• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.383-392
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• 2016

This study is to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties on the Ipseok-dae columnar joints of Mt. Mudeung National Park. For these purposes, physical and mechanical properties as well as discontinuity property on the Mudeungsan tuff, measurement of vibration and local meteorology around columnar joints, and ground deformation by self-weight of columnar joints were examined. For the physical and mechanical properties, average values were respectively 0.65% for porosity, 2.69 for specific gravity, 2.68 g/cm³ for density, and 2411 m/s for primary velocity, 323 MPa for uniaxial compressive strength, 81 GPa Young's modulus, and 0.25 for Poisson's ratio. For the joint shear test, average values were respectively 3.15 GPa/m for normal stiffness, 0.38 GPa/m for shear stiffness, 0.50 MPa for cohesion, and 35° for internal friction angle. The JRC standard and JRC chart was in the range of 4~6, and 1~1.5, respectively. The rebound value Q of silver schmidt hammer was 57 (≒ 90 MPa). It corresponds 20% of the uniaxial compressive strength of intact rock. The maximum vibration value around the Ipseok=dae columnar joints was in the range of 0.57 PPV (mm/s)~2.35 PPV (mm/s). The local meteorology of surface temperature, air temperature, humidity, and wind on and around columnar joints appeared to have been greatly influenced the weather on the day of measurement. For the numerical analysis of ground deformation due to its self-weight of the Ipseok-dae columnar joints, the maximum displacement of the right ground shows when the ground distance is approximately 2 m, while drastically decreased by 2~4 m, thereafter was insignificant. The maximum displacement of the middle ground shows when the ground distance is approximately 0~2 m, while drastically decreased by 3~10 m, thereafter was insignificant. The maximum displacement of the left ground shows when the ground distance is approximately 5~6 m, while drastically decreased by 6~10 m, thereafter was insignificant.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.261-276
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• 2016

The occurrence of natural radioactive materials such as uranium and radon-222 in groundwater was examined with hydrogeochemistry and geology at ○○ village in the Yongin area. Two rounds of 19 groundwater and 5 surface water sampling were collected for analysis. The range of pH value in groundwaters was 5.81 to 7.79 and the geochemical types of the groundwater were mostly Ca(Na)-HCO₃ and Ca(Na)-NO₃(Cl)-HCO₃. Uranium and radon-222 concentrations in the groundwater ranged from 0.06 to 411 μg/L and from 5.56 to 903 Bq/L, respectively. Two deep groundwaters used as common potable well-water sources exceeded the maximum contaminant levels of the uranium and radon-222 proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Three groundwater samples from residential areas contained unsuitable levels of uranium, and 12 groundwater samples were unsuitable due to radon-222 concentrations. Radioactive materials in the unsuitable groundwater are naturally occurring in a Jurassic amphibole- and biotite-bearing granitic gneiss. High uranium and radon-222 groundwater concentrations were only observed in two common wells; the others showed no relationship between bedrock geology and groundwater geochemical constituents. With such high concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials in groundwater, the affected areas may extend tens of meters for uranium and even farther for radon-222. Therefore, we suggest the radon-222 and the uranium did not originate from the same source. Based on the distribution of radon-222 in the study area, zones of higher radon-222 concentrations may be the result of diffusion through cracks, joint, or faults. Surface radioactivity and uranium concentrations in the groundwater show a positive relationship, and the impact areas may extend for ~200m beyond the well in the case of wells containing high concentrations of uranium. The highest uranium and thorium concentrations in rock samples were detected in thorite and monazite.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.217-246
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• 2018

During the selection and characterization of target formations in the Small-scale Offshore $CO_2$ Storage Demonstration Project in the Pohang Basin, we have carefully investigated the possibility of induced earthquakes and leakage of $CO_2$ during the injection, and have designed the storage processes to minimize these effects. However, people in Pohang city have a great concern on $CO_2$-injection-intrigued seismicity, since they have greatly suffered from the 5.4 magnitude earthquake on Nov. 15, 2017. The research team of the project performed an extensive self-investigation on the safety issues, especially on the possible $CO_2$ leakage from the target formation and induced earthquakes. The target formation is 10 km apart from the epicenter of the Pohang earthquake and the depth is also quite shallow, only 750 to 800 m from the sea bottom. The project performed a pilot injection in the target formation from Jan. 12 to Mar. 12, 2017, which implies that there are no direct correlation of the Pohang earthquake on Nov. 15, 2017. In addition, the $CO_2$ injection of the storage project does not fracture rock formations, instead, the supercritical $CO_2$ fluid replaces formation water in the pore space gradually. The self-investigation results show that there is almost no chance for the injection to induce significant earthquakes unless injection lasts for a very long time to build a very high pore pressure, which can be easily monitored. The amount of injected $CO_2$ in the project was around 100 metric-tonne that is irrelevant to the Pohang earthquake. The investigation result on long-term safety also shows that the induced earthquakes or the reactivation of existing faults can be prevented successfully when the injection pressure is controlled not to demage cap-rock formation nor exceed Coulomb stresses of existing faults. The project has been performing extensive studies on critical stress for fracturing neighboring formations, reactivation stress of existing faults, well-completion processes to minimize possible leakage, transport/leakage monitoring of injected $CO_2$, and operation procedures for ensuring the storage safety. These extensive studies showed that there will be little chance in $CO_2$ leakage that affects human life. In conclusion, the Small-scale Offshore $CO_2$ Storage Demonstration Project in the Pohang Basin would not cause any induced earthquakes nor signifiant $CO_2$ leakage that people can sense. The research team will give every effort to secure the safety of the storage site.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.62-82
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• 2019

Taking the three Wuyi-Gugok Drawings, 『A Picture Showing the Boundary Between Mountains and Rivers: A』, 『Landscape of the Jiuqu River in the Wuyi Mountain: B』 and 『Eighteen Sceneries of Wuyi Mountain: C』, which were produced in the mid-Qing Dynasty as the research objects and after investigating the names recorded in the paintings, this paper tries to analyze the scenic spots, scene types and images in the literature survey. Also, based on the number of Scenic type and the number of Scenic name in each Gok, landscape richness(LR) and landscape similarity(LS) of the Gugok scenic spots, the cognitive characteristics of the landscape in the 18th century were carefully observed. The results are as follows. Firstly, according to the description statistics of scenic spot types in Wuyi Mountain Chronicle, there were 41 descriptions of scenery names in the three paintings, among which rock, peak and stone accounted for the majority. According to the data, the number of rocks, peaks and stones in Wuyi-Gugok landscape accounted for more than half, which reflected the characteristics of geological landscape such as Danxia landform in Wuyi-Gugok landscape. Secondly, the landscape of Gugok Stream(九曲溪) was diverse and full of images. The 1^st Gok Daewangbong(大王峰) and Manjeongbong(幔亭峰), the 2^nd Gok Oknyeobong(玉女峰), the 3^rd Gok Sojangbong(小藏峰), the 4^th Gok Daejangbong(大藏峰), the 5^th Gok Daeeunbyeong(大隱屛) and Muijeongsa(武夷精舍), the 6^th Gok Seonjangbong(仙掌峰) and Cheonyubong(天游峰) all had outstanding landscape in each Gok. However, the landscape features of the 7^th~9^th Gok were relatively low. Thirdly, according to the landscape image survey of each Gok, the image formation of Gugok cultural landscape originates from the specificity of the myths and legends related to Wuyi Mountain, and the landscape is highly well-known. Due to the specificity, the landscape recognition was very high. In particular, the 1^st Gok and the 5^th Gok closely related to the Taoist culture based on Muigun, the Stone Carving culture and the Boat Tour culture related to neo-confucianism culture of Zhu Xi. Fourthly, according to the analysis results of landscape similarity of 41 landscape types shown in the figure, the similarity of A and C was very high. The morphological description and the relationship of distant and near performance was very similar. Therefore, it could be judged that this was obviously influenced by one painting. As a whole, the names of the scenes depicted in the three paintings were formed at least in the first half of 18^th century through a long history of inheritance, accumulated myths and legends, and the names of the scenes. The order of the scenery names in three Drawings had some differences. But among the scenery names appearing in all three Drawings, there were 21 stones, 20 rocks and 17 peaks. Stones, rocks and peaks guided the landscape of Gugok Streams in Wuyi Mountain. Fifthly, Seonjodae(仙釣臺) in A and C was described in the 4^th Gok, but what deserved attention was that it was known as the scenery name of the 3^rd Gok in Korean. In addition, Seungjindong(升眞洞) in the 1^st Gok and Seokdangsa(石堂寺) in the 7^th Gok were not described in Drawings A, B and C. This is a special point that needs to be studied in the future.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.1505-1516
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• 2014

In this study, a cylinder embedded within cemented soils was used to cause directly tensile failure of cemented soils. An existing dumbbell type direct tensile test and a split tensile test that is most general indirect tensile test were also carried out to verify the developed built-in cylinder tensile test. Testing specimens with two different sand/cement ratios (1:1 and 3:1) and two curing periods (7 and 28 days) were prepared and tested. Total 10 specimens were prepared for each case and their average value was evaluated. Unconfined compression tests were also carried out and the ratio of compressive strength and tensile strength was evaluated. The tensile strength determined by built-in cylinder tensile test was slightly higher than that by dumbbell type direct tensile test. The dumbbell type test has often failed in joint part of specimen and showed some difficulty to prepare a specimen. Among three tensile testing methods, the standard deviation of tensile strength by split tensile test was highest. It was shown that the split tensile test is applicable to concrete or rock with elastic failure but not for cemented soils having lower strength.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.104-114
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• 2000

This study was carried out to estimate current status of dust concentrations in the factories producing non-metallic products in Korea. Data were gathered from the environmental monitoring reports by 40 workplace environmental monitoring institutes and the questionnaire designed for the study by the authors. A total of 1838 dust samples from 368 plants were obtained from the reports and were analyzed with no data modifications. But data on asbestos, rock wool, and welding fumes were excluded in this evaluation. The factories were classified into eight groups according to the standard industrial classification scheme in Korea. The results of this study were as follows; 1. The factories included were glass, non-refractory ceramic, refractory ceramic ware, structural non-refractory clay and ceramic, cement and lime, articles of concretes, and stone. Mean(geometric mean) concentrations of total dust samples ranged from $1.75(0.84)mg/m^3$ to $5.87(2.84)mg/m^3$. Statistically significantly higher dust concentrations were found in the cement and lime industries compared with other industries. 2. The non-compliance rates were 15.2% in glass and 20.6% in other non-metallic mineral products industries. Although all institutions surveyed utilized the identical sampling and classification scheme for dusts as specified in the current occupational exposure limits, wide discrepancies were found in collecting samples and classifying dusts. Further problems were discovered in classifying dusts. A dust sample collected could be classified into any of the three groups regardless of silica content. The results of this study showed that dust concentrations in the non-metallic products industries varied widely. Also discovered was classification errors of dust types among workplace monitoring institutes. These errors could adversely affect the results of exposure assessments and the true nature of dust hazards. Further, no institutions performed respirable dust sampling and analysis of crystalline silica. In order to correct these malpractices, current standards of occupational exposure limits should be revised and tight supervision by the Ministry of Labour be suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.926-933
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• 2012

Phosphoric acid used for the production of phosphate fertilizers is synthesized by the reaction of phosphate rock and sulfuric acid. As the reaction is exothermic, yield of phosphoric acid is poor at elevated temperature. Therefore, enhancement in its yield requires the process temperature be maintained by releasing the vapor ($80^{\circ}C$) containing HF and SiF4 through a vacuum cooler. However, these valuable resources; Fand Si, which can be utilized for the manufacture of refrigerant and polysilicon, respectively, are being wasted in the treatment process. We performed lab-scale experiments to estimate the amount of recoverable H2SiF6, a by-product of phosphoric acid manufacturing process. The experimental results showed a decrease of fluorine concentration by 0.12wt% in the liquid phase. Preliminary estimation showed a possible recovery of 5,509 ton/yr of fluorine considering the scale of the fertilizer manufacturing plant. Furthermore, field-scale experiment showed that H2SiF6 could be enriched in liquid phase from 0.35wt% to 7.33wt% and the vapor flow-rate from vacuum cooler was estimated at $51,000m^3/hr$. Anew, the efficiency of fluorine recovery in the pilot-scale experiment was found to be 76.74% and the production of H2SiF6 was estimated at 5,340 ton/yr.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2014

In Korea, in general, separation distance between existing parallel tunnels was set at two to five times as distant as the diameter of the tunnels according to ground conditions. Recently, however, actual applicability of closely spaced parallel tunnels whose distance between tunnel centers was shorter than the diameter has increased due to environmental damages resulting from massive cutting, restriction in purchase of required land, and maintenance of linear continuity. In particular, when the pillar width of tunnel decreases, the safety of pillars affects behaviors of the tunnel and therefore the need for diverse relevant studies has emerged. However, research so far has been largely confined to analysis of behavior characteristics of pillars, or parameters affecting design, and actually applicable and quantitative data have not been presented. Accordingly, in order to present a stability evaluation method which may maximally reflect construction conditions of spots, this study reflected topographical and stratigraphic characteristics of the portal part with the highest closeness between the tunnels, simulated multi-layer conditions with rock mass and complete weathering, and assessed the degree of effect the stability of pillars had on the entire tunnels through numerical analysis according to changes in pillar width by ground strength. This study also presented composite analysis result on ground surface settlement rates, interference volume rates, and average strength to stress and a formula, which may be applicable to actual work, to evaluate safety rates of closely spaced parallel tunnel pillars and minimum pillar width by ground strength based on failure criteria by Hoek-Brown (1980).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.489-496
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• 2014

The occurrence and mineralogical characteristics of asbestos in dolostone at Ungdo, Seosan were investigated by analyses of PLM, XRD, and SEM/EDS. Representative outcrops of dolostone at Ungdo were examined and four dolostone samples were collected according the occurrence type to identify the shape of asbestos in dolostone samples. The host rock of dolostone had been produced from the hydrothermal alteration and/or thermal metamorphism of which main source was assumed as the acidic granite. Tremolites were observed near the cracks or fractures of the dolostone as tamping or gob types. From the mineralogical analyses, main minerals of dolostone were dolomite with calcite, quartz, talc, amphibole, and pyroxene. From SEM/EDS analyses, tremolite-actinolite asbestoses were observed in dolostone and their shapes were prismatic and fibrous (less than $1{\mu}m$ in width). Non-asbestos prismatic forms were also found and they would transfer to asbestos particles resulting from the cleavage and fracture of the prismatic particles. Overall results suggest that asbestoses in Ungdo dolosotnes were mainly tremolite-actinolite and they were originated from the hydrothermal alteration of Ca-Mg rich dolostone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.187-197
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• 2015

Oriental mineral medicines are single or mixture of more than one mineral species or rock/fossil which are used to treat disease. Mineral medicines remove harmful or useless substances to decrease toxicity and secondary effects, and cause the manufacture of medical compounds with increased efficacy. The extraction test is an accepted in vitro system to predict the bioaccessibility of major and minor elements from mineral medicine. It incorporates gastrointerstinal tract parameters representative of a human body that including stomach and small intestinal pH which are the same as digestion condition. The bioaccessibility of a mineral medicine is the fraction that is soluble in the gastrointestinal environment and is available for absorption. Reaction path modeling in the human body can predict digestion with gastric fluid as well as absorption in the small intestine, existence in body fluids and reaction progress of the exhaust process according to pH conditions in body. Also reaction path modeling can predict bioavailability, which is equal to existence rate in the body and the form and amount of a medicine in the body after intake. The study results from predicating the existence form mineral medicines in the body, and proving the effective ingredient using bioaccessibitily and human risk assessment, suggest these that should be necessary data for new medicine development.