• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2016

In this paper, we perform a numerical analysis to evaluate the potential of fault reactivation during gas production from hydrate bearing sediments and the moment magnitude of induced seismicity. For the numerical analysis, sequential coupling of TOUGH+Hydrate and FLAC3D was used and the change in effective stress and consequent geomechanical deformation including fault reactivation was simulated by assuming that Mohr-Coulomb shear resistance criterion is valid. From the test production simulation of 30 days, we showed that pore pressure reduction as well as effective stress change hardly induces the fault reactivation in the vicinity of a production well. We also investigated the influence of stress state conditions to a fault reactivation, and showed that normal fault stress regime, where vertical stress is relatively greater than horizontal, may have the largest potential for the reactivation. We tested one simulation that earthquake can be induced during gas production and calculated the moment magnitude of the seismicity. Our calculation presented that all the magnitudes from the calculation were negative values, which indicates that induced earthquakes can be grouped into micro-seismic and as small as hardly perceived by human beings. However, it should be noted that the current simulation was carried out using the highly simplified geometric model and assumptions such that the further simulations for a scheduled test production and commercial scale production considering complex geometric conditions may produce different results.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.183-195
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• 2018

Recently, the need for research on vertical shaft excavation is increasing with the increase of the demands for the underground and utility tunnels. As a part of the R&D project of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, CUT (center for utility tunnel) has developed "Ring cut method". "Ring cut method" is a method to improve the stability of the ground against the basal heave by excavator wall pre-penetration during vertical shaft excavation. In this study, the basal heave was simulated by centrifugal model test. The basal heave, ground subsidence, and ground deformation of surrounding ground were analyzed by soil plug effect from wall pre-penetration. It was found that the soil plug could control the basal heaving and ground subsidence, and verified that the 'Ring cut method' could be a good countermeasure for the ground stability against the basal heave.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2012

Theoretical backgrounds on the experimental methods of explosive welding, explosive forming and shock consolidation of powders are introduced. Explosive welding experiments of titanium (Ti) and stainless steel (SUS 304) plate were carried out. It was revealed that a series of waves of metal jet are generated in the contact surface between both materials; and that the optimal collision velocity and collision angle is about 2,100~2,800 m/s and $15{\sim}20^{\circ}$, respectively. Also, explosive forming experiments of Al plate were performed and compared to a conventional press forming method. The results confirmed that the shock-loaded Al plate has a larger curvature deformation than those made using conventional press forming. For shock consolidation of powders, the propagation behaviors of a detonation wave and underwater shock wave generated by explosion of an explosive are investigated by means of numerical calculation. The results revealed that the generation and convergence of reflected waves occur at the wall and center position of water column, and also the peak pressure of the converged reflected waves was 20 GPa which exceeds the detonation pressure. As results from the consolidation experiments of metal/ceramic powders ($Fe_{11.2}La_2O_3Co_{0.7}Si_{1.1}$), shock-consolidated $Fe_{11.2}La_2O_3Co_{0.7}Si_{1.1}$ bulk without cracks was successfully obtained by adapting the suggested water container and strong bonding between powder particles was confirmed through microscopic observations.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.365-375
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• 2006

The structural analysis for the secondary lining of tunnels is generally performed by a frame analysis model. This model requires a ground loosening load estimated by some empirical methods, but the load is likely to be subjective and too large. The ground load acting on the secondary lining is due to the loss of the supporting function of the first support members such as shotcrete and rockbolts. Therefore, the equilibrium condition of the ground and the first support members should be considered to estimate the ground load acting on the secondary lining. Ground-lining interaction model, shortly GLI model, is developed on the basis of the concept that the secondary lining supports the ground deformation triggered by the loss of the support capacity of the first support members. Accordingly, the GLI model can take into account the ground load reflecting effectively not only the complex ground conditions but the installed conditions of the first support members. The load acting on the secondary lining besides the ground load includes the groundwater pressure and earthquake load. For the structural reinforcement of the secondary lining based on the ultimate strength design method, the factored load and various load combination should be considered. Since the GLI model has difficulty in dealing with the factored load, introduced in this study is the superposition principle in which the section moment and force of the secondary lining estimated for individual loads are multiplied by the load factors. Finally, the design method of the secondary lining using the GLI model is applied to the case of a shallow subway tunnel.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2001

Up to now single large cavern was excavated for each undergroud hydraulic powerhouse in Korea. But the Yangyang underground hydraulic powerhouse consists of two large caverns; a powerhouse cavern and main transformer cavern. In this carte, the structural stability of the caverns, especially the rock pillar formed between two large caverns, should be guaranteed to be sound to make the caverns permanently sustainable. In this research, the Distinct Element Method(DEM) was used to analyze the structural stability of two caverns and the rock pillar. The Barton-Bandis joint model was used as a constitutive model. The moot significant parameters such as in-site stress, JRC of in-situ natural joints, and spatial distribution characteristics of discontinuities were acquired through field investigation. In addition, two different cases; 1) with no support system and 2) with a support system, were analysed to optimize a support system and to investigate reinforcing effects of a support system. The results of analysis horizontal displacement and joint shear displacement proved to be reduced with the support system. The relaxed zone in the rock pilar also proved to be reduced in conjunction with the support system. Having a support system in place provided the fact that the non zero minimum principal stresses were still acting in the rock pillar so that the pillar was not under uniaxial compressive condition but under triaxial compressive condition. The structural stability f an approximately 36 m wide rock pillar between two large caverns was assured with the appropriate support system.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2004

Investigation of the time-dependent behavior of rock and the associated mechanisms are of key interest in long-term stability analysis of many engineering applications. In this study, creep tests were performed on Daejeon granite samples of 25.4mm diameter under uniaxial compression at varying stress levels. The effect of moisture was investigated by testing both air-dried and fully water-saturated samples. The creep behavior of Daejeon granite exhibited three distinctive stages of primary, secondary and tertiary creep. The ultimate strength of granite under a constant stress decreased considerably with time. Saturation and immersion of the test specimen in water markedly increased the total creep strain as well as the secondary creep rate. The experimental creep curves are fitted to Burger's model as well as two other empirical models suggested by previous researchers. A number of the parameters determined for each model are dependent on stress and influenced by the presence of water. Based on the experimental results, an empirical relation between the applied stress and the time-dependent strain is established separately for each air-dried and fully water-saturated Daejeon granite.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.164-179
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• 2020

Applying the limit state design method to geotechnical structures, accuracy and reliability of its design are mainly affected by parameters for geotechnical site characteristics, such as unit weight, Poisson's ratio, deformation modulus, cohesion and frictional angle. When the structures are located in weathered ground, especially, cohesion and frictional angle of ground are closely related with decision of parameters for structures' load and ground's resistance. Therefore, the accurate determination of these parameters, which are commonly obtained from field measurement, such as borehole shear test, are essential for optimum design of geotechnical structures. The 38 case studies, in this study, have been analyzed for understanding the importance of these parameters in designing the ground structures. From these results, importance of field measurement was also ascertained. With these evaluations, an apparatus for determining the strength characteristics, which are fundamental in limit state design (LSD) method, have been newly developed. This apparatus has an improved function as following the ASTM suggestion. Through the field application of this apparatus, the strong point of minimizing the possibility of error occurrence during the measurement has been verified and authors summarized that the essential parameters for LSD can be qualitatively obtained by this apparatus for determination of strength characteristics of weathered ground.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.235-252
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• 2016

This study presents a methodology to reproduce the mechanical behavior of isotropic or transversely isotropic rock using the polygonal grain-based distinct element model. A numerical technique to monitor the evolution of micro-cracks during the simulation was developed in the present study, which enabled us to examine the contribution of tensile cracking and shear cracking to the progressive process of the failure. The numerical results demonstrated good agreement with general observations from rock specimens in terms of the behavior and the evolution of micro-cracks, suggesting the capability of the model to represent the mechanical behavior of rock. We also carried out a parametric study as a fundamental work to examine the relationships between the microscopic properties of the constituents and the macroscopic behavior of the model. Depending on the micro-properties, the model exhibited a variety of responses to the external load in terms of the strength and deformation characteristics. In addition, a numerical technique to reproduce the transversely isotropic rock was suggested and applied to Asan gneiss from Korea. The behavior of the numerical model was in good agreement with the results obtained in the laboratory-scale experiments of the rock.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.197-213
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• 2019

We simulated the fault reactivation experiment conducted at 'Main Fault' intersecting the low permeability clay formations of Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland using TOUGH-FLAC simulator. The fluid flow along a fault was modelled with solid elements and governed by Darcy's law with the cubic law in TOUGH2, whereas the mechanical behavior of a single fault was represented by creating interface elements between two separating rock blocks in FLAC3D. We formulate the hydro-mechanical coupling relation of hydraulic aperture to consider the elastic fracture opening and failure-induced dilation for reproducing the abrupt changes in injection flow rate and monitoring pressure at fracture opening pressure. A parametric study was conducted to examine the effects of in-situ stress condition and fault deformation and strength parameters and to find the optimal parameter set to reproduce the field observations. In the best matching simulation, the fracture opening pressure and variations of injection flow rate and monitoring pressure showed good agreement with field experiment results, which suggests the capability of the numerical model to reasonably capture the fracture opening and propagation process. The model overestimated the fault displacement in shear direction and the range of reactivated zone, which was attributed to the progressive shear failures along the fault at high injection pressure. In the field experiment results, however, fracture tensile opening seems the dominant mechanism affecting the hydraulic aperture increase.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.255-270
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• 2019

Aerodynamic configurations of bridge decks have significant effects on the aerostatic torsional divergence and flutter forsuper long-span bridges, which are onset for selection of suitable bridge decksfor those bridges. Based on a cable-stayed bridge with double main spans of 1500 m, considering typical twin-box, stiffening truss and closed-box section, which are the most commonly used form of bridge decks and assumed that the rigidity of those section is completely equivalent, are utilized to investigate the effects of aerodynamic configurations of bridge decks on aerodynamic instability performance comprised of the aerostatic torsional divergence and flutter, by means of wind tunnel tests and numerical calculations, including three-dimensional (3D) multimode flutter analysis and nonlinear aerostatic analysis. Regarding the aerostatic torsional divergence, the results obtained in this study show twin-box section is the best, closed-box section the second-best, and the stiffening truss section the worst. Regarding the flutter, the flutter stability of the twin-box section is far better than that of the stiffening truss and closed-box section. Furthermore, wind-resistance design depends on the torsional divergence for the twin-box and stiffening truss section. However, there are obvious competitive relationships between the aerostatic torsional divergence and flutter for the closed-box section. Flutter occur before aerostatic instability at initial attack angle of $+3^{\circ}$ and $0^{\circ}$, while the aerostatic torsional divergence occur before flutter at initial attack angle of $-3^{\circ}$. The twin-box section is the best in terms of both aerostatic and flutter stability among those bridge decks. Then mechanisms of aerostatic torsional divergence are revealed by tracking the cable forces synchronous with deformation of the bridge decksin the instability process. It was also found that the onset wind velocities of these bridge decks are very similar at attack angle of $-3^{\circ}$. This indicatesthat a stable triangular structure made up of the cable planes, the tower, and the bridge deck greatly improves the aerostatic stability of the structure, while the aerodynamic effects associated with the aerodynamic configurations of the bridge decks have little effects on the aerostatic stability at initial attack angle of $-3^{\circ}$. In addition, instability patterns of the bridge depend on both the initial attack angles and aerodynamic configurations of the bridge decks. This study is helpful in determining bridge decksfor super long-span bridges in future.