• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.65-77
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• 2005

This paper investigates the failure mechanism of geosynthetic-reinforced segmental retaining walls with tiered configuration using reduced-scale model tests. The reduced scale model test set-up was established to simulate a 5 m high full-scale wall. The geometry and material properties used in the model test were determined based on the Similitude Laws. The wall failures in the model tests were successfully generated by their self weight without any surface loading and analyzed examining the digital video recordings. The failure mechanisms was examined with respect to the various offsets between the lower and upper teres and the reinforcement length. Based on the results the appropriateness of the current design guideline was discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.15-22
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• 2013

By changing from ballasted track to concrete slab track, new type railroad subgrade is strongly required to satisfy strict regulations for displacement limitations of concrete slab track. In this study, sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the design characteristics of new type reinforced railroad subgrade, which could minimize residual settlement after track construction and maintain its function as a permanent railway roadbed under large cyclic load. With developed design program, the safety analysis (circular slip failure, overturning, and sliding) and the evaluation of internal forces developed in structural members (wall and reinforcement) were performed according to vertical installation spacing and stiffness of short and long geotextile reinforcement. Based on this study, we could evaluate the applicabilities of 0.4 H short geogrid length with 0.4 m vertical installation spacing of geotextile as reinforcement and what the ground conditions are for the reinforced railroad subgrade. And also, we could grasp design characteristics of the reinforced railroad subgrade, such as the importance of connecting structure between wall and reinforcement, boundary conditions allowing displacement at wall ends to minimize maximum bending moment of wall.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2002

This paper presents the results of stability analyses on soil-reinforced segmental retaining walls in a tiered arrangement. Four different walls were examined to investigate the appropriateness of their designs within the context of the current design guidelines based on limit equilibrium. Slope stability analysis against the compound failure mode, which is frequently ignored during design, was also performed based on the method recommended by FHWA design guidelines. The results indicate that the as-built designs of some of the walls examined do not meet the minimum factors of safety for the external and internal stabilities, and for the compound failure mode. The implications of the findings from this study are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.171-191
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• 1999

The final aim of this research is to systematize the reinforced-earth wall system using the geosynthetic composite reinforcement in the weathered granite backfill soils having relatively large amount of fines. As a staged endeavour to accomplish this purpose, laboratory pull-out tests and finite element modeling are carried out in the present study focusing on the analyses of friction characteristics associated with interaction behaviors of the geosynthetic composite reinforcement composed of geogrid with a superior function in tensile resistance and geotextile with sufficient drainage effects. In addition, drainage effects of the geotextile below geogrid are examined based on the analysis of finite difference numerical modeling. From the present investigation, it is concluded that the geosynthetic composite reinforcement in the weathered granite backfills may possibly be used to achieve effects on both a reduction of deformations and an increase of the tensile resistance, together with drainage effects resulting from the geotextile.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.321-332
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• 2021

Though development of reinforced earth wall is on the rise recently, safety verification for various methods remains behind which has caused the problems including collapse after installation. This study aims to evaluate the field applicability of the shape of flexible strip reinforcement according to pullout resistance test and field damage test. The test specimens were 3 shape of reinforcement, the typical flexible band reinforcement, developed luged band reinforcement, and band type reinforcement made by cutting geogrid. It was found that reinforcement of type have strengths and weaknesses, respectively. The best type of flexible strip reinforcements can be selected, if the conditions are considered with the installation conditions of the reinforcing earth retaining wall and the particle size of the backfill materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.96-102
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• 2006

Because of the increasing need to use clayey soil as the backfill in reinforced soil structures and embankment material, nonwoven geotextiles with the drain capability have been receiving much attention. However, there are few studies of the deformation behavior of nonwoven geotextiles at geosynthetics reinforced soil structures in the field because the nonwoven geotextile, which has low tensile stiffness and higher deformability than geogrids and woven geotextiles, is difficult to measure its deformation by strain gauges and to prevent the water from infiltrating. This study proposes a new, more convenient method to measure the deformation behaviour of nonwoven geotextile by using a strain gauge; and examines the availability of the method by conducting laboratory tests and by applying it on two geosynthetics reinforced soil (GRS) walls in the field. A wide-width tensile test conducted under confining pressure of 7kPa showed that the local deformation of nonwoven geotextile measured with strain gauges has a similar pattern to the total deformation measured with LVDT. In the field GRS walls, nonwoven geotextile showed a larger deformation range than the woven geotextile and geogrid; however, the deformation patterns of these three reinforcement materials were similar. The function of strain gauges attached to nonwoven geotextile in the walls works normally for 16 months. Therefore, the method proposed in this study for measuring nonwoven geotextile deformation by using a strain gauge proved useful.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.5-21
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• 2007

Despite a number of advantages of reinforced earth walls over conventional concrete retaining walls, there exit concerns over long-term residual deformation when they are subjected to repeated and/or cyclic loads, especially when used as part of permanent structures. In view of these concerns, in this paper time-dependant deformation characteristics of geosynthetic reinforced modular block walls under sustained anuor repeated loads were investigated using reduced-scale model tests. The results indicated that a sustained or repeated load can yield appreciable magnitude of residual deformation, and that the residual deformations are influenced not only by the loading characteristics but by the mechanical properties of geogrid. It is also found that the preloading technique can be effectively used in controlling residual deformations of reinforced soils subjected to sustained and/or repeated loads.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.99-106
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• 2020

Man-made slope is inevitable to make a new road, which may result in environmental problems as well as collapse of slope. To prevent these problems, various methods such as geogrid reinforced retaining wall, precast concrete-panel retaining wall, and so on, have been introduced and developed. Among these methods, this paper presents the evaluation of field application of precast concrete-panel retaining wall attached to in-situ ground (so called top-down) compared to the conventional construction method of precast concrete-panel retaining wall (so called bottom-up) through the field test and numerical analysis. As a result, the safety factor of both methods in final stage is similar, however, top-down method guarantees the slope stability during the construction compared to bottom-up method.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.323-328
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• 2002

Soil-steel structures have been used for the underpass, or drainage systems in the road embankment. This type of structures sustain external load using the correlations with the steel wall and engineered backfill materials. Buried flexible conduits made of corrugated steel plates for the coastal road was tested under vehicle loading to investigate the effects of live load. Testing conduits was a circular structure with a diameter of 6.25m. Live-load tests were conducted on two sections, one of which an attempt was made to reinforce the soil cover with the two layers of geo-gird. Hoop fiber strains of corrugated plate, normal earth pressures exerted outside the structure, and deformations of structure were instrumented during the tests. This paper describes the measured static and dynamic load responses of structure. Wall thrust by vehicle loads increased mainly at the crown and shoulder part of the conduit. However additional bending moment by vehicle loads was neglectable. The effectiveness of geogrid-reinforced soil cover on reducing hoop thrust is also discussed based on the measurements in two sections of the structure. The maximum thrusts at the section with geogrid-reinforced soil cover was 85-92% of those with un-reinforced soil cover in the static load tests of the circular structure; this confirms the beneficial effect of soil cover reinforcement on reducing the hoop thrust. However, it was revealed that the two layers of geogrid had no effect on reducing the overburden pressure at the crown level of structure. The obtained values of DLA decrease approximately in proportion to the increase in soil cover from 0.9m to 1.5m. These values are about 1.2-1.4 times higher than those specified in CHBDC.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.87-96
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• 2015

Geosynthetics are widely used in different ways such as reinforcement of structures in road, railway, harbor and dam engineering, drainage, separation and erosion prevention. They are especially applied to reinforced retaining wall and slope or ground reinforcement. Recently, geosynthetics reinforced pile supported (GRPS) embankment was developed to improve stability and construability of embankments in railway engineering. Extension strains are usually measured by strain gauges adhered to geosynthetics to evaluate the stability of geosynthetics. However, the measurements are influenced by manufacturing method and stiffness of geosynthetics and also adherence of strain gauge. In this study, wide-width tensile strength tests were performed on three types of geosynthetics including geogrid, woven geotextile and non-woven geotextile. During the test, strains of geosynthetics were measured by both video extensometer and strain gauges adhered to the geosynthetics and the measured results were compared. Results show that the measured results by strain gauges have high reliability in case of large stiffness geosythetics like geogrid and woven geotextile, whereas they have very low reliability for small stiffness geosythetics like non-woven geotextile.