• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2019

Since behaviors of loose, dense, silty sands vary under seismic loading, understanding the liquefaction mechanism of sandy soils continues to be an important challenges of geotechnical earthquake engineering. In this study, 36 deformation controlled cyclic simple shear tests were performed and the liquefaction potential of the sands was investigated using three different relative densities (40, 55, 70%), four different effective stresses (25, 50, 100, 150 kPa) and three different shear strain amplitudes (2, 3.5, 5%) by using energy based approach. Experiments revealed the relationship between per unit volume dissipated energy with effective stress, relative density and shear strain. The dissipate energy per unit volume was much less affected by shear strain than effective stress and relative density. In other words, the dissipated energy is strongly dependent on relative density and effective stress. These results show that the dissipated energy per unit volume is very useful and may contain the non-uniform loading conditions of the earthquake spectrum. When multiple regression analysis is performed on experiment results, a relationship is proposed that gives liquefaction energy of sandy soils depending on relative density and effective stress parameters.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.5-13
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• 2016

A calcium source is necessary for calcite precipitation within soil particles by microbial decomposition of urea and a calcium chloride is usually used. The harmful environmental impact of calcium chloride on road, ground and plants is severe. In this study, an eggshell with vinegar is investigated for an environmental-friendly calcium source. Urea-decomposing microorganism and eggshell or calcium chloride as a calcium source are mixed with Ottawa sand to precipitate calcite. Then, the cemented sand with calcite is tested for calcite precipitation, permeability and unconfined compressive strength. A specimen is prepared by loose Ottawa sand in a size of 5 cm in diameter and 10 cm in height. A urea solution with Sporosarcina pasteurii and two different calcium sources is injected into the specimen once a day for 30 days. Calcite precipitated at average of 7.2% on the specimen with eggshell as a calcium source, which was 1.2 times more than that with calcium chloride. The permeability of a specimen with eggshell was at average of 3.82E-5 cm/s, which was 7.7 times lower than that with calcium chloride. Unconfined compressive strength of a specimen with eggshell was at average of 387 kPa, which was 1.2 times higher than that with calcium chloride. As more calcite precipitated, the strength increased while the permeability decreased, regardless of calcium sources.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.15-23
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• 2012

An internal friction angle, which is one of strength parameters of granular soils, can be obtained from direct shear tests or triaxial tests. The result of traixial tests can be influenced by various experimental conditions such as confining pressure, shearing rate, specimen diameter and height, and end constraint. In this study, undrained and drained shearing behaviors of Nakdong River sand were investigated for loose (Dr = 40%) and dense (Dr = 80%) specimens with 5, 7, and 10 cm in diameter. Friction angles such as undrained total stress friction angle, undrained effective stress friction angle, and drained friction angle obtained from Mohr's stress circle slightly increased and then decreased as a diameter of a specimen increased from 5, 7 to 10 cm, regardless of relative densities. The difference between friction angles caused by different specimen size was at maximum 4.5 degrees for undrained total stress friction angle of dense specimen. In most cases, there was little difference between friction angles of large and small specimens, which was less than 2 degrees. The difference between an effective friction angle from undrained tests and a drained friction angle from drained tests was at maximum 7 degrees for loose samples but negligible for dense samples.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.97-107
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• 2014

Finite element modelling and analysis were conducted for the roll-type steel mats which were placed on loose sand and subjected to a standard truck wheel load in this study. The roll-type steel mats mean that the steel mats can be folded as a circle shape for the carrying to fields in cold regions where workability is limited and are developed for a rapid rehabilitation method for roadway across soft ground which is caused by thawing during the summer season in cold regions. The model is composed of link elements to simulate nonlinear behavior of connections between steel mats, thick shell elements to have flexural stiffness of the steel mats, and springs to simulate characteristics of foundation soils. The structural behaviors of the shell, link elements, and springs were verified at each modelling step through experiment and analysis. Beam and shell analysis without the link elements were conducted and compared to results obtained from the model presented in this study. Significant vertical displacement is shown in the shell model with hinge connections. Therefore, the results demonstrate that the analysis model for the roll-type steel mats on loose sand needs further detail parametric studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.473-481
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• 2013

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the improvements in the strength and injection range of loose ground after injecting $CaCO_3$(created by microorganism reaction). For this purpose, three cases of single-layer (Sand, SP, SW) specimens were made in a 150mm D ${\times}$ 200mm H space and two cases of multi-layer specimens (SW/SP, SP/SW) were made in a 150mm D ${\times}$ 300mm H space. The specimens were made with a relative density of 30% of soft ground and an injection was given over a time of one day. The uniaxial compression strength was measured with a cone penetrometer and the injection range was observed by checking the bulb formation around the injection nozzle. Also, the compositions of the specimens were assessed through XRD analyses. Based on the test results, a compressive strength of 500kPa and 15cm thick cementation were noted due to the cementation of the soil. This implies that there are significant effects of the pore condition and size on bio-grouting technology.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.493-506
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• 2021

Liquefaction refers to a phenomenon in which excessive pore water pressure occurs when a dynamic load such as an earthquake rapidly acts on a loose sandy soil saturated with soil, and the ground loses effective stress and becomes liquefied. The indoor repeated test for liquefaction evaluation can be confirmed through the repeated triaxial compression test and the repeated shear test. In this regard, this study tried to confirm the liquefaction resistance strength according to the relative density and particle size distribution of sand using the repeated triaxial compression test. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that the liquefaction resistance strength increased as the relative density increased regardless of the soil classification, and the liquefaction resistance strength according to the particle size distribution of the sand was confirmed that the liquefaction resistance strength of the SP sample close to SW was significantly higher. In addition, as a result of analyzing 30% of fine powder compared to 0% of fine powder, as the relative density increased to 40~70%, the liquefaction resistance strength decreased by 5~20%, and the domestic weathered soil ground had a fine liquefaction resistance strength compared to Jumunjin standard sand. When the minute was 10%, it was measured to be 30% or more, and when the fine particle was 30%, it was measured to be less than 50%.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.221-230
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• 2023

The liquefaction of soil occurs when a soil loses strength and stiffness because of applied stress, such as an earthquake or other changes in stress conditions that result in a loss of cohesion. Hence, a method for improving the strength of liquefiable soil needs to be developed. Many techniques have been presented for their possible applications to mitigate liquefiable soil. Recently, alternative methods using biopolymers (such as xanthan gum, guar gum, and gellan gum), nontraditional additives, have been introduced to stabilize fine-grained soils. However, no studies have been done on the use of carrageenan as a biopolymer for soil improvement. Due to of its rheological and chemical structure, carrageenan may have the potential for use as a biopolymer for soil improvement. This research aims to investigate the effect of adding carrageenan on the soil strength of treated liquefiable soil. The biopolymers used for comparison are carrageenan (as a novel biopolymer), xanthan gum, and guar gum. Then, sand samples were made in cylindrical molds (5 cm × 10 cm) by the dry mixing method. The amount of each biopolymer was 1%, 3%, and 5% of the total sample volume with a moisture content of 20%, and the samples were cured for seven days. In terms of observing the effect of temperature on the carrageenan-treated soil, several samples were prepared with dry sand that was heated in an oven at various temperatures (i.e., 20℃ to 75℃) before mixing. The samples were tested with the direct shear test, UCS test, and SEM test. It can increase the cohesion value of liquefiable soil by 22% to 60% compared to untreated soil. It also made the characteristics of the liquefiable increase by 60% to 92% from very loose sandy soil (i.e., ϕ=29°) to very dense sandy soil. Carrageenan was also shown to have a significant effect on the compressive strength and to exceed the liquefaction limit. Based on the results, carrageenan was found to have the potential for use as an alternative biopolymer.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.103-111
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• 2017

Saudi Arabia coastal area is highly valuable construction as a flat area covered by sabkha deposit. However, sabkha deposit has some geotechnical problems because of high groundwater level, high salt contents in groundwater, loose density, and possibility of collapsible settlement due to presence of crystals vulnerable to moisture, and ground improvement is needed to improve the bearing capacity. In this study, the characteristics of the sabkha soils in the coastal area of Saudi Arabia were analyzed and the applicability of dynamic compaction method was evaluated. Parametric study was conducted to analyze the behavior of sabkha deposit during dynamic compaction. The appropriateness of the proposed analytical solutions to estimate the depth of improvement was evaluated, and the troubles and notes in applying dynamic compaction in sabkha deposit were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.19-25
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• 2007

Stone columns is the ground improvement method which composed of compacted gravel or crushed stone inserted into the soft ground consisting of loose sand and clay. There are many difficulties in quantitative analysis of soil-pile interaction because settlement behavior of stone columns is affected by various parameters. In this study, various parameters of behavior of end-bearing group piles are investigated by load tests. Finally, the improved characteristics of soft ground and the influence of design parameters are investigated in this study using PR (performance ratio) value. From the PR value calculation and test results, we know that settlement behavior of stone columns is affected by area replacement ratio of composite ground, diameter of column rather than embedment ratio and mat.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.333-343
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• 2020

Preventing or reducing the damage impact of lateral soil movements on piled foundations is highly dependent on understanding the behavior of passive piles. For this reason, a detailed experimental study is carried out, aimed to examine the influence of soil density, the depth of moving layer and pile spacing on the behavior of a 2×2 free-standing pile group subjected to a uniform profile of lateral soil movement. Results from 8 model tests comprise bending moment, shear force, soil reaction and deformations measured along the pile shaft using strain gauges and others probing tools were performed. It is found that soil density and the depth of moving layer have an opposite impact regarding the ultimate response of piles. A pile group embedded in dense sand requires less soil displacement to reach the ultimate soil reaction compared to those embedded in medium and loose sands. On the other hand, the larger the moving depth, the larger amount of lateral soil movement needs to develop the pile group its ultimate deformations. Furthermore, the group factor and the effect of pile spacing were highly related to the soil-structure interaction resulted from the transferring process of forces between pile rows with the existing of the rigid pile cap.