• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.393-412
• /
• 2024

In selecting a disposal site for high-level radioactive waste, the hydrogeological research of the site is very important, and the hydraulic conductivity and the storage coefficient are key parameters. In this study, the hydraulic conductivity obtained by two different types of field hydraulic test equipment and methods was compared and analyzed for the deep granite rockmass in the Wonju area to understand the hydraulic characteristics of the deep granite rockmass. One was to perform the lugeon test, constant pressure injection test, and slug test at a maximum depth of 602.0 m by using the auto pressure/flow injection system, and the calculated hydraulic conductivity ranged from 1.26E-9 to 4.16E-8 m/s. In the overall depth, the maximum and minimum differences of the hydraulic conductivity were found to be about 33 times, and in the same test section, the difference by test method or analysis method was 1.13 to 8.25 times. In the other, the hydraulic conductivity calculated by performing a constant pressure injection test and a pulse test at a maximum depth of 705.1 m using the deep borehole hydraulic testing system was found to be 1.60E-10 to 2.05E-8 m/s, and the maximum and minimum differences were found to be about 130 times. In the constant pressure injection test, the difference depending on the analysis method was found to be 1.02 to 2.8 times. The hydraulic conductivity calculated by the two test equipment and methods generally showed similar ranges as E-9 and E-8 m/s, and no clear trend was observed according to depth. It was found that the granite rockmass in the Wonju area where the field hydraulic test was conducted showed low or very low rockmass permeability, and although there are differences in the range of hydraulic conductivity and the depth of application that can be measured depending on the applied test equipment and test method, it is generally believed that reliable results were presented.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.263-270
• /
• 2017

Hydraulic rock splitting is a technique which leads to failure of rockmass by means of water injection with a pressure higher than the tensile strength of rockmass, using straddle packer installed in boreholes drilled from free surface. Field tests were conducted in this study for several slopes of biotite granite according to various designs for borehole layout and water injection. Test results showed that new cracks were generated to connect to adjacent holes or that pre-existed cracks were propagated by injection, finally leading to failure. In particular, this study suggests the possibility of controlling the direction of generated cracks with guide slot, since new cracks were generated parallel to the guide slots carved on a borehole wall before injection. Various types of borehole layout and injection methods should be further developed for the practical uses, considering the factors influencing on crack generation.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.505-518
• /
• 2021

The present paper has been carried out to understand the effects of impact loading on the rock tunnels, constructed in different region corresponding to varying unconfined compressive strength (UCS), through finite element method. The UCS of rockmass has substantial role in the stability of rock tunnels under impact loading condition due to falling rocks or other objects. In the present study, Dolomite, Shale, Sandstone, Granite, Basalt, and Quartzite rocks have been taken into consideration for understanding of the effect of UCS that vary from 2.85 MPa to 207.03 MPa. The Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model has been considered in the present study for the nonlinear elastoplastic analysis for all the rocks surrounding the tunnel opening. The geometry and boundary conditions of the model remains constant throughout the analysis and missile has 100 kg of weight. The general hard contact has been assigned to incorporate the interaction between different parts of the model. The present study focuses on studying the deformations in the rock tunnel caused by impacting load due to missile for tunnels having different concrete grade, and steel grade. The broader range of rock strength depicts the strong relationship between the UCS of rock and the extent of damage produced under different impact loading conditions. The energy released during an impact loading simulation shows the variation of safety and serviceability of the rock tunnel.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.226-233
• /
• 1998

Microcracks in rock materials, whether natural or induced, provide useful information on the engineering performance of in situ rockmasses. A population of preferentially oriented microcracks has observable effects on the physical properties of a rockmass, but their effects may not be evident if the rock material is highly anisotropic due to other causes. An experimental program was undertaken to investigate the effect of rock fabrics on the physical properties of rock materials. In this study, anisotropy in the circumferential wave velocity and the direction of induced fractures under axial point loading were measured. Rock specimens (NX-size) of the leucocractic Pocheon granite were cored from rock blocks, retaining the relative directions of each specimen. Another set of specimens was prepared from the rock cores of the same meterial, obtained in the field. The master orientation line (MOL) was set to be the representative direction of the microcracks in the specimen. Variation of the circumferential wave velocity of each specimen was then measured along the core, keeping the MOL as reference. The direction of the minimum wave velocity was nearly perpendicular to the direction of the MOL. Coring of smaller-sized (EX-size), concentric specimens from the NX specimens were then followed, and axial point loading was applied. The direction of induced fractures due to axial point loading was closely related to the MOL direction, confirming the prior test result.