• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2020

Strength anisotropy is a typical feature of thin-bedded rock masses and their strength will be degraded subjected to water immersion effect. Such effect is crucial for the operation of hydropower plant because the impoundment lifts the water level of upstream reservoir and causes the rock mass of nearby slopes saturated. So far, researches regarding mechanical property of natural thin-bedded rock masses and their strength variation under water immersion based on field test method are rarely reported. This paper focuses on a thin-bedded stratified rock mass and carries out field test to investigate the mechanical property and strength variation characteristics. The field test is highlighted by samples which have a large shear dimension of 0.5 m*0.5 m, representing a more realistic in-situ situation than small size specimen. The test results confirm the anisotropic nature of the concerned rock mass, whose shear strength of host rocks is significantly larger than that of bedding planes. Further, the comparison of shear strength parameters of the thin-bedded rock mass under natural and saturated conditions show that for both host rocks and bedding planes, the decreasing extent of cohesion values are larger than friction values. The quantitative results are then adopted to analyze the influence of reservoir impoundment of a hydropower plant on the surrounding rock mass stability of diversion tunnels which are located in the nearby slope bank. It is evaluated that after reservoir impoundment, the strength degradation induced incremental deformations of surrounding rock mass of diversion tunnels are small and the stresses in lining structure are acceptable. It is therefore concluded that the influences of impoundment are small and the stability of diversion tunnels can be still achieved. The finings regarding field test method and its results, as well as the numerical evaluation conclusions are hoped to provide references for rock projects with similar concerns.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.20-32
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• 2008

The study shows a method called a square-inventory method, which is a better and faster method than scanline survey and window method for an analysis of slope stability. The study area is located in the Changri area, Boeun-Gun, Chungbuk, and consists of many formations of the Okcheon Supergroup. Various types of failure are observed from the phyllite including the rocks in the study area. The physical properties of meta-sedimentary rocks are that minerals of the rocks are composed of microcrystalline quartz and sericite, which are arranged parallel to bedding (or schistosity) and crenulation cleavage. Therefore, such properties affect geotechnical ones of the rock. The slope stability are analyzed by selecting 3 areas, each of which are divided into 2 or 3 slopes of $1m{\times}1m$ area that represent each of 3 investigation sites. The possibility of wedge and toppling failure is very high in all 3 areas by using square-inventory method. Although possibility of plane failure is weak in the investigation site 2, the plane failures are frequently found from the slope of site 2. The bedding (or schistosity) plane and cleavage, another types of discontinuity coexist in meta-sedimentary rocks uulike igneous rocks, and therefore are important factors to be considered together with joint structures in th ε analysis of slope stability.

• 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.30 no.4
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• pp.404-416
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• 2020

An analytical procedure for calculating the failure load of a V-shaped rock notch under two-dimensional stress conditions was developed based on the slip-line plastic analysis method. The key idea utilized in the development is the fact that the α-line, one of the slip-lines, extends from the rock notch surface to the horizontal surface outside the notch when the rock around the notch is in the plastic state, and that there exists an invariant which is constant along the α-line. Since the stress boundary condition of the horizontal surface outside the rock notch is known, it is possible to calculate the normal and shear stresses acting on the rock notch surface by solving the invariant equation. The notch failure load exerted by the wedge was calculated using the calculated stress components for the notch surface. Rock notch failure analysis was performed by applying the developed analytical procedure. The analysis results show that the failure load of the rock notch increases with exponential nonlinearity as the angle of the notch and the friction of the notch surface increase. The analytical procedure developed in this study is expected to have applications to the study of fracture initiation in rocks through wedge-shaped notch formation, calculation of bearing capacity of the rock foundation, and stability analysis of rock slopes and circular tunnels.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.107 no.4
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• pp.393-401
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of ground subsidence and land-creeping in four mining areas in Korea. Land creeping were occurred by large-scale sinkholes and tensile cracks in the mining areas. This ares showed the shape as large-scale landslides by the collapsed stone debris pushed in the direction of gravity. The rock type in the No. 4 survey area was sandstone and shale, whereas that of other three areas was limestone. The limestone was generally vulnerable to land creeping. The ground subsidence and land creeping in four mining areas were located near the ridge of the mountain. The land creeping by ground subsidence in the mining areas showed complex shapes due to the cavity of underground tunnel and the colluvial debris by gravity in the mountain area, whereas the land creeping in Korea are in the shape of landslide. The average slope of the mining area was ranged from $30.4^{\circ}$ to $33.7^{\circ}$. The values were higher ($1.5^{\circ}{\sim}4.8^{\circ}$) than the average slopes for landslide areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Most reservoirs in South Korea are earthen dams, mainly because they are cost-effective and easy to construct. However, earthen dams are highly vulnerable to seepage and overtopping, making them prone to sudden failure during excessive flooding. Such sudden failures can lead to a rapid increase in flood discharge, causing significant damage to downstream rivers and inhabited areas. This study investigates the effect of riprap placement on the slopes of earthen dams in delaying dam failure. Delaying the failure time is crucial as it allows more time for evacuation, significantly reducing potential casualties, which is essential from a disaster response perspective. Hydraulic experiments were conducted in a straight channel, using two different sizes of riprap for protection. Unlike previous studies, these experiments were performed under unsteady flow conditions to reflect the impact of rising water levels inside the dam. The target dam for the study was a cofferdam installed in a diversion tunnel. Experimental results indicated that the presence of riprap protection effectively prevented slope failure under the tested conditions. Without riprap protection, increasing the size of the riprap delayed the failure time. This delay can reduce peak discharge, mitigating damage downstream of the dam. Furthermore, these findings can serve as critical reference material for establishing emergency action plans (EAP) for reservoir failure.