• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.219-231
• /
• 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
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.11-17
• /
• 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.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.1513-1520
• /
• 2010

A bacterium capable of producing melanin pigment in the presence of L-tyrosine was isolated from a crop field soil sample and identified as Klebsiella sp. GSK based on morphological, biochemical, and 16S rDNA sequencing. The polymerization of this pigment occurs outside the cell wall, which has a granular structure as melanin ghosts. Chemical characterization of the pigment particles showed then to be acid resistant, alkali soluble, and insoluble in most of the organic solvents and water. The pigment got bleached when subjected to the action of oxidants as well as reductants. This pigment was precipitated with $FeCl_3$, ammoniacal silver nitrate, and potassium ferricynide. The pigment showed high absorbance in the UV region and decreased absorbance when shifted towards the visible region. The melanin pigment was further charecterized by FT-IR and EPR spectroscopies. A key enzyme, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid hydroxylase, that catalyzes the formation of melanin pigment by hydroxylation of L-tyrosine was detected in this bacterium. Inhibition studies with specific inhibitors, kojic acid and KCN, proved that melanin is synthesized by the DOPA-melanin pathway.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
• /
• 1998.09a
• /
• pp.399-403
• /
• 1998

Absorption coefficient per mass unit of particles, specific absorption coefficient, is one of main parameters in developing algorithms for ocean color remote sensing. Specific absorption coefficient of chlorophyll (a$^*_{ph}$) and suspended sediment (SS) were analyzed by "wet filter technique" and "Kishino method" for data sets observed in the Yellow and Mediterranean Seas. A new data-recovering method for the filter technique was also developed using spectrum slopes. This method recovered the baseline of spectrum that was often missed in the Kishino method. High a$^*_{ph}$($\lambda$) values in the oligotrophic Mediterranean Sea and low values in the Yellow Sea were observed, spanning over the range of 0.02 to 0.12 $m^2$/mg, at the chlorophyll maximum absorption wavelength 440nm. The empirical relationship between a$^*_{ph}$ and chlorophyll concentration was found to fit a power function, which was slightly different from that proposed by Bricaud et ai. (1995). Absorption specific coefficients for suspended sediment (a$^*_{SS}$) didn't show any relationship with concentrations of suspended sediment. However, the average value of a$^*_{SS}$ at 440nm was close to the specific absorption coefficient of soil (loess) measured by Ahn (1990). The more-pronounced variability of a$^*_{SS}$ than a$^*_{ph}$ perhaps can explain more wide range of size-distribution for SS, which were determined by their specific gravity and agitation of water mass in the sea surface.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.175-185
• /
• 1993

Soils and dusts collected from Changhang smelter area were analyzed for Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd in order to determine their dispersion pattern and mode of occurrences, and to investigate the pollution level of heavy metals such as Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd by smelting activity. The soil pH of Changhang area is in the range of 3.7~8.8, and increased with increasing distance from the smelter site. The particles containing heavy metals are several tens of ${\mu}m$ in diameter, and have well crystal form. Samples collected near the smelter show similar particle properties in size, shape, and composition, which means that they could be originated from the same contamination source. Element couples of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd indicate high correlation with each other, which means that Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd could be originated from the same point source of smelter. Heavy metal contents were decayed to background levels from 2.5 kilometer away from the smelter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2009.03a
• /
• pp.993-998
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to propose the model that is able to predict long-term settlement of sands containing carbonates. We can observe that in addition to the initial elastic compression, a considerable additional compression occurs with long-term period in some sands. The compressibility of sands is significantly dependent on particle characteristics. Some sands have many pores and particularly has an angular shape. To predict of long-term settlement of these sands which contain carbonates, first of all a variety of tests which are to assess chemical, physical and compression characteristics of these sands were conducted. Second, in order to know settlement with time, the time parameter was determined by analyzing the measured data obtained from $\bigcirc\bigcirc$ area. The measured settlement of this area shows that in addition to the initial elastic compression, a considerable additional compression occurring with time. It was caused by the crushing, shattering, and rearrangement of particles, which were real phenomena in sandy soils under loading condition. Based on this case study, we proposed that a simple method is able to predict settlement with time of sandy soil containing carbonates.

• Geotechnical Engineering
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.47-62
• /
• 1996

The bedding zone which influence directly to the safety of dam is supporting the face slab under hydraulic load in concrete faced rockfill dam. In case that leakage is developed due to various ruptured joint or cracks of face slab and etc., the bedding zone should limit the leakage by low permeability and keep the internal stability. In this study for the proper coefficient of permeability various properties, such as gradation, dry density, performance of embankment work and etc. were analysed. The results from the large scale test of permeability and density are summerized as follows : 1. Coefficient of permeability is decreased clearly by increase of dry density. 2. The particles smaller than the No.4 strive( p,) greatly influences the permeability under dry density of 2.24t 1 m3. 3. In case of C.40 and p,40%, even if dry density decreased to 2.0t/m3, the permeability coefficient is assumed to u x1-scm/s and internal stability is abtained. 4. Generally in dam construction since dry density and uniformity coefficient of bedding zone were higher than 2.2t/m3 and 50 respectively p, of 30~40% is assumed to be suitable and permeability coefficient of below 1$\times$10-3cm l s is expectable.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.26-33
• /
• 2008

In order to fully understand the chemical properties of Asian dust particles, especially their transformation and aging processes, it is desirable to investigate the nature of original sands collected at local source areas in China. This study presents the detailed properties of sands collected at four different desert regions (Yinchuan, Wuwei, Dulan, and Yanchi) in China. Most of sands have irregular shape with yellowish coloration, whereas some of them show peculiar colors. The relative size distribution of sands collected at Yinchuan, Wuwei, and Dulan deserts exhibits monomodal with the maximum level between 200 and $300{\mu}$, whereas that of Yanchi desert is formed between 100 and $200{\mu}$. The mass concentration ratio of each element to that of Si (Z/Si) determined by PIXE analysis has a tendency towards higher Z/Si ratios for soil derived elements. It was possible to visually reconstruct the elemental maps on the surface of individual sands by XRF microprobe technique. In addition, the multielemental mass concentration could be quantitatively calculated for numerous spots of desert sands.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2008.10a
• /
• pp.1290-1295
• /
• 2008

The relative density of soil indicate loose and dense state of sand. Because sand is low compressibility, initial relative density of sand is important effect factor of compression and shear behavior. To measure exactly relative density, the exactly maximum and minimum void ratio was determinated by laboratory tests. Generally, vibrating table method is adapted for minimum void ratio(KS F 2345). However KS F 2345 is not consider the particle break during the vibrating table test. In this study, The minimum void ratio is compared with a method of Pluviation and Vibrating table test results using the K-7(crushed sand). It is concluded that the K-7 sand particles were crushed during the vibrating table test and vibrating table test is not a suitable test for a crushed sand $e_{min}$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2009.09a
• /
• pp.1407-1414
• /
• 2009

In this study, a Jeju sand, which contains both siliceous and calcareous materials, was sampled from a beach in Jeju Island. It is observed that the Jeju sand has high extreme void ratios due to the angularity of grains and the intra-particle voids of hollow particles. From cone penetration test using calibration chamber system, it is found that the cone tip resistance($q_c$)-relative density(Dr)-vertical effective stress(${\sigma_v}'$) relation of Jeju sand almost matches to that of high compressible quartz sand. However, this correlation overestimates the relative density of a coastal sediments in Jeju Island maybe due to the cementation effect of this area. From analysis of the results of cone penetration and SPS tests at a coastal area in Jeju Island, it seems reasonable to assume that the coast of Jeju Island is a natural cemented sediments.