• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.785-801
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• 2017

Biopolymer treatment of geomaterials to develop sustainable geotechnical systems is an important step towards the reduction of global warming. The cutting edge technology of biopolymer treatment is not only environment friendly but also has widespread application. This paper presents the strength and slake durability characteristics of biopolymer-treated sand sampled from Al-Sharqia Desert in Oman. The specimens were prepared by mixing sand at various proportions by weight of xanthan gum biopolymer. To make a comparison with conventional methods of ground improvement, cement treated sand specimens were also prepared. To demonstrate the effects of wetting and drying, standard slake durability tests were also conducted on the specimens. According to the results of strength tests, xanthan gum treatment increased the unconfined strength of sand, similar to the strengthening effect of mixing cement in sand. The slake durability test results indicated that the resistance of biopolymer-treated sand to disintegration upon interaction with water is stronger than that of cement treated sand. The percentage of xanthan gum to treat sand is proposed as 2-3% for optimal performance in terms of strength and durability. SEM analysis of biopolymer-treated sand specimens also confirms that the sand particles are linked through the biopolymer, which has increased shear resistance and durability. Results of this study imply xanthan gum biopolymer treatment as an eco-friendly technique to improve the mechanical properties of desert sand. However, the strengthening effect due to the biopolymer treatment of sand can be weakened upon interaction with water.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.95-101
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• 2011

Earth has been used as a building material not only our country but also many foreign countries in the world. In foreign countries, we can often find the high-storied earthen houses which have been maintained for over several hundred years, which means the fact that earth differs in durability according to the methods of utilizing earth. So, the purpose of this study is to progress the fundamental research for utilizing earth as a wall material. Also, the another purpose of this study is to utilize the optimum micro-filler effect which adjusts the grain size of earth and the lime composite which promotes chemical combining power, and so examine whether earth material ensures its high compressive strength. This study applied both of rammed earth method and pour earth method among earth architecture methods. This study investigated compressive strength, slump, and air content according to unit binder weight. On the basis of such experimental results, this study derived the following conclusions. 1) Optimum micro-filler mixtures reduce a lot of fine particles contained in earth. If optimum micro-filler mixtures are used as aggregates, they develop lower W/B and relatively higher strength than general earth. 2) In this study, which uses optimum micro-filler earth mixtures and lime composite, rammed earth method develops 29MPa and pour earth method develops 28MPa in 28 days compressive strength. Such strengths can be utilized in building walls.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.9-17
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• 2009

A study on fugitive dusts was conducted at Saemangeum reclaimed land and the neighboring farm located at the west coast of Korea. After the area was completely reclaimed in 2006, halophyte plants and several windbreak systems were installed. The distributions of suspended dust particle was regularly measured through field experiment. The size of dust source area was also analyzed periodically and then it was determined to be in the following order: Buan > Gimje > Gunsan. The suspended dust which were dispersed to the neighboring areas were significantly affected by the size of the soil particles, wind velocity and wind direction. The results of Big Spring Number Eight (BSNE) experiments also showed that the concentration of the fugitive dust generated from the reclaimed land was reduced remarkably by the presence of halophyte plants. Recently, in 2008, the measured dust concentration rate was decreased by an average of 30.6%. The average dust concentration is expected to decrease further as more areas are being covered by halophyte plants.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.89-89
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• 2000

The shear behavior of any interface is a function of the fundamental properties of both materials at the interface. This study aimed at investigating the effect of planar surface roughness on the stress-horizontal displacement curve at theinterfaces composed of various geomembrane textures and granular materials. In addition, the extent of surfacialscarring on smooth geomembranes against granular materials during shearing induced by plowing effect was studied. It wasobserved that the displacements required to achieve peak and residual interface resistance, and the stress-displacementcurve at the interface vary greatly with the surface roughness of geomembrane. Quantification of surface roughnessvariations on smooth geomembrane due to plowing effect showed that the surfacial scarring during shearing by the soilparticles is directly related to both the normal stress and the angularity of the soil particles at the interface. The findingsof this study can be used to provide the useful information for the design and selection of counterface materials.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.11-19
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• 2005

First, methods of numerical analysis of gas-particle flows is classified into micro, meso and macro scale approaches based on the concept of multi-scale mechanics. Next, the explanation moves on to discrete particle simulation where motion of individual particles is calculated numerically using the Newtonian equations of motion. The author focuses on the cases where particle-to-particle interaction has significant effects on the phenomena. Concerning the particle-to-particle interaction, two cases are considered: the one is collision-dominated flows and the other is the contact-dominated flows. To treat this interaction mathematically, techniques named DEM(Distinct Element Method) or DSMC (Direct Simulation Monte Carlo) have been developed DEM, which has been developed in the field of soil mechanics, is useful for the contact -dominated flows and DSMC method, developed in molecular gas flows, is for the collision-dominated flows. Combining DEM or DSMC with CFD (computer fluid dynamics), the discrete particle simulation becomes a more practical tool for industrial flows because not only the particle-particle interaction but particle-fluid interaction can be handled. As examples of simulations, various results are shown, such as hopper flows, particle segregation phenomena, particle mixing in a rotating drum, dense phase pneumatic conveying, spouted bed, dense phase fluidized bed, fast circulating fluidized bed and so on.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 2009

Analysis was done on the particle size distribution of sediments flown into Saemangeum from the Mankyung and Dongjin River. The organic pollutants and heavy metal existing in the sediments were analyzed, which was further used to study the properties of pollution in the sediments according to the particle size distribution. Conclusions shown below were made from these analyses. The particle size distribution showed a big difference between the upriver areas of Mankyung and Dongjin River. Particles under $75{\mu}m$ showed to be around 85% at Dongjin River, while it showed to be around 70% at Mankyung River. This kind of distribution in particle size concluded in greatly affecting the contamination density of the sediments. From the analysis done on the soil type of sediments, deposition in Mankyung River categorized into Silty loam and Sandy loam, where Silty loam covered most of area and deposition in Dongjin River categorized into Sand, Loamy sand, Silty loam, Sandy loam. Considering the weight ratio, the density of contamination of the sediments by particle size at Dongjin and Mankyung River has been analyzed to show that organic pollutants and heavy metals occupy more than 70% of the whole contamination in the range under the particle size of $75{\mu}m$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.448-456
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• 2010

The mechanical behavior of granular soils is affected by particle bonding including natural cementation. This study addresses a simple model of small strain stiffness and salt concentration based on wave measurements of salt-cemented particulate media. Published models of artificially cemented soils with different curing methods and several types of cementation agents are reviewed. Glass beads with the median diameter of D50 = 0.5mm are prepared in rectangular cells using the water-pluviated method in salt water with different concentrations. Piezo disk elements and bender elements embedded in the cell are used for the measurements of compressional and shear waves. The relationships between elastic wave velocities and salt concentration show an exponential function. The measured small strain stiffness matches well the predicted small strain stiffness based on micromechanics for simple cubic monosized sphere particles. This study demonstrates that the salt concentration in salt-cemented specimen may be evaluated by using elastic wave velocities.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.71-77
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• 2008

Microstructural changes may arise due to the particle vanishing, fluid diffusion, heating, etc. This study focuses on the changes in small-strain shear stiffness in k0 loading produced by local straining in particular system made of sand-salt mixtures. Local strains were induced by dissolution of salt particles. Experiments were carried out in a conventional oedometer cell equipped with bender elements. Axial displacement and shear wave signals are recorded at each loading stage and during saturation process. Experimental data showed that microstructural changes due to particle vanishing were clearly captured by using shear wave measurement. Saturation of sand-salt mixture at a larger axial stress did not always create a more condense soil at the end of loading stage. Sand-salt mixture is useful for laboratory test on controlled artificial specimen.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.219-231
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• 2011

Waste fills resulting from coal mining should consist of large, free-draining sedimentary rocks fragments. The successful performance of these fills is related to the strength and durability of the individual rock fragments. When fills are made of shale fragments, some fragments will be durable and some will degrade into soil particles resulting from slaking and inter-particle point loads. The degraded material fills the voids between the intact fragments, and results in settlement. A laboratory program with point load and slake durability tests as well as thin section examination of sixty-eight shale samples from the Appalachian region of the United States revealed that pore micro-geometry has a major influence on degradation. Under saturated and unsaturated conditions, the shales absorb water, and the air in their pores is compressed, breaking the shales. This breakage was more pronounced in shales with smooth pore boundaries and having a diameter equal to or smaller than 0.060 mm. If the pore walls were rough, the air-pressure breaking mechanism was not effective. However, pore roughness (measured by the fractal dimension) had a detrimental effect on point load resistance. This study indicated that the optimum shales to resist both slaking as well as point loads are those that have pores with a fractal dimension equal to 1.425 and a diameter equal to or smaller than 0.06 mm.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2000

A new method was developed for the rapid analysis of diverse bacterial species in the natural environment. Our method is based on PCR-single-strands-conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and selective isolation technique of single-stranded DNA. Variable V3 fragments of 16S rDNA were amplified by PCR with bacterial 16S rDNA primers, where one of the primers was biotinylated at the 5'-end. The biotinylated strands of the PCR products were selectively isolated by using streptavidin paramagnetic particles and a magnetic stand, to prevent SSCP analysis producing heteroduplexes from heterogeneous DNA samples. The selected strands were separated by electrophoresis on a polyacrylamide gel, and detected by silver staining. Analysis of PCR products from 8 bacterial strains demonstrated their characteristic DNA band patterns. In addition, changes in the structure of the bacterial community and species diversity in the microcosm treated with phenol could be monitored. After 3 weeks of incubation, phenol and its intermediate, 2-hydroxy-muconic-semialdehyde, were degraded by indigenous bacteria. These dominating bacterial populations were identified as strong bands on an SSCP gel. Therefore, this study provides useful tools for microbial community analysis of natural habitats.