• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.67-79
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• 2005

The field plate load test has a good potential for determining modulus since it measures both plate pressure and settlement. Conventionally the modulus has been assumed to be a constant secant value defined from the settlement of the plate at a given load intensity. A constant modulus (modulus of subgrade reaction, k), however, may not be a representative value of subgrade soil under working load. Field strain(o. stress)-dependent modulus characteristics of subgrade soils, at relatively low to intermediate strains, are important in the pavement design. In this study, the field strain dependent moduli of subgrade soils were obtained using cyclic plate load test. Testing procedure and data reduction method are proposed. The field crosshole and laboratory resonant column tests were also performed to determine field nonlinear modulus at $0.001\%\;to\;0.1\%$ strains, and the modulus values and nonlinear trends are compared to those obtained by cyclic plate load tests. Both modulus values match relatively well when the different state of stress between two tests was considered, and the applicability of field cyclic plate load test for determining nonlinear modulus values of subgrade soils is verified.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.53-58
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• 2015

Engineers should take great care of characterizing the engineering properties of mudrock, because the uncemented mudrock can be considered as a hard rock in appearance. Therefore, the mudrock samples obtained from the cut slope in Gyeongki-do were tested to evaluate the strength characteristics of uncemented mudrock in this study. The performed tests are index properties, slake durability, and swelling tests for the classification of the mudrock for engineering practice. To evaluate the effect of water on the engineering properties of the uncemented mudrock, resonant column, triaxial compression and direct shear tests with various water contents were performed. With the increasing water contents, stiffness at very small to small strain region and the cohesion value of the strength parameters decrease. Based on the test results, engineers should take great care of evaluating the engineering properties of uncemented mudrock.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.101-115
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• 2005

For the site characterization at two inland areas, Gyeongju and Hongsung, which represent geomorphic and geologic characteristics of inland region in Korea, in-situ seismic tests containing borehole drilling investigations and resonant column tests were peformed and site-specific seismic response analyses were conducted using equivalent linear as well as nonlinear scheme. The soil deposits in Korea were shallower and stiffer than those in western US, from which the site coefficients and site classification system in Korea were derived. Most sites were categorized as site classes C and D based on the mean shear wave velocity $(V_s)$ of the upper 30 m $(V_s30)$, ranging between 250 and 650 m/s. According to the acceleration response spectra determined from the site response analyses, the site coefficients specified in the current Korean seismic design guide underestimate the ground motion in the short-period band and overestimate the ground motion in mid-period band. These differences can be explained by the differences in the bedrock depth and the soil stiffness profile between Korea and western US. The site coefficients, $F_a$ for short-period and $F_v$ for mid-period, were re-evaluated and the site classification system, in which sites C and D were subdivided according to $V_s20,\;V_s15,\;and\;V_s10$ together with the existing $V_s30$ was introduced accounting for the local geologic conditions at inland region of the Korean peninsula. The proposed site classification system in this paper is still rudimentary and requires modification.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.53-64
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• 2012

In this study, the modified cyclic triaxial tests with Joomunjin standard sand are performed for dynamic deformation characteristics, such as Young's moduli and damping ratio. The cyclic triaxial test is equipped with Local Displacement Transducer (LDT) on the outside of a cell which has a range from $10^{-4}$ to $10^{-1}$ of shear strains, ${\gamma}$ (%), instead of conventional cyclic triaxial test which has linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT) with low precision. With the small strain control, tests were carried out at various loading rates, void ratios, and effective confining pressures. Based on the test results, such as dynamic deformation characteristics, shear modulus, and damping ratio, it is found that the test can measure more range of medium strains (0.02-0.2%) than results obtained from conventional test (resonant column test). For the medium strain range, dynamic deformation characteristics investigated by the cyclic triaxial test are also different from those predicted by nonlinear model in conventional test.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2006

In general typically granular soils contain a certain amount of fines. It is also widely recognized that foundation soils under working loads show highly non-linear behavior from very early stages of loading. In the present study, a series of laboratory tests with sands of different silt contents are conducted and methods to assess strength and stiffiness characteristics are proposed. Modified hyperbolic stress-strain model is used to analyze non-linearity of silty sands in terms of non-linear Degradation parameters f and g as a function of silt contents and Relative density Dr. Stress-strain curves were obtained from a series of triaxial tests on sands containing different amounts of silt. Initial shear modulus, which is used to normalize Degradation modulus of silty sands, was determined from resonant column test results. From the laboratory test results, it was observed that, as the Relative density increases, values of f decrease and those of g increase. In addition, it was found that values of f and g increase and decrease respectively as a Skeleton void ratio $(e_{sk})$ increases.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.49-58
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• 2010

This paper presents experimental results of a series of 1-g shaking table model tests performed on end-bearing single piles and pile groups to investigate the effect of particle size on the dynamic behavior of soil-pile systems. Two soil-pile models were tested twice: first using Jumoonjin sand, and second using Australian Fine sand. In the case of single-pile models, the lateral displacement was almost within 1% of pile diameter which corresponds to the elastic range of the pile. The back-calculated p-y curves show that the subgrade reaction of the Jumoonjin-sand-model ground was larger than that of the Australian Fine-sand-model ground at the same displacement. This phenomenon means that the stress-strain behavior of Jumoonjin sand was initially stiffer than that of Australian Fine sand. This difference was also confirmed by resonant column tests and compression triaxial tests. And the single pile p-y backbone curves of the Australian fine sand were constructed and compared with those of the Jumoonjin sand. As a result, the stiffness of the p-y backbone curves of Jumunjin sand was larger than those of Australian fine sand. Therefore, using the same p-y curves regardless of particle size can lead to inaccurate results when evaluating dynamic behavior of soil-pile system. In the case of the group-pile models, the lateral displacement was much larger than the elastic range of pile movement at the same test conditions in the single-pile models. The back-calculated p-y curves in the case of group pile models were very similar in both sands because the stiffness difference between the Jumoonjin-sand-model ground and the Australian Fine-sand-model ground was not significantly large at a large strain level, where both sands showed non-linear behavior. According to a series of single pile and group pile test results, the evaluation group pile effect using the p-multiplier can lead to inaccurate results on dynamic behavior of soil-pile system.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.85-94
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• 2011

Mixtures of sand and rubber particles ($D_{sand}/D_{rubber}=1$) are investigated to explore their characteristics under different stain level. Mixtures are prepared with different volumetric sand fractions ($sf=V_{sand}/V_{total}$). Experimental data are gathered from a resonant column, an instrumented oedometer, and a direct shear tests. Results show that sand and rubber differently control the behavior of the whole mixture with strain level. Non-linear degradation of small strain stiffness is observed for the mixtures with $sf{\geq}0.4$, while the mixtures with low sand fraction ($sf{\leq}0.2$) show significantly high elastic threshold strain. Vertical stress-deformation increases dramatically when the rubber particle works as a member of force chain. The strength of the mixtures increases as the content of rubber particle decreases, and contractive behavior is observed in the mixtures with $sf{\leq}0.8$. Rubber particle plays different roles with strain level in the mixture: it increases a coordination number and controls a plasticity of the mixture in small strain; it prevents a buckling of force chain in intermediate strain; it leads a contractive behavior in large strain.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.59-63
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• 2011

Ground dynamic parameter such as shear elastic modulus and damping ratio is a very important variable in design of ground-structure with repeated load and dynamic load. Shear elastic modulus and damping ratio on small strain below linear limit strain is constant regardless of strain. Shear elastic modulus as the maximum shear elastic modulus and damping ratio as the minimum damping ratio were considered. As a lot of experiment related to the maximum shear elastic modulus, which is in dynamic deformation characteristics, have been conducted, many factors including voiding ratio, over consolidation ratio(OCR), confining pressure, geology time, PI, and the number of load cycle affect to dynamic soil characteristic. However, the research of ground dynamic characteristic improved with grout is absent such as underground continuous wall construction, deep mixing method, umbrella arch method. In order to investigate the dynamic soil characteristics improved with grout, in this study, resonant column tests were performed with changing water content(20%, 25%, 30%) and injection ratio of grout(5%, 10%, 15%), cure time(7th day, 28th day) As a result, shear elastic modulus and damping ratio, which are ground dynamic parameter, are affected by the injection ratio of milk grout, cure time and water content.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.5-11
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• 2014

Recently, there have been various lifeline installations constructed in the underground space of urban area due to the effective use of land. For newly installed lifelines or the management of the installed lifelines, many construction activities of excavation and backfilling are observed. Around these area, there are possibilities of collapse or excessive settlement due to the leaking of the pipe or unsatisfactory compaction of backfill material. Besides, construction costs can be saved since the on-site soils are used. The application of this liquidity filling material is not only to the lifeline installation but also to underpin the foundation under the vibrating machinery. On the evaluation of the applicability of this method to this circumstance, the strength should be investigated against the static load from the machine load as well as the vibration load from the activation of the machine. In this study, the applicability of the liquidity fill material on the foundation under the vibrating machinery is assessed via uniaxial compression and resonant column tests. The liquidity filling material consisting of the on-site soils with loess and kaolinite are tested to investigate the static and dynamic characteristics. Furthermore, the applicability of the reclaimed ash categorized as an industrial waste is evaluated for the recycle of the waste to the construction materials. The experimental results show that the shear modulus and 7 day uniaxial strength of the liquidity filling material mixed with reclaimed ash show higher than those with the on-site soils. However, the damping ratio does not show any tendency on the mixed materials.