• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.3C
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• pp.113-120
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• 2012

An actual slope failure was analyzed in residual soils at Jinju. Due to rainfall infiltration, the safety factor decreases in the unsaturated layers, since the effective stress and shear strength decrease. In this study, the effective stress is based on suction stress using soil water retention curve. Unsaturated properties were evaluated on soil water retention curve, hydraulic conductivity and shear strength with samples from the site. After infiltration analysis of unsaturated flow under the actual rainfall, the distribution of pore water pressure could be calculated in the slope layers. In the stress field of finite elements, an elastic analysis calculated total stress distribution in the layers and also shear stresses on the slip surface using elastic model. On the slip surface, suction stress and effective stress evaluated the shear strength. As a result, the factor of safety was calculated due to rainfall, which could simulate the actual slope failure. In particular, it was found that the suction stress increases and both the effective stress and the shear strength decrease simultaneously on the slip surface.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.151-159
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• 2018

BACKGROUND: In this review paper, the effects of surface cover (SCV), vegetative filter strip (VFS), and vegetated ridge (VRD) on the pollutant runoff from steep-sloping uplands were analyzed to compare the pollutant reduction efficiency in runoff ($PRE_{runoff}$) of the practices and to investigate how slope and rainfall parameters affect the $PRE_{runoff}$. METHODS AND RESULTS: The $PRE_{runoff}$ of SCV, VFS, and VRD for pollutants including suspended solids and biological oxygen demand was compared by analysis of variance. The effect of slope and rainfall parameters on the $PRE_{runoff}$ was explored by either mean comparison or regression analysis. It was found that the $PRE_{runoff}$ differs with the practices due to different pollutant reduction mechanisms of the practices. Though the $PRE_{runoff}$ was likely to be affected by site condition such as slope and rainfall (amount and intensity), more comprehensive understanding was not possible due to the limited data set. CONCLUSION: The $PRE_{runoff}$ of SCV, VFS, and VRD differed due to the distinctive mechanisms of pollutant removal of the practices. It is necessary to accumulate experimental data across a variety of gradient of slope and rainfall for comprehensive understanding of the effects of the practices on pollutant runoff from steep-sloping uplands.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 2023

Xanthan gum and starch compound biopolymer (XS), an environmentally friendly soil-binding material produced from natural resources, has been suggested as a slope protection material to enhance soil strength and erosion resistance. Insufficient wet strength and the consequent durability concerns remain, despite XS biopolymer-soil treatment showing high strength and erosion resistance in the dried state, even with a small dosage of soil mass. These concerns need to be solved to improve the field applicability and post-stability of this treatment. This study explored the utilization of an alkaline-based cation crosslinking method using calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide to induce non-thermal gelation, resulting in the enhancement of the wet strength and durability of biopolymer-treated soil. Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the unconfined compressive strength and cyclic wetting-drying durability performance of the treated soil using a selected recipe based on a preliminary gel formation test. The results demonstrated that the uniformity of the gel structure and gelling time varied depending on the ratio of crosslinkers to biopolymer; consequently, the strength of the soil was affected. Subsequently, site soil treated with the recipe, which showed the best performance in indoor assessment, was implemented on the field slope at the bridge abutment via compaction and pressurized spraying methods to assess feasibility in field implementation. Moreover, the variation in surface soil hardness was monitored periodically for one year. Both slopes implemented by the two construction methods showed sufficient stability against detachment and scouring, with a higher soil hardness index than the natural slope for a year.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.191-199
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• 2019

Road development is considered an important factor in invasion and dispersion of ailen plants by damaging the natural ecosystems and connecting the detached landscapes into long tubular structures. In this study, vegetation survey was carried out according to the topographical characteristics of cut slope, fill slope, and flat land at the construction site in order to understand the effect of road developemt on the change of the floristic composition of ailen plants. Road developement projects caused a lot of changes in annual and biennial alien plants because of continuous disturbances. Changes in species composition of alien plants decreased in the cut slope. On the other hand, the ailen palnts of the fill slope increased. The increase or decrease alien plants on flat land were identified depending on where it occurred, and no major trend was found. The cause of these change was driven by unintentionally introduced alien plants. In particular, the cut slope with a high occurence of unintentional ailen plants should not be used as a source of high-risk alien plants such as ecosystem disturbances. Since the transplanted species were intentionally planted by the landscape plan, it was possible to identify colonies from early stages and spread to the nearby flat land. Therefore, in order to minimize the impact of road slope vegetation on the surrounding ecosystem during and after road construction, it is suggested to plant high viability plants in the landscape design during the environmental impact assessment consultation.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.65-73
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• 2013

The information of cut slope in Mt. Jang area, Busan is investigated in order to construct the Slope Management System in Urban Area. The slope inspection sheet is made to record the characteristics for cut slopes, and that is capable to be inputted slope information systematically. The cut slopes in Mt. Jang area are consisting of 69 slopes. Most of the cut slopes are constructed in cutting slope and retaining wall (CR). The cut slopes located in housing facilities are 46 slopes, and the slopes located in school facilities are 12 slopes. The traverse of cut slopes is mainly ranged from 50 m to 150 m, and the height is mainly ranged from 10 m to 20 m. The slopes combined with soil and rock are mostly distributed. The retaining wall was installed in the toe part of cut slope in order to increase the slope stability, and the additional reinforcement methods including the anchor, drainage, preventing rock fall, shotcrete and vegetation were installed at the toe part of cut slopes.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.83-91
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• 2006

Recently, the intensive rainstorm possibly induced by global warming plays a key role on the instability of railway adjacent slopes. The instability of slopes results as covering and loss of railway lines induced by slided soil mass. According to the site investigation on the failed slopes triggered by rainfall, low types of slope failure were observed: shallow, intermediate, gully erosion, and soil-rock interface failures. The observation reveals the different characteristics of slope failure depending on the thickness of soil layer, morphological features of slope, etc. Based upon the observations, flume tests were conducted to analyze the sliding mechanism of each failure. The variables of flume test are soil layer thickness, rainfall intensity, and morphology of slope under the constant condition of the percentage of fine, initial soil moisture content, slope angle and compaction energy. Test results show that shallow failure was mostly observed from the surface of the slope and caused by the soil erosion; in addition, compared to the other types of failure, the occurrence of initial erosion is late, however, the development of erosion is fast. In gully erosion failure, the collected water from the water catchment area helps erosion of the upper soil layer and transfer of residual corestone, which impedes the erosion process once the upper soil layers are eroded and corestone are exposed. The soil-rock interface failure shows the most fast initial erosion process among the failure types. Interestingly, the common feature observed from the different types of failure was the occurrence of the initial deformation near the toe of slopes which implies the existence of surbsurface flow along the downslope direction.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.57-67
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• 2023

Slope failures during rainfall have been observed in mountainous areas of South Korea as a result of the presence of solar power facilities. The seepage behavior and pore pressure distribution differ from typical slopes due to the presence of impermeable solar panels, and the load imposed by the solar power structures also affects the slope behavior. This study aims to develop a method for evaluating the stability of slopes with solar power facilities and to analyze vulnerable points by considering the maximum slope displacement. To assess the slope stability and predict behavior while considering rainfall seepage, a combined seepage analysis and finite difference method numerical analysis were employed. For the selected site, various variables were assumed, including parameters related to the Soil Water Characteristic Curve, strength parameters that satisfy the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, soil properties, and topographic factors such as slope angle and bedrock depth. The factors with the most significant influence on the factor of safety (FOS) were identified. The presence of solar power facilities was found to affect the seepage distribution and FOS, resulting in a decreasing trend due to rainfall seepage. The maximum displacement points were concentrated near the upper (crest) and lower (toe) sections of the slope.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.5-19
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• 2019

Considering the natural phenomenon in which steep slopes ($65^{\circ}{\sim}85^{\circ}$) consisting of rock mass remain stable for decades, slopes steeper than 1:0.5 (the standard of slope angle for blast rock) may be applied in geotechnical conditions which are similar to those above at the design and initial construction stages. In the process of analysing the stability of a good to fair continuum rock slope that can be designed as a steep slope, a general method of estimating rock mass strength properties from design practice perspective was required. Practical and genealized engineering methods of determining the properties of a rock mass are important for a good continuum rock slope that can be designed as a steep slope. The Genealized Hoek-Brown (H-B) failure criterion and GSI (Geological Strength Index), which were revised and supplemented by Hoek et al. (2002), were assessed as rock mass characterization systems fully taking into account the effects of discontinuities, and were widely utilized as a method for calculating equivalent Mohr-Coulomb shear strength (balancing the areas) according to stress changes. The concept of calculating equivalent M-C shear strength according to the change of confining stress range was proposed, and on a slope, the equivalent shear strength changes sensitively with changes in the maximum confining stress (${{\sigma}^{\prime}}_{3max}$ or normal stress), making it difficult to use it in practical design. In this study, the method of estimating the strength properties (an iso-angle division method) that can be applied universally within the maximum confining stress range for a good to fair continuum rock mass slope is proposed by applying the H-B failure criterion. In order to assess the validity and applicability of the proposed method of estimating the shear strength (A), the rock slope, which is a study object, was selected as the type of rock (igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary) on the steep slope near the existing working design site. It is compared and analyzed with the equivalent M-C shear strength (balancing the areas) proposed by Hoek. The equivalent M-C shear strength of the balancing the areas method and iso-angle division method was estimated using the RocLab program (geotechnical properties calculation software based on the H-B failure criterion (2002)) by using the basic data of the laboratory rock triaxial compression test at the existing working design site and the face mapping of discontinuities on the rock slope of study area. The calculated equivalent M-C shear strength of the balancing the areas method was interlinked to show very large or small cohesion and internal friction angles (generally, greater than $45^{\circ}$). The equivalent M-C shear strength of the iso-angle division is in-between the equivalent M-C shear properties of the balancing the areas, and the internal friction angles show a range of $30^{\circ}$ to $42^{\circ}$. We compared and analyzed the shear strength (A) of the iso-angle division method at the study area with the shear strength (B) of the existing working design site with similar or the same grade RMR each other. The application of the proposed iso-angle division method was indirectly evaluated through the results of the stability analysis (limit equilibrium analysis and finite element analysis) applied with these the strength properties. The difference between A and B of the shear strength is about 10%. LEM results (in wet condition) showed that Fs (A) = 14.08~58.22 (average 32.9) and Fs (B) = 18.39~60.04 (average 32.2), which were similar in accordance with the same rock types. As a result of FEM, displacement (A) = 0.13~0.65 mm (average 0.27 mm) and displacement (B) = 0.14~1.07 mm (average 0.37 mm). Using the GSI and Hoek-Brown failure criterion, the significant result could be identified in the application evaluation. Therefore, the strength properties of rock mass estimated by the iso-angle division method could be applied with practical shear strength.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.92-103
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• 2004

This design was submitted to an invited competition for the Ski Resort of Kangwon Land which was held by Kangwon Land Resort in August, 2003. The site is located at 1∼17 Gohan-ri Gohan-eup Jungsungun Kangwon-do and has an area of 5,000,000$m^2$. The objectives of this project were to revitalize the local economy of Sabuk, Gohan which is well Down for deserted coal mines, by creating a resort complex for family group users with an environmentally friendly ski facility. This design scheme addresses three areas of concerns: First, how to boost the local economy through the proposed ski resort. By limiting lodging facilities in the ski resort, we could induce more development in the nearby towns. In order to balance the economical benefit to towns of Sabuk and Gohan, we decided to have two separate ski base facilities in each town boundary. Second, how to encourage family-oriented use of the ski resort by designing user-friendly ski slope, especially for beginner skiers. We designed 50% more beginner-level ski slope compared to average ski resorts. Third, how to make environmentally-friendly ski resort by respecting the original land form. We minimized the damage to the natural environment by protecting valuable tree groves. Also, ski slopes are designed to reduce unnecessary earth movement. This was designed under the assumption that more valley-oriented slopes would result in less cutting and banking of earthwork； this assumption was verified in comparison with other ski resorts. It is expected that this desist would serve environmentally-friendly designs in ski slopes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.133-142
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• 2006

Occasionlly, a lot of plants withered on the marine upheaval soil, because of the potential acid sulfate soil. It was necessary to investigate the chemistry of soil, before planting on Ulsan-Jungjadong cut-slope of road construction site. Cut-slope surface soils were sampled on the every varying points in soil colour and analyzed chemically. Germination status of seeds in sample soils was investigated such as Albizzia julibrissin, Festuca arundinacea. Relationship between germination status and chemistry of soil was analyzed. The results of investigation and analysis are as follows. 1. Germination of seeds was inhibited, less than pH($H_2O$ 1 : 5) 2.63. 2. Germination of seeds was inhibited, more than EC($H_2O_2$ 1 : 5) 13.4mS. 3. Germination of seeds was inhibited, more than aluminum ion content 2.0ppm in soil solution extracted by A$H_2O$ and 6.2ppm by $H_2O_2$. 4. pH($H_2O$ 1 : 5), EC($H_2O_2$ 1 : 5) and aluminum ion content proved chemical indicators of seed germination inhibition, in case of potential acid sulfate soil.