• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.143-157
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• 2021

Expansive soil is the most predominant geologic hazard which shows a large amount of shrinkage and swelling with changes in their moisture content. This study investigates the macro-mechanical and micro-structural behaviours of dredged natural expansive clay from coal mining treated with ordinary Portland cement or hydrated lime addition. The stabilised expansive soil aims for possible reuse as pavement materials. Mechanical testing determined geotechnical engineering properties, including free swelling potential, California bearing ratio, unconfined compressive strength, resilient modulus, and shear wave velocity. The microstructures of treated soils are observed by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive spectroscopy to understand the behaviour of the expansive clay blended with cement and lime. Test results confirmed that cement and lime are effective agents for improving the swelling behaviour and other engineering properties of natural expansive clay. In general, chemical treatments reduce the swelling and increase the strength and modulus of expansive clay, subjected to chemical content and curing time. Scanning electron microscopy analysis can observe the increase in formation of particle clusters with curing period, and x-ray diffraction patterns display hydration and pozzolanic products from chemical particles. The correlations of mechanical properties and microstructures for chemical stabilised expansive clay are recommended.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.523-532
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• 2021

The treatment of acid rock drainage was reviewed and evaluated for the case of pyrite rocks distributed in a highway embankment. During the highway's construction, neutralization using alkaline water repellent was applied to the embankment section to prevent acid rock drainage. However, it still occurred long after the construction was completed owing to rain infiltration, and the acid rock drainage polluted the surrounding soils and streams. To solve this problem, treatment facilities such as SAPS (Successive Alkalinity Producing Systems) or ecological wetlands and sand filtration were installed. After the installation of the treatment facilities, the effluent and soils contaminated by acid rock drainage nearby the outlet of the facilities were analyzed and evaluated for a period of years. Measurements of the pH of the effluent and analysis of the heavy metal contamination of the soils confirmed that the neutralization treatment for acid rock drainage is being performed properly and that contamination of heavy metals in the acid rock drainage is also being stably controlled by the treatment facilities.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2015

In this study, the mixed soil with an optimum mixed ratio was suggested in order to recycle the powdered sludge of basalt in Jeju Island as the impermeable liner materials. As the results of soil laboratory tests, the grain size of the powdered sludge of basalt is less than 0.1mm and the powdered sludge was classified into ML or CL category in accordance with the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). Also, the grain size of natural soils is ranged from 0.1 mm to 10 mm and the soils were classified into SW category in USCS. To select the optimum mixed ratio of powdered sludge, the variable permeability test was performed to various mixed soils with different powdered sludge amount under both optimum compaction and field conditions. As the results of permeability tests, the coefficient of permeability of mixed soils was decreased with increasing the mixed ratio of powdered sludge, and the mixed soil with mixed ratio of 60% has the minimum coefficient of permeability. Therefore, the optimum mixed ratio of powdered sludge is 60% for recycling the powdered sludge of basalt as the impermeable liner materials.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.81-99
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• 2001

In order to clarify an effect of the cutoff grouting, a series of field experiments were performed during construction of the waterway tunnel from the River Gilancheon(Andong) to the Youngcheon dam. The experiments were conducted in three different ways based on the grouting time in the construction sequence, i.e., the pre-grouting, after-grouting and consolidation grouting tests. And those were also planned to compare the efficiency of grouting in relation to the material types of grout, base rock types and other geologic factors such as discontinuities, depth and direction of grouting holes, and number of grouting stages. Among the materials of grout employed in the experiments, such as a common Portland cement, a micro-cement, a micro-cement with sodium silicate, and a urethane, the urethane was the most effective as the cutoff grouting. And for the same grout material, the pre-grouting was more effective to cutoff the water inflow comparing to the after-grouting and the consolidation grouting. For the rock types, the grouting efficiency in the sedimentary rocks as a base rock was less than the other rocks such as granite and volcanic rocks, which is believed due to the smaller separation of joints and the abundance of infilling materials in the joints developed in the sedimentary rocks. There was no direct relationship between the total RMR value of the rock mass and the grouting efficiency, however, the joint separation which is one of the RMR criteria is believed to have positive relation to the grouting efficiency. And the direction of the grouting holes might not so much affect on the grouting efficiency while increasing the number of grouting stage showed the better results.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.77-90
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• 2015

The fission track registration techniques for accurate determinations of uranium in solid- and liquid-state geological materials were recommended and their applicability were examined. The determination of uranium can be achieved by optical counting of neutron-induced fission tracks of $^{235}U$ registered on solid-state track detectors under high magnification. In a dry registration method using powdered pellets of rocks (e.g., granite and coal) showing good uranium-affinity, it was not easy to decide an overall mean concentration over the total sample owing to track-clusters caused by frequent presence of uranium-bearing minerals. Separate scanning for homogeneous and track-clustered parts may be an alternative choice. Assuring the homogeneity over the whole sample, high reproducibilities were confirmed both from duplicate detections using mica and Lexan polycarbonate detectors and from multiple measurements at different thermal neutron fluences. The wet registration method using sealed quartz tubes is recommended to overcome the common heterogeneity in uranium concentrations of $10^1ppm$ and more. Adopting the wet registration, the uranium homogeneity was recovered below the $10^0ppm$ level and the lower detection limit was proved to reach without difficulty the $10^2ppb$ (i.e. $ng\;g^{-1}$) level.

• 한국석유지질학회:학술대회논문집
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• autumn
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• pp.28-46
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• 2001

Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbon gases and impurities such as nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide and a clean energy producing no pollution materials for combustion. Currently, the demand of the natural gas is rapidly increasing due to worldwide environmental problems. According to Hubbert's study in the past, the natural gas was predicted as rapidly depleted resources, and then the results led to high gas price and limitation of usage during 1980s. Afterward, the study of natural gas resources based on geology identified the additional natural gas resources that were not considered in Hubbert's study. They are unconventional gas, additional resources in the existed reservoirs, and natural gas in deep subsurface areas. Such additional resouces made the future of natural gas bright and pormised low and stable gas price in the future. Deep natural gas is defined as the gas existing at or below 15,000ft$(4,752{\cal}m)$ in depth from the surface. According to the study from the U.S. Geological Survey(USGS) in 1995, 1,412 TCF of technically recoverable natural gas was remained to be discovered or developed in the onshore of United States. A significant part of that resource base, 114 TCF, exists at deep sedimentary basins, and it shows wide distribution with various geological environments. In 1995, the deep gas contributed to $6.7\% of total supply amount of natural gas in the United States and is expected to be $18.7\% by 201.5. However, the development of the deep gas is a high risky business due to expensive investment and high portion of dry holes, although it is developed. Thus, for developing the deep gas economically, it is necessary to overcome many technical challenges. In this paper, for increasing success rate of the deep gas, 1) geologic and compositional characteristics, and production cost have been analyzed according to depth, 2) technical problems related to deep gas production have been summarized, and 3) finally future study areas for increasing application of the deep gas have been suggested. For reference, this paper was written based on the study results from USGS and Gas Research Institute(GRI), for the United States is doing the most active R&D in the deep gas area, and thus, has many reliable data.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.201-213
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• 1990

Mineralogy, chemistry, physical property, and fossil abundance have been studied for the samples collected from three weathering profiles, two from the Duho Formation and one from the Hagjeon Formation in the Tertiary sediments in the Pohang area. The mineralogy of the samples from the Duho Formation shows somewhat different from that of the Hagjeon Formation. Kaolinite is more abundant and shows higher crystallinity in samples from the Duho Formation than those in the Hagjeon Formation, but clay mineral assemblage in each weathering profile remain fairly constant with depth. This difference in mineral distribution seems to be inherited from original source materials. It indicates that little or not severe leaching has been taking place in these three weathering profiles. Weathering indicies indicate different degrees of susceptibility to chemical weathering in these two formations. The Duho Formation has a higher degree of susceptibility to weathering than that of the Hagjeon Formation which is mainly due to differences in clay mineral assemblages in both formations. A noticeble colour difference between oxidized and unoxidized zones in each profile can be easily recognized which is definetely due to different decomposition rate organic carbon by various oxidation state from surface to bottom of the profile. Weathering process have also intensively influenced microfossil preservation about up to 7-10 m in depth in the Duho Formation. Consequently, characteristics observed at weathering surface should be used as a subsidiary tool in setting geologic boundary or establishing formation. Great care must be taken to choose sampling site for microfossil study.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.541-552
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• 2019

In this study, landslide flume tests were performed to analyze characteristics of ground characteristics and landslide occurrence due to rainfall infiltration. As test materials, weathered granite soil and gneiss soil, the most frequent landslides in Korea, were used, and landslides were triggered by heavy rain (Intensity = 200 mm/hr). The measurement sensors were installed with 3 sets at toe, slope, top part and shallow (GL-0.2 m), middle (GL-0.4 m), and deep (GL-0.6 m) depth in the slope and measured at 10 second intervals. After landslide flume tests, the slope stability analysis was performed by applying the unsaturated soil theory based on the change of ground characteristics and compared with actual landslide occurrence from flume test. As a result of the analysis, factor of safety reflected the landslide occurrence from flume test and factor of safety decreased as rainfall infiltration, leading to slope failure. Finally we compared to the factor of safety below 1 and actual landslide occurrence time, the average difference was 1,600 seconds for weathered granite soil and 5,400 seconds for weathered gneiss soil.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.635-646
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• 2000

Geological achievements of the 20th century revolutionized our views about geological understanding and concept. A good example is the concept of continental drift suggested early in the 20th century and later explained in terms of seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. Our understanding of the compositions of materials forming earth has also improved during the20th century. Radio and stable isotopes together with biostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy allow us to interpret the evolution of sedimentary basins in terms of plate movement and sedimentation processes. The Deep Sea Drilling Project initiated in 1960s and continued as the Ocean Drilling Project in 1980s is one of the most successful international research observations, and new developments in computational techniques have provided a wholly new view about the interior of the earth. Most of the geological features and phenomena observed in deep sea and around continental margins are now explained in terms of global tectonic processes such as superplumes flowing up from the interior of our planet and interacting with such as Rodinia Pannotia and Nena back in the Precambrian time. The space explorations which began in the late 1950s opened up a new path to astrogeology, astrobiology, and astropaleontology. The impact theory rooted in the discovery of iridium and associated phenomena in 1980s revived Cuvier's catastrophism as a possible explanation for the extinctions of biotas found in the geological record of this planet. Due to the geological achievements made in the 20th century, we now have a better understanding of geologic times and processes that were too long to be grasped by human records.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.2 s.42
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• pp.185-199
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• 2005

Properties of sliding materials are dependent on the lithology because debris is the product of rock weathering processes. In order to characterize transportation behavior of debris dependent of debris types, this study selected 26 debris flows over three areas composed with different rock weathering types and topographic conditions. Analyses of lithology, weathering, and topographic characteristics were performed by detailed field survey. Based on the field survey data, transportation behavior of debris was studied at the aspect of the relationship of grain size and volume of debris as well as topographic conditions. According to the study results, change of slope angle is very influential factor on runout distance of debris among the topographic factors. Because the sliding velocity and the energy of debris are frequently changed and more irregular on an undulating slope, the unout distance of debris is larger than that of an uniformly dipping slope. Runout distance of debris is also influenced by volume and grain size of debris. Volume of debris in the gabbro is four or five times larger than that of the granite area because it is controlled by the lithology. Considered with grain size distribution, runout distance of debris is longer in the gabbro area which is composed with irregular grain size bearing large corestones than that in the medium grained granite area.