of maximum horizontal displacement, but rather had a stronger effect on the inclination of the wall.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.333-359
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• 2021

Gases such as hydrogen and radon can be generated around the canister in high-level radioactive waste disposal systems due to several reasons including the corrosion of metal materials. When the gas generation rate exceeds the gas diffusion rate in the low-permeability bentonite buffer, the gas phase will form and accumulate in the engineered barrier system. If the gas pressure exceeds the gas entry pressure, gas can migrate into the bentonite buffer, resulting in pathway dilation flow and advective flow. Because a sudden occurrence of dilation flow can cause radionuclide leakage out of the engineered barrier of the radioactive waste disposal system, it is necessary to understand the gas migration behavior in the bentonite buffer to quantitatively evaluate the long-term safety of the engineered barrier. Experimental research investigating the characteristics of gas migration in saturated bentonite and research developing numerical models capable of simulating such behaviors are being actively conducted worldwide. In this technical note, previous gas injection experiments and the numerical models proposed to verify such behaviors are introduced, and the future challenges necessary for the investigation of gas migration are summarized.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.518-529
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• 2022

In Task C of the DECOVALEX-2023 project, nine institutes from six nations are developing their numerical codes to simulate thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled behavior for the FE experiment performed at Mont Terri underground rock laboratory, Switzerland. Currently, Step 1 for comparing the simulation results to field data is the ongoing stage, and we used the OGS-FLAC simulator for a series of numerical simulations. As a result, temperature increase depending on the heating hysteresis was well simulated, and saturation variation in the bentonite depending on phase change was observed. However, due to the suction overestimation, relative humidity and temperature change in the bentonite and the pressure variation in the Opalinus clay showed a difference compared to the field data. From the observation, it is confirmed that the effect of the bentonite capillary pressure is dominant to the flow analysis in the disposal system. We further plan to draw improved results considering tunnel support material and accurate initial water pressure distribution. Additionally, the thermal, hydrological, and mechanical anisotropy of the Opalinus clay was well simulated. From the simulation results, we confirmed the applicability of the OGS-FLAC simulator in the disposal system analysis.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.400-414
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• 2021

Under high-level radioactive waste repository conditions, bentonite as an engineered barrier material undergoes thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes. We report the applications of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) imaging technique on the characterization and analysis of bentonite over the past decade to provide a reference of the utilization of this technique and the recent research trends. This overview of the X-ray CT technique applications includes the characterization of the bentonite either in pellets or powder form. X-ray imaging has provided a means to extract grain information at the microscale and identify crack networks responsible for the pellets' heterogeneity. Regarding samples of pellets-powder mixtures under hydration, X-ray CT allowed the identification and monitoring of heterogeneous zones throughout the test. Some results showed how zones with pellets only swell faster compared to others composed of pellets and powder. Moreover, the behavior of fissures between grains and bentonite matrix was observed to change under drying and hydrating conditions, tending to close during the former and open during the latter. The development of specializing software has allowed obtaining strain fields from a sequence of images. In more recent works, X-ray CT technique has served to estimate the dry density, water content, and particle displacement at different testing times. Also, when temperature was added to the hydration process of a sample, CT technology offered a way to observe localized and global density changes over time.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.327-351
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• 2009

Laboratory tests are performed in this paper to investigate the brittle failure characteristics of over-stressed rocks taken in deep depth. Also, numerical simulation performed using that the so-called CWFS(Cohesion Weakening Frictional Strengthening) model is known to predict brittle failure phenomenon reasonably well. The most typical rock types of Korean peninsula - granite and gneiss - were used for testing. Results of uniaxial compression tests showed that the crack initiation stress was about 41 % to 42% of the uniaxial compressive strength regardless of rock types, where as, the crack damage stress of granite was about 75%, and that of gneiss was about 97%. Through the damage-controlled test, strength parameters of each rock were obtained as a function of damage degree. After the peak, the crack damage stress and the maximum stress were decreased, The cohesion was decreased and the friction angle was increased with increase of rock damage. Before reaching the peak, the elastic modulus was slightly increased, while decreased after the peak. Poisson's ratio was increased as the damage of rock proceeds. Comparison of uniaxial compression tests and damage-controlled tests shows the crack initiation stress estimated from the damage-controlled test fluctuated within the range of crack initiation stress obtained from the uniaxial compression test; the crack damage stress was less than that estimated from the uniaxial compression test. In order to predict the critical depth that brittle failure occurs, numerical simulations using the CWFS model were performed for an example site. Material parameters obtained from the laboratory tests mentioned above were used for CWFS simulation. Comparison between the critical depth predicted from the numerical simulation using the CWFS model and that predicted by using the damage index proposed by Martin et al.(l999), showed that critical depth cannot be reasonably predicted by the currently used damage index except for circular tunnels. A modified damage index was proposed by the author which takes the shape of tunnels other than circular into account.