• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.555-563
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• 2024

The reasonable setting of coal pillar width plays a key role in guaranteeing the steadiness of surrounding rock of fully mechanized caving gateroad driving along the next goaf. Based on the engineering background of the Bayangaole mine, the discrete element method was used to simulate the fracture evolution of coal pillars with different pillar widths. The results show that the damage rate of the coal pillar increases with the decrease in the width of the coal pillar. Once the coal pillar width is smaller than 6 m, cracks run through the coal pillar, and the coal pillar is completely damaged. In the middle of the coal pillar, which has a width of 6 m and above, there is a relatively complete area with low damage. The results show that the pillar width of 6 m is the most appropriate. Field tests prove that the reserved width of a 6 m small coal pillar can effectively control the surrounding rock deformation, ensuring the overall steadiness of the gateroad in the thick coal seam. It is hoped that this study will offer some reference for the determination of the reasonable size of the coal pillar.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.15-23
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• 2009

This research area is a greate section of triple tunnels that passes through the fault fractured zone the in the granite area. In this area, tunnel section, pillar width and overburden height are changed consecutively due to declivity of 1 : 4.5 and slope formation of upper part as changed section. That is, stability estimation for each section varying pillar width can be conducted because tunnel diameter changes gradually from 0.5D to 1.0D according to distance of pillar width. We have estimated the stability of pillar width in triple tunnels with monitoring value, and compared the stability with results of numerical analysis.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.352-359
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• 2010

Stability of twin tunnels depends on the pillar width and the ground condition. In this study, large scale model tests were conducted for investigating the influence of the pillar width of twin tunnels on their behavior in the regular horizontal jointed rock mass. Jointed rocks was composed of concrete blocks. Pillar width of twin tunnels varied in 0.29D, 0.59D, 0.88D and 1.18D, where D is the tunnel width. During the test, pillar stress, lining stress, tunnel distortion, and ground displacement were measured. Lateral earth pressure coefficient was kept in a constant value 1.0. As a result, it was found that the pillar stress and the displacement of the ground and tunnel were increased by decreasing pillar width. The maximum displacement rate was measured just after the upper excavation in each construction sequence. And the maximum influence position was the right shoulder of the preceeding tunnel at the pillar side. It was also found that for the stability assessment the inner displacement was more critical than the crown displacement. The influence zone was formed at the pillar width 0.59D~0.88D that was smaller than 0.8D~2.0D, which was proposed by experience for a good ground condition. And it would be concluded that horizontal joints could also influence on the stability of the twin tunnels.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.443-453
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• 2013

This study aims to evaluate the mechanical behaviors of unsupported rock pillars in a room-and-pillar underground structure by a series of numerical analyses. In addition, rock pillar strengths estimated by a few empirical equations proposed for underground mines are compared with those from numerical analyses. Based on the results from the numerical analysis, the ratio of pillar strength to rock mass strength increases as the ratio of the width of a pillar to its height becomes bigger. It means that higher ratio of pillar width to its height is much more favorable for stabilizing a room-and-pillar underground structure. Especially, unsupported pillar strengths estimated from numerical analyses are higher than rock mass strength when the ratio of pillar width to height is approximately over 1.5. It is also found that the choice of an empirical equation appropriate for a given geometric condition of a pillar is important for its feasible application to the stability analysis of a pillar in the room-and-pillar method.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.423-434
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• 2015

Scaled model tests were performed to investigate the influence of pillar width, rock strength and isotropy/anisotropy on the stability of twin tunnels. Test models had respectively different pillar widths, uniaxial compressive strengths of modelling materials and model types, where both the deformation behaviors around tunnels and the biaxial pressure data at a time of pillar cracking were analysed. The cracking pressures of the higher strength models were higher than the lower strength models, whereas the percentage of cracking pressure to uniaxial compressive strength of modelling materials showed an opposite tendency. The cracking pressures of the shallower pillar width models were lower than the thicker models, moreover the percentage of that showed a same tendency. It has been found that the pillar width was one of the main factors influencing on the stability of twin tunnels. Model types such as isotropy/anisotropy also influenced on the stability of twin tunnels. The anisotropic models showed lower values of both cracking pressures and the percentage of that than the isotropic models, where the pillar cracks of anisotropic models were generated with regard to the pre-existing joint planes.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.226-241
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• 2020

The stability of underground mine cavity is closely related with pillar strength. The vulnerability of pillars can be judged and reinforced if the pillar strength is known. The pillar strength is affected by characteristics of discontinuities and shape of a pillar. The change of pillar strength due to a discontinuity passing through the center of a pillar, width-to-height ratio of a pillar and small joints existing within a pillar was analyzed using PFC 3D. The result showed that the pillar strength is influenced by dip angle of a discontinuity and it increases as width-to-height ratio of a pillar increases. The pillar strength decreases as the number of contained joints increases. The relationship between total trace length observable from the pillar surface and the pillar strength was regressed with exponential function. The correlation coefficient of the regression was high enough so that pillar strength can be predicted using total trace length if a joint set exists in a pillar. Lastly, the method to estimate the strength of a pillar that includes two joint sets was proposed if the joint dip angles are 60°, 30°. The method also need total trace lengths of two joint sets.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

In this paper, parametric studies are conducted to evaluate the contribute effect of multi layered room and pillar mine structures by underground accidental explosions. Influence of PPV(Peak Particle Velocity) obtained from large explosion at a multi layered room and pillar mine was numerically simulated by using AUTODYN. Parameters for contribution rate Analysis was analyzed by the robust design method. Orthogonal array is $L_9(3^4)$, which was adopted in this study, the parameters were pillar height, pillar width, mine span and sill pillar of 3 levels. Results of analysis showed that bottom mine of vertical direction from explosion point are most affected by pillar height, followed by sill pillar thickness, mine span and pillar width. Parameters affecting adjacent mine of horizontal direction from explosion are in the order of pillar width, mine span, pillar height and sill pillar thickness.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.65-69
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• 2017

This paper presents a Technology-CAD (TCAD) simulation of the characteristics of crystalline Si pillar array solar cells. The junction depth and the surface concentration of the solar cells were optimized to obtain the targeted sheet resistance of the emitter region. The diffusion model was determined by calibrating the emitter doping profile of the microscale silicon pillars. The dimension parameters determining the pillar shape, such as width, height, and spacing were varied within a simulation window from ${\sim}2{\mu}m$ to $5{\mu}m$. The simulation showed that increasing pillar width (or diameter) and spacing resulted in the decrease of current density due to surface area loss, light trapping loss, and high reflectance. Although increasing pillar height might improve the chances of light trapping, the recombination loss due to the increase in the carrier's transfer length canceled out the positive effect to the photo-generation component of the current. The silicon pillars were experimentally formed by photoresist patterning and electroless etching. The laboratory results of a fabricated Si pillar solar cell showed the efficiency and the fill factor to be close to the simulation results.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.299-310
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• 2014

Nationally, tunnel and underground constructions are necessary for the environmental sustainability and the efficient use of land space. For the importance of eco-friendly circumstances, 2-arch or large road tunnel has been designed so far. However, such a 2-arch or large tunnel has problems in terms of cost, constructability, construction period, and maintenance. Therefore, in this study, tunnel behavior and stability of rock pillar according to the pillar width and cover depth for parallel tunnels are investigated by performing FE analysis and using empirical formula. According to the results, Rock pillar is reinforced for distributed vertical load by Tie-Bolt due to unpredicted ground deformation, and the reinforced rock pillar's behaviour from the FE analysis shows a quite good agreement with field measurement. According to ground conditions, if the pillar width of the parallel tunnels is reduced, it can be more efficient in use of the tunnel space compared to previous tunnels.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.577-587
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• 2021

Room and Pillar method is an underground facility construction method that maximizes the strength of the in-situ ground. In order to secure the safety of the underground space, it is necessary to secure the safety of the room actually used in addition to the safety of pillar of the room and Pillar method. In this study, the evaluation method for the safety of the room and rock pillar in the room and pillar method was studied through numerical analysis. Numerical analysis was performed for a total of 125 cases using ground conditions, pillar width, and room width as parameters, and the results were derived. As for the safety factor of the pillar, it was confirmed that the safety factor increased when the strength of the ground increased, and it was confirmed that the increment in the safety factor decreased when the width of the pillar was widened. The room strain was evaluated by applying the Critical strain. As the width of the pillar became narrower, the Critical strain was higher, and as the width of the room became smaller, the Critical strain was smaller. As a result of the correlation analysis between the safety factor of the pillar and the room strain, it was possible to derive the upper limit of the room strain that can secure the standard safety factor of the pillar according to the width of the pillar. It is judged that the results derived from this study can be used as a guideline to secure the safety of the room when the actual design is performed in consideration of the ground conditions and room width.