• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2014

Synthetic fiber reinforced concrete is applicable to many applications for construction material. In general, synthetic fibers have low tensile strength and elastic modulus, but they have many advantages such as high crack resistance, impact resistance, chemical resistance, flexural behavior and corrosion free in fiber reinforced concrete. Recently, fiber reinforced concrete with macro synthetic fibers has been used to improve performance of structures in tunnel shotcrete, precast segmental lining and bridge slab and precast concrete structures. This study investigated the influence of bundled type polyamide fiber reinforced concrete on the flexural behavior in accordance with ASTM C 1609 and KS F 2566 standards.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.237-251
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• 2020

This study examined structural analysis of supports in tunnel and displacement and underground stress of tunnel by measurement, in order to evaluate the performance of high-strength lattice girders developed as a substitute for H-profiles. According to the three-dimensional nonlinear structural analysis results of the tunnel support, the load and displacement relationship between the H-profiles and the high-strength lattice girders showed almost the same behavior, and the maximum load of the high-strength lattice girders were 1.0 to 1.2 times greater than the H-profiles. By the results of the three-dimensional tunnel cross-section analysis of the supports, the axial force was occurred largely in the lower left and right sides of the tunnel, and showed a similar trend to the field test values. In the results of the measurement of the roof settlement and rod extension, the final displacement of the steel arch rib (H-profile) and high-strength lattice girder section in tunnel was converged to a constant value without significant difference within the first management standard of 23.5 mm. According to the results of underground displacement measurement, the final change amount of the two support sections showed a slight displacement change, but converged to a constant value within the first management standard of 10 mm. By the results of measurement of shotcrete stress and steel arch rib stress, the final change amount of the two support sections showed a slight stress change, but converged to a constant value within the first management standard of 81.1 kg/㎠ and 54.2 tonf.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.130-143
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• 2012

Cablebolts used to be employed as auxiliary supports where long or high capacity bolts are needed, but become competitive by the improvements in supportability and easiness in handling. Based on the test results obtained from various researches, the performance of the cablebolts was analyzed numerically while varying lengths and fixing conditions. The supporting effecte is assessed by monitoring displacements and stress taken place in shotcrete. When cablebolts are grouted without being tensioned, supporting effect was not as good as that of rockbolts. But, their supportability was good enough to substitute rockbolts if tensioned properly. Post grouting right after tensioning of the cablebolts shows reduction in supportability, but long term stability could be achieved without losing supportability if grouted when the bolt is far enough from the face. Further study is necessary including laboratory and in-situ tests under various conditions to use cablebolts as main support in tunnels.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.459-468
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• 2019

The stability and safety of concrete plug structure of diversion tunnel is crucial for the impoundment of upstream reservoir in hydropower projects. The ongoing Wudongde hydropower plant in China plans to adopt straight column plugs and curved column plugs to replace the traditional expanded wedge-shaped plugs. The performance of the proposed new plug structures under high water head is then a critical issue and attracts the attentions of engineers. This paper firstly studied the joint bearing mechanism of plug and surrounding rock mass and found that the quality and mechanical properties of the interfaces among plug concrete, shotcrete, and surrounding rock mass play a key role in the performance of plug structures. By performing geophysical and mechanical experiments, the contact state and the mechanical parameters of the interfaces were analyzed in detail and provide numerical analysis with rational input parameters. The safety evaluation is carried out through numerical calculation of plug stability under both construction and operation period. The results indicate that the allowable water head acting on columnar plugs is 3.1 to 7.4 times of the designed water head. So the stability of the new plug structure meets the design code requirement. Based on above findings, it is concluded that for the studied project, it is feasible to adopt columnar plugs to replace the traditional expanded wedge-shaped plugs. It is hoped that this study can provide reference for other projects with similar engineering background and problems.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.223-242
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• 2024

Single-shell tunnels, introduced to South Korea in the early 2000s, have not been adopted for the main tunnels of roads or railways over the past two decades despite several attempts starting with the Gwangju City Bypass. This reluctance likely arises from concerns about the long-term performance of supporting materials and the absence of relevant criteria and specifications. However, recent progress, including the incorporation of high-strength shotcrete standards and corrosion-resistant rock bolt specifications, alongside equipment and technique enhancements, necessitates a reassessment of single-shell tunnels. While the single-shell tunnel method offers advantages in environmental impact, construction cost and period compared to the conventional NATM, it is crucial to address the challenges, such as limited design and construction experience, incomplete detailed standards, and insufficient construction specifications, through further research and pilot projects. This paper reviewed the basic principles of single-shell tunnel, current application and research status, technical development trends, criteria and specifications, and remaining challenges. It aims to reignite discussions on the feasibility of applying single-shell tunnels in South Korea.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.261-283
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• 2023

This study aimed to review the performance stability of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) fiber reinforcing materials among the synthetic fiber types for which the application of performance reinforcing materials to fiber-reinforced concrete is being reviewed by examining short-term and long-term performance changes. To this end, the residual performance was analyzed after exposing the PET fiber to an acid/alkali environment, and the flexural strength and equivalent flexural strength of the PET fiber-reinforced concrete mixture by age were analyzed, and the surface of the PET fiber collected from the concrete specimen was examined using a scanning microscope (SEM). The changes in were analyzed. As a result of the acid/alkali environment exposure test of PET fiber, the strength retention rate was 83.4~96.4% in acidic environment and 42.4~97.9% in alkaline environment. It was confirmed that the strength retention rate of the fiber itself significantly decreased when exposed to high-temperature strong alkali conditions, and the strength retention rate increased in the finished yarn coated with epoxy. In the test results of the flexural strength and equivalent flexural strength of the PET fiber-reinforced concrete mixture, no reduction in flexural strength was found, and the equivalent flexural strength result also did not show any degradation in performance as a fiber reinforcement. Even in the SEM analysis results, no surface damage or cross-sectional change of the PET reinforcing fibers was observed. These results mean that no damage or cross-section reduction of PET reinforcing fibers occurs in cement concrete environments even when fiber-reinforced concrete is exposed to high temperatures in the early stage or depending on age, and the strength of PET fibers decreases in cement concrete environments. The impact is judged to be of no concern. As the flexural strength and equivalent flexural strength according to age were also stably expressed, it could be seen that performance degradation due to hydrolysis, which is a concern due to the use of PET fiber reinforcing materials, did not occur, and it was confirmed that stable residual strength retention characteristics were exhibited.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.211-219
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• 2017

The spray-applied waterproofing membrane is installed on shotcrete or concrete surface to make impermeable layer with 3-5 mm thick for the purpose of waterproofing. This study aims to determine the internal structure of a spray-applied waterproofing membrane including pores by using X-ray CT technique. Before obtaining X-ray images of the membrane specimens, a waterproof performance test was performed on the membrane specimens with a water pressure of 500 kPa for 28 days. Results show that the movement of moisture is made through micropores. This is based on the fact that the large pores inside the membrane are not saturated and the degrees of saturation of the micropores are high. X-ray image is effective for determining the pore size distribution and whether the membrane with pores contains the water However, it is necessary to pay attention to the determination of water content, since water content may vary depending on the threshold value of X-ray image analysis applied to calculate the water content.