• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.475-484
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• 2020

The prediction of the ground conditions ahead of a tunnel face is very important, especially for tunnel boring machine (TBM) tunneling, because encountering unexpected anomalies during tunnel excavation can cause a considerable loss of time and money. Several prediction techniques, such as BEAM, TSP, and GPR, have been suggested. However, these methods have various shortcomings, such as low accuracy and low resolution. Most studies on electrical resistivity tomography surveys have been conducted using numerical simulation programs, but laboratory experiments were just a few. Furthermore, most studies of scaled model tests on electrical resistivity tomography were conducted only on the ground surface, which is a different environment as compared to that of mechanized tunneling. This study performed a laboratory experimental test to extend and verify a prediction method proposed by Lee et al., which used electrical resistivity tomography to predict the ground conditions ahead of a tunnel face in TBM tunneling environments. The results showed that the modified dipole-dipole array is better than the other arrays in terms of predicting the location and shape of the anomalies ahead of the tunnel face. Having longer upper and lower borehole lengths led to better accuracy of the survey. However, the number and length of boreholes should be properly controlled according to the field environments in practice. Finally, a modified and verified technique to predict the ground conditions ahead of a tunnel face during TBM tunneling is proposed.

• 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.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

This study defined abnormal behaviors such as bending deformations or buckling behaviors occurred in high strength steel pipe strut system, and carried out a full-scale bending test for different connection types. A parametric study was carried out to gain an insight about structural performances considering abnormal behavior effects in high strength steel pipe strut system. Five abnormal behaviors were considered as undesirable deflections of strut structures, which are basic load combination, excessive excavation situations, impact loading effects, additional overburden loads, load combinations, and strut lengths. Subsequent simulation results present various influences of parameters on structural performances of the strut system. Based on the results, we propose methods to prevent unusual behaviors of pipe-type strut structures made of high strength steels.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.64-74
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• 2019

Behavior of a rock block consisting of rock joints during excavation of an underground opening is an important factor for the mechanical stability of the opening. In this study, the behavior of a rock block under different geostatic stress and joint property conditions was analyzed quantitatively. The behavior of the rock block analyzed by 3DEC numerical analysis was compared with that of the theoretical calculation, and the error between the theoretical value and the numerical analysis result was analyzed under various geostatic stress and joint property conditions. The result of the stability analysis of a rock block showed less than 5% of error with numerical simulation result, which verified the applicability of the purposed analytic solution.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.113-131
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• 2022

A rockburst is a common disaster in deep-tunnel excavation engineering, especially for high-geostress areas. An anomalously low friction effect is one of the most important inducements of rockbursts. To elucidate the correlation between an anomalously low friction effect and a rockburst, we establish a two-dimensional prediction model that considers the discontinuous structure of a rock mass. The degree of freedom of the rotation angle is introduced, thus the motion equations of the blocks under the influence of a transient disturbing force are acquired according to the interactions of the blocks. Based on the two-dimensional discontinuous block model of deep rock mass, a rockburst prediction model is established, and the initiation process of ultra-low friction rockburst is analyzed. In addition, the intensity of a rockburst, including the location, depth, area, and velocity of ejection fragments, can be determined quantitatively using the proposed prediction model. Then, through a specific example, the effects of geomechanical parameters such as the different principal stress ratios, the material properties, a dip of principal stress on the occurrence form and range of rockburst are analyzed. The results indicate that under dynamic disturbance, stress variation on the structural surface in a deep rock mass may directly give rise to a rockburst. The formation of rockburst is characterized by three stages: the appearance of cracks that result from the tension or compression failure of the deformation block, the transformation of strain energy of rock blocks to kinetic energy, and the ejection of some of the free blocks from the surrounding rock mass. Finally, the two-dimensional rockburst prediction model is applied to the construction drainage tunnel project of Jinping II hydropower station. Through the comparison with the field measured rockburst data and UDEC simulation results, it shows that the model in this paper is in good agreement with the actual working conditions, which verifies the accuracy of the model in this paper.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.447-463
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• 2021

Caisson-type structures are widely used as quay walls in coastal areas. In Korea, for a long time, many caisson-type quay walls have been constructed with a low front water depth. These facilities can no longer meet the requirements of current development. This study developed a new technology for deepening existing caisson-type quay walls using grouting and rubble mound excavation to economically reuse them. With this technology, quay walls could be renovated by injecting grout into the rubble mound beneath the front toe of the caisson to secure its structure. Subsequently, a portion of the rubble mound was excavated to increase the front water depth. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the seismic behavior of a renovated quay wall in comparison to that of an existing quay wall using centrifuge tests and numerical simulations. Two centrifuge model tests at a scale of 1/120 were conducted on the quay walls before and after renovation. During the experiments, the displacements, accelerations, and earth pressures were measured under five consecutive earthquake input motions with increasing magnitudes. In addition, systematic numerical analyses of the centrifuge model tests were also conducted with the PLAXIS 2D finite element (FE) program using a nonlinear elastoplastic constitutive model. The displacements of the caisson, response accelerations, deformed shape of the quay wall, and earth pressures were investigated in detail based on a comparison of the numerical and experimental results. The results demonstrated that the motion of the caisson changed after renovation, and its displacement decreased significantly. The comparison between the FE models and centrifuge test results showed good agreement. This indicated that renovation was technically feasible, and it could be considered to study further by testbed before applying in practice.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2008

The control and prediction of surface settlement, gradient and ground displacement are the main factors in shallow tunnel design and construction in urban area. For deformation analysis of shallow tunnel due to excavation it is important to identify possible deformation mechanism of shear bands developing from tunnel shoulder to the ground surface. This paper investigaties quantitatively the deformation behavior of shallow tunneling by model tunnel test and strain softening analysis Incorporating the reduction of shear stiffness and strength parameters. The comparison of model tunnel test result and numerical simulation using strain softening analysis showed good agreement in crown settlement, normalized subsidence settlement and developing shear bands above tunnel shoulder. In this study, it is blown that the strain softening modeling is applicable to the nonlinear deformation analysis of shallow tunnel.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.389-410
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• 2007

For moderately jointed to massive rock masses, the failure and deformation behaviors around an excavated opening are absolutely influenced by the initial rock stress and strength of in-situ rock mass. The localized and progressive brittle failure around an opening does not mean whole collapse of an excavated opening. But, for many cases, it may induce temporary stopping of excavation works and reexamination of the current supporting system, which can result in delay of the entire construction works and additional construction cost. In this paper, the characteristics of the brittle failure around an opening with stress level and tunnel shape was studied by the biaxial compressive test using scaled specimen and by the numerical simulation with $PFC^{2D}$. The biaxial test results were well coincided with the stress induced failure patterns around the excavated openings observed and monitored in the in-situ condition. For the circular part of the opening wall, the stress induced cracks initially occurred at the wall surface in the direction of the minimum principal stress and contributed to the localized notch shaped failure region having a certain range of angle. But for the corner and straight part of the opening wall, the cracks initiated at sharp corners were connected and coalesced each other and with existing micro cracks. Further they resulted in a big notch shaped failure region connecting two sharp corners.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.5-14
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• 2004

The observational design and construction method in tunnels is becoming important recently. In many tunnels, enormous cost and time are consumed to cope with the failing or sliding of rock blocks, which could not be predicted because of the complexity of rock discontinuities. It is difficult to estimate the properties of rock masses before the construction. In this paper, a new observational design and construction method in tunnels are proposed, and then applied to the example of the very large cross section tunnel based on actual discontinuity information observed in situ. The items examined in developing a program for the new observational design and construction method are the following ones: generality, precision, high speed, and friendly usability. At the very large cross section tunnel, 7 key blocks were judged to be unstable because they could not be supported by standard supports. Supplementary supports were installed to these 7 key blocks before the excavation. It is possible to detect key blocks all along the tunnel exactly by using the numerical analysis program developed for the new observational design and construction method in the very large cross section tunnel. This computer simulation method with user-friendly interfaces can calculate not only the stability of key blocks but also the design of supplementary supports.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2016

On the basis of the geological conditions of high and steep mountainous slope on which an exit portal of an express railway tunnel with a bridge-tunnel combination is to be built, the composite structure of the exit portal with a bridge abutment of the bridge-tunnel combination is presented and the stability of the slope on which the express railway portal is to be built is analyzed using three dimensional (3D) numerical simulation in the paper. Comparison of the practicability for the reinforcement of slope with in-situ bored piles and diaphragm walls are performed so as to enhance the stability of the high and steep slope. The safety factor of the slope due to rockmass excavation both inside the exit portal and beneath the bridge abutment of the bridge-tunnel combination has been also derived using strength reduction technique. The obtained results show that post tunnel portal is a preferred structure to fit high and steep slope, and the surrounding rock around the exit portal of the tunnel on the high and steep mountainous slope remains stable when rockmass is excavated both from the inside of the exit portal and underneath the bridge abutment after the slope is reinforced with both bored piles and diaphragm walls. The stability of the high and steep slope is principally dominated by the shear stress state of the rockmass at the toe of the slope; the procedure of excavating rockmass in the foundation pit of the bridge abutment does not obviously affect the slope stability. In-situ bored piles are more effective in controlling the deformation of the abutment foundation pit in comparison with diaphragm walls and are used as a preferred retaining structure to uphold the stability of slope in respect of the lesser time, easier procedure and lower cost in the construction of the exit portal with bridge-tunnel combination on the high and steep mountainous slope. The results obtained from the numerical analysis in the paper can be used to guide the structural design and construction of express railway tunnel portal with bridge-tunnel combination on high and abrupt mountainous slope under similar situations.