• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.129-141
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• 2021

The vacuum preloading method has been used in many countries for soil improvement and land reclamation. However, the treatment time is long and the improvement effect is poor for the straight-line vacuum preloading method. To alleviate such problems, a novel combined air booster and straight-line vacuum preloading method for shallow ground treatment is proposed in this study. Two types of traditional vacuum preloading and combined air booster and straight-line vacuum preloading tests were conducted and monitored in the field. In both tests, the depth of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) is 4.5m, the distance between PVDs is 0.8m, and the vacuum preloading time is 60 days. The prominent difference between the two methods is when the preloading time is 45 days, the injection pressure of 250 kPa is adopted for combined air booster and straight-line vacuum preloading test to inject air into the ground. Based on the monitoring data, this paper systematically studied the mechanical parameters, hydraulic conductivity, pore water pressure, settlement and subsoil bearing capacity, as determined by the vane shear strength, to demonstrate that the air-pressurizing system can improve the consolidation. The consolidation time decreased by 15 days, the pore water pressure decreased to 60.49%, and the settlement and vane shear strengths increased by 45.31% and 6.29%, respectively, at the surface. These results demonstrate the validity of the combined air booster and straight-line vacuum preloading method. Compared with the traditional vacuum preloading, the combined air booster and straight-line vacuum preloading method has better reinforcement effect. In addition, an estimation method for evaluating the average degree of consolidation and an empirical formula for evaluating the subsoil bearing capacity are proposed to assist in engineering decision making.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 2000

The use of strut-preloading method is gradually increasing in braced excavations in Korea. And it is necessary to analyze the effects of strut preloading on the wall deflection, wall bending moment and strut axial force, etc. In this study, by using the analysis method of beams on elasto-plastic foundations, measured data and calculated results of 2 sites are compared and parametric studies of correlation between preloading and earth retaining structures in sandy soils are carried out in strut preloading application. As results, about 50%~75% of design strut load is effective as preloading force in considering the displacement and member forces of earth retaining structures. And the effective stiffiness of strut should be at least 25% of th ideal value in order to restrain the excessive increase of wall deflection and bending moments. As one of some methods to prevent excessive movements in braced excavation, to preload the strut is confirmed as more effective way than to increase the stiffiness of strut in braced wall, if the excessive axial force of strut due to preloading can be avoided.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.447-462
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• 2019

The vacuum preloading method has been used in many countries for ground improvement and land reclamation works. A sand cushion is required as a horizontal drainage channel for conventional vacuum preloading. In terms of the dredged-fill foundation soil, the treatment effect of the conventional vacuum preloading method is poor, particularly in Tianjin, China, where a shortage of sand exists. To solve this problem, straight-line vacuum preloading without sand is widely adopted in engineering practice to improve the foundation soil. Based on the engineering properties of dredged fill in Lingang City, Tianjin, this paper presents field instrumentation in five sections and analyzes the effect of a prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) layout and a vacuum pumping method on the soft soil ground treatment. Through the arrangement of pore water pressure gauges, settlement marks and vane shear tests, the settlement, pore water pressure and subsoil bearing capacity are analyzed to evaluate the effect of the ground treatment. This study demonstrates that straight-line vacuum preloading without sand can be suitable for areas with a high water content. Furthermore, the consolidation settlement and consolidation degree system is developed based on the grey model to predict the consolidation settlement and consolidation degree under vacuum preloading; the validity of the system is also verified.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1999.03a
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• pp.129-136
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• 1999

The use of strut preloading method is gradually increasing in braced excavations in Korea. And it is necessary to analyse the effects of strut preloading on the wall deflection, bending moment and strut axial force etc. In this study, by using the analysis method of beams on elasto-plastic foundations, parametric studies of correlation between preloading and earth retaining structures in sandy soils were peformed in strut preloading application. As results, about 50% of design strut load was effective as a preloading force in considering the displacement and member forces of structures. And at least the effective stiffness of strut should be over 25% of the ideal value in order to restrain the excessive increase of wall deflection and bending moments. In order to protect excessive movements in braced excavation, to preload the strut was rather effective way than to increase the stiffness of strut and braced wall, but the excessive axial force of strut should be checked simultaneously.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-42
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• 2021

The utilization of buildings can be improved by extending them vertically. However, the added load of the extension might require building foundations to be underpinned; otherwise, the loads on the foundations might exceed their bearing capacity. In this study, a preloading method was presented aiming at transferring partial loads from existing piles to underpinning piles. A pneumatic-type model preloading device was developed and used to carry out centrifuge experiments to evaluate the load-displacement behavior of piles, the pile-soil interaction during preloading, and the additional loading caused by vertical extension. The results showed that the preloading devices effectively transfer load from existing piles to underpinning piles. In the additional loading test of group piles, the load-sharing ratio of a pile increased with its stiffness. The load-sharing ratio of a preloaded micropile was less than that of a non-preloaded micropile as a result of the reduction in axial stiffness caused by preloading before additional loading. Therefore, a slight reduction of the load-sharing capacity of an underpinning pile should be considered if the preloading method is applied. Further, two full scale preloading devices was developed. The devices preload underpinning piles and thereby produce reaction forces on a reaction frame to jack existing piles upward, thus transferring load from the existing piles to the underpinning piles. Specifically, screw-type and hydraulic-jack type devices were developed for the practical application of foundation underpinning during vertical extension, and their operability and load transfer effect verified via full-scale structural experiments.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 2018

In recent years, vertical extension remodeling of apartment building is considered as one of the efficient ways to broaden and enhance the utilization of existing buildings due to the rapid development of population and decrement of land resources. The reinforcement of foundation is of great importance to bearing the additional load caused by the added floors. However, because of the additional load, the carried load by the existing piles would be in excess of its allowable bearing capacity. In this study, a conceptual construction method called preloading method was presented. The preloading method applies force onto the reinforcing pile before vertical extension construction. The purpose of preloading is to transfer partial load applied on the existing piles to reinforcing piles in order to keep each pile not exceeding the allowable capacity and to mobilize resistance of reinforcing pile by developing relative settlement. The feasibility and effect of preloading method was investigated by using finite numerical method. Two simulation models, foundation reinforcement with preloading and without preloading, were developed through PLAXIS 3D program. Numerical results showed that the presented preloading method is capable of sharing partial carried load of existing pile and develops the mobilization of reinforcing pile's frictional resistance.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.543-551
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• 2019

In China, serious environmental problems are induced by the extremely soft construction waste slurries in many urban areas, and there is no appropriate method to treat it presently. In this paper, four model tests were conducted to investigate the efficiency of waste slurry treatment by combining three conditioning agents which can change characteristics of the slurries with a traditional vacuum preloading method. The tests of size analysis of particle aggregate were conducted to investigate the influence of different conditioning agents on the size distributions of particle aggregate. During the model test, the discharged water volumes were monitored. The pore-size distribution and void ratio of the waste slurries after the vacuum preloading were measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). It is found that 1) During the natural precipitation, volume of water out of the organic agent is higher than that of the mixed agent, but it is smaller than that of the mixed agent in the vacuum preloading stage; 2) the mixed agent has a higher total volume of water out than the organic agent and the inorganic agent after test, while the organic agent and the inorganic agent have little difference with respect to the drainage effect. The results demonstrate that the combination of mixed conditioning agent and vacuum preloading for the solid-liquid separation in waste slurry has a satisfactory effect and can be applied in engineering practice.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.436-452
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• 2008

In this study, the settlement prediction method based on field monitoring data under preloading improvement with ramp loading is developed. Settlement behavior can be predicted with field monitored settlement throughout the entire preloading process including ramp loading followed by constant loading. The developed method is verified by comparing its predicted results with results from physical model tests and field monitoring data.

• 기술발표회
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• s.2006
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• pp.35-44
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• 2006

Supporting method of a Temporary retaining wall for underground excavation project are adopted by systems of strut, anchor, nail, raker, etc. Strut system and Raker system of these methods are mostly used preloading jack to minimize deformations of retaining wall. We determinate efficient preloading to analysis these strut-preloadings, deformations of retaining wall, axial forces, and etc.. This study is analysed that preloading applied 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, ...., 100% for strut and raker installed by CIP temporary retaining wall. This study results that adequate preloadings were determined to analysis correlations of preloading, deformations of wall, maximum bending moment, axial force of strut, and displacement of surrounding.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.1086-1093
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• 2005

In soft ground, consolidation settlement is mainly consider. The primary consolidation settlement which is the time when the excess pore water pressure is completely dispersed and the secondary consolidation settlement which follows. Recently as the depth of consolidation layer increases the consideration of not only the primary consolidation settlement but also of the secondary consolidation settlement becomes a very important element. But up to the present there were only a few in-depth study of the secondary consolidation settlement performed. At present there are a lot of methods available when it comes to the improvement of soft soil. In this study, Preloading Method which is the most commonly used soft soil improvement method locally was used in order to investigate the method for the reduction of secondary consolidation settlement. The objective of this study is to determine the amount of preloading required to reduce secondary consolidation settlement and to determine whether secondary consolidation settlement using standard consolidation test.