• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.314-323
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• 2010

Recently, granular soils having a large particle size are frequently used as a filling material in the construction of foundation, harbor, dam, and so on. The shear behavior of this granular soil plays a key role in the stability of structures. For example, soil particle crushing occurring at the interface between structure and soil and/or within soil mass can cause the disturbance of ground characteristics and consequently induce an issues in respect of stability of structures. In order to investigate the shear behavior according to an existence and nonexistence of particle crushing, numerical analyses were conducted by using the DEM(Discrete Element Method)-based software program PFC(Particle Flow Code). Using the crushing model and non-crushing model which were created in this study, numerical analyses of ring shear test were conducted and their results were analyzed and compared. In general, landslide and slope stability are accompanied by a large displacement and consequently not only a peak strength but also a residual strength are very important in the analysis of landslide and slope stability. However the direct shear test which has been commonly used in the determination of shear strength parameters has a limitation on displacement therefore the residual strength parameters can not be obtained. The characteristics of residual shear behavior were investigated through the numerical analyses in this study.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.1541-1549
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• 2013

This study investigates the response of structures to tunnelling-induced ground movements in sand ground, varying tunnel excavation condition (tunnel depth and diameter), tunnel construction condition (ground loss), ground condition (loose sand and dense sand). Four-story block-bearing structures have been used because the structueres can easily be characterized of the extent of dmages with crack size and distribution. Numerical parametric studies have been used to investigae of the response of structures to varying tunnelling conditions. Numerical analysis has been conducted using Discrete Element Method (DEM) to have real cracks when the shear and tensile stress exceed the maximum shear and tensile strength. The results of structure responses from various parametric studies have been integrated to consider tunnel excavation condition, tunnel construction condition, and ground condition and provided as a relationship chart. Using the chart, the response of structures to tunnelling can easily be evaluated in practice in sand ground.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.7-15
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• 2004

An explosion modeling technique was developed by using the spherical discrete element code, PFC3D, which can be used to model the dynamic stress wave propagation phenomenon. The modeling technique is simply based on an idea that the explosion pressure should be applied to a PFC3D particle assembly not in the form of an external force (body force), but in the form of a contact force (surface force). According to this concept, the explosion pressure is applied to the wall particles by the scheme of radius expansion/contraction of inner-hole particles. The output wall force is compared to the input hole pressure in every time step, and a correction routine is activated to control the radius multiplier of the inner-hole particles. A comparative blast simulation far a cement mortar block of $80\times90\times80mm$ was conducted by using the conventional explosion modeling method and the new one. The results of the simulation are presented in a qualitative fashion.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.59-69
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• 2015

This study examined the magnitude and distribution of earth pressure on the support system in a jointed rock mass due to the different joint sets as well as varying the rock type and joint condition (joint shear strength and joint inclination angle). Based on a physical model test and its numerical simulation, a series of numerical parametric analyses were conducted using a discrete element method. The results showed that the induced earth pressure was affected significantly by a joint set depending on the inclusion of the joint inclination angle, which induces a joint sliding condition, but the number of joint sets alone was not important, even though the earth pressure could be increased slightly as the number of joint sets is increased. In addition, the study results were compared with Peck's earth pressure for soil ground, which indicated that the earth pressure in a jointed rock mass could be considerably different from that in soil ground. The study suggests that the effects of joint sets as well as rock type and joint condition are important factors affecting the earth pressure in a jointed rock mass and they should be considered when designing a support system in a jointed rock mass.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.83-95
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• 2017

This study examined the magnitude and distribution of earth pressure on the excavation wall in jointed rock mass by considering different groundwater conditions under various rock types, joint inclination angles, and earth pressure coefficients. Based on a physical model test (Son and Park, 2014), extended studies were conducted considering rock-structure interactions based on the discrete element method, which can consider the joints characteristics of rock mass. The results showed that the earth pressure was highly influenced by the groundwater condition as well as the rock type, joint inclination angle, and earth pressure coefficient. The results were also compared with Peck's earth pressure for soil ground, and clearly showed that the earth pressure in jointed rock mass can be greatly different from that in soil ground.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.385-396
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• 2020

A uniaxial compression test was performed to analyse the mechanical properties and macroscale and mesoscale failure mechanisms of sandstone with pyrite concretions. The effect of the pyrite concretions on the evolution of macroscale cracks in the sandstone was further investigated through numerical simulations with Particle Flow Code in 2D (PFC2D). The results revealed that pyrite concretions substantially influence the mechanical properties and macroscale and mesoscale failure characteristics of sandstone. During the initial loading stage, significant stress concentrations occurred around the edges of the pyrite concretion accompanied by the preferential generation of cracks. Meanwhile, the events and cumulative energy counts of the acoustic emission (AE) signal increased rapidly because of friction sliding between the concretion and sandstone matrix. As the axial stress increased, the degree of the stress concentration remained relatively unchanged around the edges of the concretions. The cracks continued growing rapidly around the edges of the concretions and gradually expanded toward the centre of the sample. During this stage, the AE events and cumulative energy counts increased quite slowly. As the axial stress approached the peak strength of the sandstone, the cracks that developed around the edges of the concretion started to merge with cracks that propagated at the top-left and bottom-right corners of the sample. This crack evolution ultimately resulted in the shear failure of the sandstone sample around the edges of the pyrite concretions.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.286-295
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• 2021

This study attempts to find optimal conditions of the friction coefficient using a discrete element method (DEM) simulation with various friction coefficient conditions and three different grinding media with various ball sizes in a traditional ball mill (TBM). Using ball motion of the DEM simulation are obtained using the optimal friction coefficient compared with actual motion; photographs are taken by the digital camera and the snapshot images are analyzed. In the simulation, the rotation speed of the mill, the materials and velocity of the grinding media, and the friction coefficient between the balls and the wall of the pot are fixed as the actual experimental conditions. We observe the velocity according to the friction coefficient from the DEM simulation. The friction coefficient is found to increase with the velocity. Milling experiments using a traditional ball mill with the same experimental conditions as those of the DEM simulation are conducted to verify the simulated results. In addition, particle morphology change of copper powder is investigated and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the milling experiment.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.69 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2019

The biaxial failure mechanism of transversally bedding concrete layers was numerically simulated using a sophisticated two-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) implemented in the particle flow code (PFC2D). This numerical modelling code was first calibrated by uniaxial compression and Brazilian testing results to ensure the conformity of the simulated numerical model's response. Secondly, 21 rectangular models with dimension of $54mm{\times}108mm$ were built. Each model contains two transversely bedding layers. The first bedding layer has low mechanical properties, less than mechanical properties of intact material, and second bedding layer has high mechanical properties, more than mechanical properties of intact material. The angle of first bedding layer, with weak mechanical properties, related to loading direction was $0^{\circ}$, $15^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$, $45^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$, $75^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$ while the angle of second layer, with high mechanical properties, related to loading direction was $90^{\circ}$, $105^{\circ}$, $120^{\circ}$, $135^{\circ}$, $150^{\circ}$, $160^{\circ}$ and $180^{\circ}$. Is to be note that the angle between bedding layer was $90^{\circ}$ in all bedding configurations. Also, three different pairs of the thickness were chosen in models, i.e., 5 mm/10 mm, 10 mm/10 mm and 20 mm/10 mm. The result shows that in all configurations, shear cracks develop between the weaker bedding layers. Shear cracks angel related to normal load change from $0^{\circ}$ to $90^{\circ}$ with increment of $15^{\circ}$. Numbers of shear cracks are constant by increasing the bedding thickness. It's to be noted that in some configuration, tensile cracks develop through the intact area of material model. There is not any failure in direction of bedding plane interface with higher strength.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.247-270
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• 2019

Wind-resistant design of existing cooling tower structures overlooks the impacts of rainfall. However, rainstorm will influence aerodynamic force on the tower surface directly. Under this circumstance, the structural response of the super-large cooling tower (SLCT) will become more complicated, and then the stability and safety of SLCT will receive significant impact. In this paper, surrounding wind fields of the world highest (210 m) cooling tower in Northwest China underthree typical wind velocities were simulated based on the wind-rain two-way coupling algorithm. Next, wind-rain coupling synchronous iteration calculations were conducted under 9 different wind speed-rainfall intensity combinations by adding the discrete phase model (DPM). On this basis, the influencing laws of different wind speed-rainfall intensity combinations on wind-driving rain, adhesive force of rain drops and rain pressure coefficients were discussed. The acting mechanisms of speed line, turbulence energy strength as well as running speed and trajectory of rain drops on structural surface in the wind-rain coupling field were disclosed. Moreover, the fitting formula of wind-rain coupling equivalent pressure coefficient of the cooling tower was proposed. A systematic contrast analysis on its 3D distribution pattern was carried out. Finally, coupling model of SLCT under different working conditions was constructed by combining the finite element method. Structural response, buckling stability and local stability of SLCT under different wind velocities and wind speed-rainfall intensity combinations were compared and analyzed. Major research conclusions can provide references to determine loads of similar SLCT accurately under extremely complicated working conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.614-623
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• 2018

The recent occurrence of consecutive large earthquakes in the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula has brought significant attention to the prevention of earthquake damage in Korea. This article aims to explore a technology-based approach for earthquake drills using state-of-the-art visual intelligence and virtual reality technologies. The technical process consists of several stages, including acquisition of image information in living spaces using a camera, recognition of objects from the acquired image information, extraction of three dimensional geometric information, simulation of virtual earthquakes using dynamic modelling techniques such as the discrete element method, and realization of the simulated earthquake in a virtual reality environment. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the individual processes at each stage of the technical process, a survey on the current status of related technologies, and discussion of the technical challenges in its execution.