• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.81-90
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• 2016

Due to droughts and water shortages causing severe damage to crops and other vegetations, much attention has been given to efficient irrigation for upland farming. However, little information has been known to measure soil moisture levels in a field scale and apply their spatial variability for proper irrigation scheduling. This study aimed to characterize the spatial variability and temporal stability of soil water contents at depths of 10 cm, 20 cm and 30 cm on flat (loamy soil) and hill-slope fields (silt-loamy soil). Field monitoring of soil moisture contents was used for variogram analysis using GS+ software. Kriging produced from the structural parameters of variogram was applied for the means of spatial prediction. The overall results showed that the surface soil moisture presented a strong spatial dependence at the sampling time and space in the field scale. The coefficient variation (CV) of soil moisture was within 7.0~31.3 % in a flat field and 8.3~39.4 % in a hill-slope field, which was noticeable in the dry season rather than the rainy season. The drought assessment analysis showed that only one day (Dec. 21st) was determined as dry (20.4 % and 24.5 % for flat and hill-slope fields, respectively). In contrary to a hill-slope field where the full irrigation was necessary, the centralized irrigation scheme was appeared to be more effective for a flat field based on the spatial variability of soil moisture contents. The findings of this study clearly showed that the geostatistical analysis of soil moisture contents greatly contributes to proper irrigation scheduling for water-efficient irrigation with maximal crop productivity and environmental benefits.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.35-43
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• 2010

Partially saturated permeability should be defined by the function of suction (or degree of saturation) and porosity. However, commercial software and most researchers' model often describe as the function of suction. The stability of a soil slope can be affected by both hydraulic and shear strength properties of partially saturated soils. For both studies, we generally use an uncoupled seepage analysis program Seep/W(Geo-Slope, 2007) and a series stress-deformation analysis program Sigma/W, or slope stability analysis program Slope/W. Seep/W is performed for simulations of partially saturated flow problems in non-deformable soil media. However, under real situations, the water flow processes in a deformable soil are influenced by soil skeleton movement and the pore water pressure changed due to seepage will lead to changes in stresses and to deformation of a soil. Many researchers are currently developing their models for solving coupled hydro-mechanical problems to simulate slope stability during a rainstorm. For a proper implementation in the field, the developed model should be still needed in order to achieve appropriate accuracy of the solution for coupled hydro-mechanical problems in soil slope stability. Thus, the paper presents the comparison of slope stability between uncoupled and coupled analyses of seepage and stress deformation problems.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.5-11
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• 2018

In conventional analytical solutions for rainfall-induced soil slope stability, the Green-Ampt (1911) equation for estimating the saturation depth and the Skempton & DeLory (1957) equation for calculating the infinite slope shallow failure were compared with the numerical analysis to confirm the error. In the simple evaluation of the reason of soil slope instability due to rainfall using the conventional equations, there are many errors and, overestimation or underestimation of the calculation results. In this study, the equation consisting of the results obtained from infiltration analysis on unsaturated soil slope is proposed by applying the average range of the strength parameters of the granite weathered soils, and its reliability is verified by comparing with the numerical analysis results. The developed equation can be used easily in various fields for the estimation of slope safety factor by checking the rainfall duration and saturation depth.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2008

Based on the case study on the causes for the failure of cutting slope composed of weathered rock and soil, the factors influencing the design of a cutting slope have been examined, This type of rock and soil is widely distributed on the region whose parent rock is granite. To analyze the stability of the cutting slope, the following series of progress has been conducted: (1) ground characterization by geological survey and ground investigation, (2) the safety factor examination by limit equilibrium analysis and numerical analysis and (3) the comparison and analysis of rainfall and failure history. As a result, the main factors to cause the failure is determined to be the decrease of shear strength in the upper parts whose ground condition is weakened during localized heavy rain. Moreover, the analysis indicates the failure is also closely related to the groundwater inflow path. On the base of this investigation, a reinforcement method is proposed to ensure the stability of the cutting slope.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.736-744
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• 2009

The abrupt failure of slope caused by a concentrated rainfall would be a disaster in this country. Specially, the soil slope may be collapsed by the rainfall seepage, however, there is not much information for the mechanism of slope failure during rainfall. As analyzing the stability of slope by rainfall, the conventional method is to put the ground-water level on the surface of slope. However, it may provide the over-reinforcement for the slope stability. Futhermore, although over-reinforcement for the slope was fulfilled, the possibility of potential slope failure still exists. In this study, the slope stability by the conventional design method and the causes of unstable slope during rainfall were investigated. To analyze the slope stability by rainfall, the computer program SEEP/W for the analysis of seepage was used. As changing the intensity and duration of rainfall in SEEP/W, the analysis were performed. After completion of analysis, the porewater pressure data from SEEP/W was applied to SLOPE/W. As a results of this analysis, it is not reasonable that the groundwater level is going up to the surface of slope during rainfall. Therefore, the conventional reinforcement for the slope stability is not obvious to satisfy the criterion safety factor during rainfall. The reasonable counterplan is to install drainage hole on the surface of slope in order to prevent erosion and debris flow.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.95-108
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• 2007

Test application of revegetation measure was made on the roadside slope damaged by Nongseo-Eomo national road improvement project in a bid to prevent the soil from being washed out as well as to restore the ecological environment, and the survey for assessment of the effect of slope revegetation measures was conducted, beginning May 11 through Nov 7, 2006. In the wake of comprehensive reviewing and evaluating the surrounding topographic environment, physical and chemical characteristics of soil, germination of revegetation plants, analysis of bio mass, covering ratio and the plants appeared, measure b was found to have been most appropriate to cut blasting rock slope, and alternatively measure c. For cut ripping rock slope, measure c-1 appeared to be effective in revegetation effect, and alternatively, b-1.When it comes to cut soil slope, measure c-2 was found to be effective, and b-2 to be a good alternative. And for embankment soil slope, measure b-3 appeared to be most efficient in revegetation effect and measure f as alternative.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.19-30
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• 2002

The stability of slope using root-pile like to the reinforcements is affected by the interaction behavior mechanism of soil-reinforcements. Through the studying on the interaction in joint of its, therefore, the control roles can be find out in installed slope. In study, the stress level ratio based on the insert angle of installed reinforcements in soil used to numerical analysis, which was results from the duty direct shear test in Lab. The maximum shear strain variation on the reinforcements was observed at insert angle, which was approximately similar to the calculated angle based on the equation proposed by the Jewell. The elasto-plastic joint model on the contact area of soil-reinforcements was presumed, the reinforced soil assumed non-linear elastic model and the reinforcements supposed elastic model, respectively. The finite element analysis of assumed models was performed. The shear strain variation of non-reinforced state obtained by the FEM analysis including elasto-plastic joint elements were shown the rationality of general limit equilibrium analysis for the slope failure mode on driving zone and resistance zone, which based on the stress level step according to failure ratio. Through the variation of shear strain for the variation of inserting angle of reinforcements, the different mechanism on the bending and the shear resistance of reinforcements was shown fair possibility.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.701-714
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• 2017

The effect of nearby cohesionless sloping ground on the uplift capacity of horizontal strip plate anchor embedded in sand deposit with horizontal ground surface has been studied numerically. The numerical analysis has been carried out by using the lower bound theorem of limit analysis with finite elements and linear optimization. The results have been presented in the form of non-dimensional uplift capacity factor of anchor plate by changing its distance from the slope crest for different slope angles, embedment ratios and angles of soil internal friction. It has been found that the decrease in horizontal distance between the edge of the anchor plate and the slope crest causes a continuous decrease in uplift capacity of anchor plate. The optimum distance is that distance between slope crest and anchor plate below which uplift capacity of an anchor plate has been found to decrease with a decrease in normalized crest distance from the anchor plate in presence of nearby sloping ground. The normalized optimum distance between the slope crest and the anchor plate has been found to increase with an increase in slope angle, embedment ratio and soil internal friction angle.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.263-274
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• 2011

A reliability-based slope stability assessment method considering fluctuations in the monitored matric suction was proposed for real-time identification of slope risk. The assessment model was based on the limit equilibrium model for infinite slope failure. The first-order reliability method (FORM) was adopted to calculate the probability of slope failure, and results of the model were compared with Monte-Carlo Simulation (MCS) results to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the model. The analysis shows that a model based on Advanced First-Order Reliability Method (AFORM) generates results that are in relatively good agreement with those of the MCS, using a relatively small number of function calls. The contribution of random variables to the slope reliability index was also examined using sensitivity analysis. The results of sensitivity analysis indicate that the effective cohesion c' is a significant variable at low values of mean matric suction, whereas matric suction ($u_a-u_w$) is the most influential factor at high mean suction values. Finally, the reliability indices of an unsaturated model soil slope, which was monitored by a wireless matric suction measurement system, were illustrated as 2D images using the suggested probabilistic model.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.101-113
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• 2015

Saturated soil hydraulic conductivity is a very important soil parameter in numerous practical engineering applications, especially rainfall infiltration and slope stability problems. This parameter is difficult to measure since it is very highly sensitive to various soil conditions. There have been many analytical and empirical formulas to predict saturated soil hydraulic conductivity based on experimental data. However, there have been few studies to investigate in-situ hydraulic conductivity of weathered granite soils, which constitute the majority of soil slopes in Korea. This paper introduces an estimation method to derive saturated hydraulic conductivity of Korean weathered granite soils using in-situ experimental data which were obtained from a variety of slope areas of South Korea. A robust regression analysis was performed using different physical soil properties and an empirical solution with an $R^2$ value of 0.9193 was suggested. Besides that this research validated the proposed model by conducting in-situ saturated soil hydraulic conductivity tests in two slope areas.