• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.457-465
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• 2013

We integrated and correlated datasets from surface and subsurface geophysics, drilling cores, and engineering geology to identify geological interfaces and characterize the joints and fracture zones within the rock mass. The regional geometry of a geologically weak zone was investigated via a fence projection of electrical resistivity data and a borehole image-processing system. Subsurface discontinuities and intensive fracture zones within the rock mass are delineated by cross-hole seismic tomography and analyses of dip directions in rose diagrams. The dynamic elastic modulus is studied in terms of the P-wave velocity and Poisson's ratio. Subsurface discontinuities, which are conventionally identified using the N value and from core samples, can now be identified from anomalous reflection coefficients (i.e., acoustic impedance contrast) calculated using a pair of well logs, comprising seismic velocity from suspension-PS logging and density from logging. Intensive fracture zones identified in the synthetic seismogram are matched to core loss zones in the drilling core data and to a high concentration of joints in the borehole imaging system. The upper boundaries of fracture zones are correlated to strongly negative amplitude in the synthetic trace, which is constructed by convolution of the optimal Ricker wavelet with a reflection coefficient. The standard deviations of dynamic elastic moduli are higher for fracture zones than for acompact rock mass, due to the wide range of velocities resulting from the large numbers of joints and fractures within the zone.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2005

Inversion of multi-mode surface-wave phase velocity for shallow engineering site investigation has received much attention in recent years. A sensitivity analysis and inversion of both synthetic and field data demonstrates the greater effectiveness of this method over employing the fundamental mode alone. Perturbation of thickness and shear-wave velocity parameters in multi-modal Rayleigh wave phase velocities revealed that the sensitivities of higher modes: (a) concentrate in different frequency bands, and (b) are greater than the fundamental mode for deeper parameters. These observations suggest that multi-mode phase velocity inversion can provide better parameter discrimination and imaging of deep structure, especially with a velocity reversal, than can inversion of fundamental mode data alone. An inversion of the theoretical phase velocities in a model with a low velocity layer at 20 m depth can only image the soft layer when the first higher mode is incorporated. This is especially important when the lowest measurable frequency is only 6 Hz. Field tests were conducted at sites surveyed by borehole and PS logging. At the first site, an array microtremor survey, often used for deep geological surveying in Japan, was used to survey the soil down to 35 m depth. At the second site, linear multichannel spreads with a sledgehammer source were recorded, for an investigation down to 12 m depth. The f-k power spectrum method was applied for dispersion analysis, and velocities up to the second higher mode were observed in each test. The multi-mode inversion results agree well with PS logs, but models estimated from the fundamental mode alone show f large underestimation of the depth to shallow soft layers below artificial fill.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.27 no.B
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• pp.115-119
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• 2007

Currently, geophysical method is applied for understanding the subsurface geologic structure economically and systematically, but there exists some limitations on recognizing complex subsurface structures precisely by a single geophysical method. In order to understand the complex subsurface structures, we applied various geophysical methods including seismic refraction survey, two-dimensional resistivity survey, seismic tomography survey, suspension-ps log, and understood distribution of low velocity, low resistivity range of resistivity survey and correlation of an intersecting point, velocity distribution of seismic tomography survey.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2007

Recent investigations into earthquake-induced damage have reported that liquefaction may take place on not only sands but also fine-contained soils or non-plastic silts. Although not a few study has been performed to understand the liquefaction of sands, relatively little effort has been devoted to improving our understanding of the liquefaction characteristics for non-plastic soils. Given that liquefaction strength is largely associated to shear wave velocity, bender element test as well as direct simple shear test is employed to examine the stiffness of non-plastic silt more precisely. Through the soil tests, the stiffness of non-plastic silts from the bender element tests is identified as slightly greater than that from the direct simple shear test. Further, the stiffness of non-plastic silts appears to be smaller than that of clay.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.105-115
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• 2009

The Jeju sand was sampled from the beach in Jeju Island and its basic properties were analyzed. The cementation effect of Jeju coastal sediments was evaluated from in-situ tests such as SPT, CPT, and the Suspension-PS test. It was shown from test results that the Jeju sand has high extreme void ratios due to the angularity of grains and the intra-particle voids of hollow particles, similar to typical calcareous sands. From cone penetration test in the calibration chamber, it was found that the cone resistance($q_c$)-relative density($D_R$)-vertical effective stress(${\sigma}_v'$) relation of Jeju sand almost matches that of high compressible quartz sand. However, the $q_C-D_R-{\sigma}_v'$ correlation suggested for uncemented Jeju sand overestimates the relative density of coastal sediments of Jeju Island due to the cementation effect. From the analysis of the relation of cone resistance, N value, and small strain shear modulus measured in-situ, it seems reasonable to assume that the coastal sediment of Jeju Island is a naturally cemented one.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 2015

Although geophysical methods are useful and generally provide valuable information about the subsurface, it is important to recognize their limitations. A common limitation is the lack of sufficient contrast in physical properties between different layers. Thus, multiple methods are commonly used to best constrain the physical properties of different layers and interpret each section individually. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) and shallow seismic reflection (SSR) methods, used for shallow and very shallow subsurface imaging, respond to dielectric and velocity contrasts between layers, respectively. In this study, we merged GPR and SSR data from a test site within the Cheongui granitic mass, where the water table is ~3 m deep all year. We interpreted the data in combination with field observations and existing data from drill cores and well logs. GPR and SSR reflections from the tops of the sand layer, water table, and weathered and soft rocks are successfully mapped in a single section, and they correlate well with electrical resistivity data and SPS (suspension PS) well-logging profiles. In addition, subsurface interfaces in the integrated section correlate well with S-wave velocity structures from multi-channel analysis shear wave (MASW) data, a method that was recently developed to enhance lateral resolution on the basis of CMP (common midpoint) cross-correlation (CMPCC) analysis.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.157-164
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• 2005

Urban conditions such as underground facilities and ambient noises due to cultural activity restrict the application of conventional geophysical techniques in general. We used the refraction microtremor (REMI) technique as an alternative way to get the geotechnical information, in particular shear-wave (S-wave) velocity information, at a site along an existing rail road. The REMI method uses ambient noises recorded using standard refraction equipment to derived shear-wave velocity information at a site. It does a wavefield transformation on the recorded wavefield to produce Rayleigh wave dispersion curve, which are then picked and modeled to get the shear-wave velocity structure. At this site the vibrations from the running trains provided strong noise sources that allowed REMI to be very effective. REMI was performed along the planned new underground rail tunnel. In addition, Suspension PS logging (SPS) were carried out at selected boreholes along the profile in order to draw out the quantitative relation between the shear wave velocity from the PS logging and the rock mass rating (RMR) determined from the inspection of the cores recovered from the same boreholes, These correlations were then used to relate the shear-wave velocity derived from REMI to RMR along the entire profile. The correlation between shear wave velocity and RMR was very good and so it was possible to estimate the RMR of the total zone of interest for the design of underground tunnel,

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.255-262
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• 2009

Conventionally, vertical-seismic-profiling (VSP) survey that provides high-resolution information has mainly performed to obtain the exact depth of the gas hydrate-bearing sediment, which is one of the key factors in the development of the gas hydrate. In this study, we extracted interval velocities and created corridor stacks from the first domestic zero-offset VSP data, which were acquired with three component receivers at UBGH09 borehole in Ulleung Basin where gas hydrate exists. Then we compared the corridor stacks with a CMP stacked section from surface seismic data. First of all, we converted the signals recorded with three component receivers to true vertical and horizontal components by phase rotation, and divided the data into direct waves and reflected waves by wavefield separation processing. The trend of the interval velocity extracted from the zero-offset VSP was similar to that of the sonic log obtained at the same borehole. Because the interval velocity of the gas hydrate-bearing sediment above the BSR was high, and it decreased suddenly through the BSR, we could infer that free gas is accumulated below the BSR. The results of comparing the corridor stacks to the CMP stacked section of the surface seismic data showed that most reflection events agreed well with those in the surface CMP stacked section and that the phase-rotated VSP data corresponded better with the surface seismic data than the VSP data without phase rotation. In addition, by comparing a corridor stack produced from the transverse component with the CMP stacked section of the surface seismic data, we could identify PS mode-converted reflections in the CMP stacked section.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.108-113
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• 2006

Urban conditions, such as existing underground facilities and ambient noise due to cultural activity, restrict the general application of conventional geophysical techniques. At a tunnelling site in an urban area along an existing railroad, we used the refraction microtremor (REMI) technique (Louie, 2001) as an alternative way to get geotechnical information. The REMI method uses ambient noise recorded by standard refraction equipment and a linear geophone array to derive a shear-wave velocity profile. In the inversion procedure, the Rayleigh wave dispersion curve is picked from a wavefield transformation, and iteratively modelled to get the S-wave velocity structure. The REMI survey was carried out along the line of the planned railway tunnel. At this site vibrations from trains and cars provided strong seismic sources that allowed REMI to be very effective. The objective of the survey was to evaluate the rock mass rating (RMR), using shear-wave velocity information from REMI. First, the relation between uniaxial compressive strength, which is a component of the RMR, and shear-wave velocity from laboratory tests was studied to learn whether shear-wave velocity and RMR are closely related. Then Suspension PS (SPS) logging was performed in selected boreholes along the profile, in order to draw out the quantitative relation between the shear-wave velocity from SPS logging and the RMR determined from inspection of core from the same boreholes. In these tests, shear-wave velocity showed fairly good correlation with RMR. A good relation between shear-wave velocity from REMI and RMR could be obtained, so it is possible to estimate the RMR of the entire profile for use in design of the underground tunnel.