• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.131-143
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• 2022

The lunar exploration autonomous vehicle operates based on the lunar topography information obtained from real-time image characterization. For highly accurate topography characterization, a large number of training images with various background conditions are required. Since the real lunar topography images are difficult to obtain, it should be helpful to be able to generate mimic lunar image data artificially on the basis of the planetary analogs site images and real lunar images available. In this study, we aim to artificially create lunar topography images by using the location information-based style transfer algorithm known as Wavelet Correct Transform (WCT2). We conducted comparative experiments using lunar analog site images and real lunar topography images taken during China's and America's lunar-exploring projects (i.e., Chang'e and Apollo) to assess the efficacy of our suggested approach. The results show that the proposed techniques can create realistic images, which preserve the topography information of the analog site image while still showing the same condition as an image taken on lunar surface. The proposed algorithm also outperforms a conventional algorithm, Deep Photo Style Transfer (DPST) in terms of temporal and visual aspects. For future work, we intend to use the generated styled image data in combination with real image data for training lunar topography objects to be applied for topographic detection and segmentation. It is expected that this approach can significantly improve the performance of detection and segmentation models on real lunar topography images.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.520-533
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• 2021

It is necessary to increase the blasting efficiency in order to minimize the economic loss caused when the excavation cross section is reduced due to the stability problem of underground mining development, and for this, a new blasting design is proposed. In this study, the blasting efficiency of the general design in the field, the suggestion designI, which added two columns to production blasting, and the suggestion design II, which added one column to create asymmetry, is compared. Advance rate and fragmentation were selected as the evaluation index of the blasting efficiency. In the case of advance rate, compared to the normal, the suggestionI improved by 6.07% and the suggestionII improved by 4.65%. In the case of fragmentation, based on P80, compared to the normal, the suggestionI reduced about 58% and the suggestionII was about 47%. Accoording to the evaluation index, the suggestion designI shows better blasting efficiency than the suggestion designII. But considering the additional work time and cost required for the suggestion designI due to the insignificant difference in the evaluation index results, the asymmetry V-cut, the suggestion designII, is judged to be a more suitable blasting design for the site.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.469-479
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• 2021

As a material for preventing spalling of concrete, the effectiveness of PP fiber has already been confirmed. However, it is necessary to consider the maximum temperature that occurs during a fire, and to solve the mixing problem and the strength reduction problem that occur depending on the mixing amount. In this study, the fire resistance performance of tunnel segment linings according to the PP fiber content and air volume under the RABT fire scenario was investigated. As a result, no spalling or cross-sectional loss occurred in all test specimens, and when the PP fiber content was small, the maximum temperature was relatively high and the maximum temperature arrival time was also fast. On the other hand, no trend was found for the maximum temperature and arrival time according to the difference in air volume. In the internal temperature distribution results for the PP fiber mixing amount of 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 kg/m³, the results of 0.75 and 1.0 kg/m³ showed similar temperature distribution, and the results of 1.5 and 2.0 kg/m³ were similar. It was confirmed that the internal temperature distribution tends to decrease at the same depth when the amount of PP fiber mixed is large, and it was confirmed that a remarkable difference occurred from the results of 1.0 kg/m³ and 1.5 kg/m³ of PP fiber mixed amounts.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.534-548
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• 2021

In this paper, the feasibility of generating solar power near an abandoned quarry is examined with the objectives of resolving the essential problems that quarries encounter, such as rockfalls and space usage issues. On an abandoned quarry site in Sadang, Seoul, Republic of Korea, two different PV installation methods were analyzed. The first is attaching PV directly on the quarry slope. Since there are no corresponding safety standards and precedents for installing solar panels directly on slopes, the power generation potential was calculated by using topographic data and reasonable assumptions. The surface area of cut slope section was extracted from the Digital Elevation Model(DEM) via ArcGIS and Python programming to calculate the tilt and power capacity of installable panels. The other approach is installing PV as a rockfall barrier, and the power generation potential was analyzed with the assumption that the panel is installed in the direction of facing solar irradiation. For the derivation of power generation, the renewable energy generation analysis program SAM(System Advisor Model) was used for both methods. According to the result, quarries that have terminated resource extraction and remain devastated have the potential to be transformed into renewable energy generation sites.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2022

Excavation-Disturbed Zone (EDZ) is an important design factor in constructing final disposal facilities for spent nuclear fuel, since EDZ affects mechanical stability including a spacing between disposal holes, and the hydraulic properties within EDZ plays a significant role in estimating in-flow rate of groundwater as well as a subsequent corrosion rate of a canister. Thus, it is highly required to characterize in-situ EDZ with precision and control the EDZ occurrence while excavating disposal facilities and constructing relevant underground research facilities. In this report, we not only reviewed EDZ-related researches carried out in the ONKALO facility of Finland but also examined appropriate methods for field inspection and quality control of EDZ occurrence. From the review, GPR can be the most efficient method for in-situ characterization of EDZ since it does not demand drilling a borehole that may disturb a surrounding environment of caverns. And the EDZ occurrence was dominant at a cavern floor and it ranged from 0 to 70 cm. These can provide useful information in developing necessary EDZ-related regulations for domestic disposal facilities.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.400-414
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• 2021

Under high-level radioactive waste repository conditions, bentonite as an engineered barrier material undergoes thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes. We report the applications of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) imaging technique on the characterization and analysis of bentonite over the past decade to provide a reference of the utilization of this technique and the recent research trends. This overview of the X-ray CT technique applications includes the characterization of the bentonite either in pellets or powder form. X-ray imaging has provided a means to extract grain information at the microscale and identify crack networks responsible for the pellets' heterogeneity. Regarding samples of pellets-powder mixtures under hydration, X-ray CT allowed the identification and monitoring of heterogeneous zones throughout the test. Some results showed how zones with pellets only swell faster compared to others composed of pellets and powder. Moreover, the behavior of fissures between grains and bentonite matrix was observed to change under drying and hydrating conditions, tending to close during the former and open during the latter. The development of specializing software has allowed obtaining strain fields from a sequence of images. In more recent works, X-ray CT technique has served to estimate the dry density, water content, and particle displacement at different testing times. Also, when temperature was added to the hydration process of a sample, CT technology offered a way to observe localized and global density changes over time.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.194-202
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• 2022

An increased number of cases have occurred in applying ICT technology in the resource development field due to factors such as safety, eco-friendliness, and low cost since the 2000s. In Korea, the 2nd mining master plan specified the significance of converging the full cycle of mining and ICT, while the 3rd mining master plan highlighted ICT and smart mining such as supporting the supply of an ICT mining device and introducing demonstrational smart mining. This study introduces the application of an ICT device and safety system operation in the Jangseong underground mine of Korea Cement Co., Ltd. Currently, Jangseong mine combines two different kinds of 3D equipment including the handheld 3D scanner and multi-station that provides both the measurement and 3D scanning to perform a 3D measurement of the mine. Taken from the 3D measurement of the mine, it is now possible to identify any hazardous areas and abnormalities in different directions and analyze the safety of the crown pillar between two stopes in different level. Besides, the real-time location tracking and communications system have established highly efficient rescue and evacuation plans to effectively deal with any accidents in the mine.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.502-517
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• 2022

As the use of TBM increases, research has recently increased to to analyze TBM data with machine learning techniques to predict the exchange cycle of disc cutters, and predict the advance rate of TBM. In this study, a regression prediction of disc cutte wear of slurry shield TBM site was made by combining machine learning based on the machine data and the geotechnical data obtained during the excavation. The data were divided into 7:3 for training and testing the prediction of disc cutter wear, and the hyper-parameters are optimized by cross-validated grid-search over a parameter grid. As a result, gradient boosting based on the ensemble model showed good performance with a determination coefficient of 0.852 and a root-mean-square-error of 3.111 and especially excellent results in fit times along with learning performance. Based on the results, it is judged that the suitability of the prediction model using data including mechanical data and geotechnical information is high. In addition, research is needed to increase the diversity of ground conditions and the amount of disc cutter data.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.451-463
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• 2022

Whenever a mineshaft accidentally collapses, speedy risk assessment is both required and crucial. But onsite safety diagnosis by humans is reportedly difficult considering the additional risk of collapse of the unstable mineshaft. Generally, drones equipped with high-speed lidar sensors can be used for such inspection. However, the drone technology is restrictively applicable at very shallow depth, failing in mineshafts with depths of hundreds of meters because of the limit of wireless communication and turbulence inside the mineshaft. In previous study, a three-dimensional (3D) scanning system with a single channel lidar was fabricated and operated using towed cable in a mineshaft to a depth of 200 m. The rotation and pendulum movement errors of the measuring unit were compensated for by applying the data of inertial measuring unit and comparing the similarity between the scan data of the adjacent depths (Kim et al., 2020). However, the errors grew with scan depth. In this paper, a multi-channel lidar sensor to obtain a continuous cross-sectional image of the mineshaft from a winch system pulled from bottom upward. In this new approach, within overlapped region viewed by the multi-channel lidar, rotation error was compensated for by comparing the similarity between the scan data at the same depth. The fabricated system was applied to scan 0-165 m depth of the mineshaft with 180 m depth. The reconstructed image was depicted in a 3D graph for interpretation.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.353-362
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• 2022

The wet shotcrete refers to a method in which all materials are mixed and then supplied to the spraying device, compressed air is added to the nozzle, and the spraying speed is improved to spray on the target surface. In order to reproduce the amount of shotcrete used in the wet method in the field and the situation at the laboratory scale, it is essential to control the discharge amount of the equipment. In this study, in order to increase the reproducibility of field conditions at the laboratory scale, a flow control system for shotcrete mortar spraying equipment was developed and applied to the equipment. To verify the developed equipment, a discharge control test using water and mortar was performed. In the developed control system, the discharge was smoothly controlled according to the user input value for the mono pump, but the discharge was not properly controlled according to the input value for the screw pump because of a reducer. When a speed reducer is attached, it is necessary to adjust the operation rate of the screw pump close to the target flow rate by increasing the operation rate of the screw pump while lowering the operation rate of the mono pump.