• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.52-65
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• 2021

In this study, authors analyzed the vapor cloud explosion induced by propane leak at the PEMIX Terminal, which is the propane storage facility outside of Mexico City. TNT equivalence mass for the leaked 4750 kg propane was estimated to be 9398 kg. Blast parameters such as peak overpressure, positive phase duration, and impact at 40-400 (m) away from the center of the explosion were calculated by applying TNT Equivalency Method and Multi-Energy Method. The probability of damage due to lung damage, eardrum rupture, head impact, and whole-body displacement impact by applying the probit function obtained using blast parameters was evaluated. The peak overpressure obtained using Multi-Energy Method was found to be greater than the peak overpressure obtained by applying the TNT Equivalency Method at all distances considered, but it was evaluated that there was no significant difference from the points above 200 m. The peak overpressure obtained by Multi-Energy Method was computed to assess the extent of damage to the structure, and it was shown that structures within 100 m of the explosion center would collapse completely, and that the glasses of the structures 400 m away would be almost broken. The probability of death due to lung damage was shown to vary depending on a human body's position located in the propagating direction of shock wave, and if there is a reflecting surface in the immediate surroundings of a human body, the probability of death was estimated to be the greatest. The impact of shock wave on lung damage, eardrum rupture, head impact, and whole-body displacement impact was evaluated and found to affect whole-body impact < lung damage < eardrum rupture

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2021

In urban areas, structures are installed deep underground in the lower part of the structure to utilize space. Therefore, a retaining wall is used to prevent earth pressure from the ground when constructing a structure. Due to the development of construction technology, retaining wall applied to excavation work are used to prevent danger such as falling rocks and landslides in temporary facilities when construction or retaining walls are installed. In general, the application of a retaining wall to a temporary facility during the embankment construction is the case of expanding an existing roads or railways. Therefore, it is necessary to study the retaining wall applied to the embankment construction such as the double-track site of the high-speed railway. In this study, two types of common one row H-pile retaining wall and two types of IER retaining wall were analyzed, and the stability of the retaining wall applied to the construction of double-track of the high-speed railway was analyzed. The earth retaining wall is a construction method that combines forced pile applied to the stabilization of the slope with the wall of the earth retaining wall. As a result of the analysis, the IER retaining wall had maximum lateral displacement of 19.0% compared to the type with H-plie installed only in the front while dynamic load was applied. In addition, the slower the speed of high-speed railway, the more displacement occurred, and the results show that more caution is needed when designing the ground in low-speed sections.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2022

Expandable steel pipe piles are installed by inserting expansion equipment to increase the cross-sectional area of steel pipes, which can improve the pile performance compared to micro-piles. In this paper, a hydraulic expansion device was developed to expand steel pipe piles in practice. A series of laboratory and field tests were conducted to verify the performance of the developed expansion device to expand steel pipes. The expansion capability and expandable range was evaluated by measuring the strain and expansion time at the maximum pressure of the hydraulic expansion device. The thinner steel pipe, the larger strain but longer expansion time required in the test. For example, the 4.0-mm-thick steel pipe showed strain reduction by 30% and a decrease in the required expansion time by 40% compared to the 2.9-mm-thick steel pipe. In addition, in-situ expansion tests were performed to verify the expandability of steel pipes under the ground, and the exhumed specimen showed clear expanded sections. The structural integrity was determined by comparing the material performance the original and expanded specimens.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.160-172
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• 2022

The design regulations for simple explosive storage in Korea only stipulate standards for the materials and thickness of the wall of the structure because the amount of explosives that can be stored is small. There is concern about secondary damage during an internal explosion in a simple storage facility, and it is necessary to reexamine the current standards. The numerical analysis for the TNT 15 kg explosion inside the simple storage was carried out by setting the factors using the robust experimental design method. The displacement of the structure generated under the same time condition was analyzed, and the contribution was evaluated. The contribution of concrete thickness was the highest, and the contribution of concrete strength and rebar arrangement was lower than that of concrete thickness. The reinforcement diameter contributed extremely little to the displacement. The structural standards of the simple storage that are currently applied are insufficient on blast resistance, and it is necessary to present new design standards. Therefore, the design factor to be applied later analysis and actual experiments were taken into consideration. For the design variables, the thickness of the concrete was 15 cm considering the displacement, the concrete strength was selected as general concrete considering the inlet discharge pressure, the factor with the lowest average displacement was selected for the reinforcement arrangement and the diameter of the reinforcement, the factor with the smallest level was selected in consideration of economic feasibility because the difference in displacement was low.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.282-289
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• 2022

Background: Airborne fungi are ubiquitous in the air and exposure to an airborne fungus can be a significant risk factor. The composition of fungi has been potentially important for human health, especially for respiratory diseases like asthma and atopic dermatitis. Therefore, we attempted to ascertain what kind of airborne fungi affect human health at a nationwide level. Objectives: This study was carried out to provide information on indoor fungi distribution at multi-use facilities throughout South Korea. Methods: We classified our data by region and public facility after collection, cultivation, and identification via the sequencing of the ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region. We investigated whether or not the proliferation of HaCaT cells was affected by the identified airborne fungi. Results: In our data, the most isolated airborne fungi by region were Penicillium spp (Seoul, Daegu), Periconia sp (Gyeonggi-do), Iprex sp (Gangwon-do), Phanerochaete sp (Busan), Bjerkandera sp (Gwangju), and Aspergillus sp (Jeju-do). In the public facilities, the most detected fungi were Cladosporium sp (public transport), Penicillium sp (apartment house, retail market, financial institution, karaoke room), Bjerokandera sp (underground parking lot, public toilet, medical institution), Periconia sp (retail store), and Fusarium sp (general restaurant). Next, we selected twenty airborne fungi to examine their cytotoxicity and proliferation of human skin cells. In this experiment, the proliferation of the cells was influenced by most of the identified fungi. In case of the cytotoxicity test, most genera except for Rhodotorula sp and Moesziomyces sp showed cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. Conclusions: The distribution of mold in the indoor air in multi-use facilities in South Korea differs from region to region, and this is an indicator that should be considered in future health impact studies. In addition, as a result of culturing about 20 types of bacteria dominant in indoor air, it was found that most (90%) inhibit the growth of skin cells, which can be harmful to health. An in-depth study of the health effects of floating fungi is needed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.42-56
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• 2023

In deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), the natural barrier must physically support the disposal facility and delay the movement of radionuclides for at least hundreds of thousands of years. To evaluate the long-term geological evolution of the natural barriers, it is essential to analyze the long-term behavior of rock joints, including the frictional healing behavior. This study aimed to experimentally analyze the frictional healing behavior of rock joints under hydro-mechanical (H-M) conditions through the slide-hold-slide (SHS) test. The SHS tests were performed under mechanical and H-M conditions for joint specimens of different roughness. In the H-M conditions, the frictional healing rate tended to increase, which was more evident in the specimens with large roughness. In addition, it was confirmed that the effect of the hydro-mechanical conditions was more significant when the effective normal stress acting on the joint surface was small. These results are expected to be used as fundamental data to understand the frictional healing behavior of rock joints in the natural barriers.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.33-45
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• 2009

The conventional single-core PBDs have been widely used in order to accelerate consolidation settlement of soft grounds. When using the single-core PBD in a thick clay deposit, a delay of consolidation may occur due to high confining pressure in the thick deposit and necking of drains. This study is to compare the performances of soil improvement by the single-core and double-core PBD installed at a site in Busan New Port which exhibits approximately a 40m-thick clay layer. An in-situ test program was performed at the test site where a set of the double-core PBDs and single-core PBDs were installed to compare the efficiency of each drain. In addition, the discharge capacity of each PBD has been measured using the modified Delft Test. A series of laboratory tests for estimating in-situ soil properties have also been performed in order to obtain input parameters for a numerical program ILLICON. The discharge capacity of the double-core PBD is higher than that of the single-core PBD in the modified Delft Test. However it is observed from the comparative in-situ test and numerical analysis that there is no difference in the performance of ground improvement between the two drain systems. This discrepancy comes from the fact that the amount of water released during consolidation in most common field conditions is much smaller than the capacity of even the single core PBD. And thus, considering actual field conditions, it can be concluded that the single-core PBD has enough discharge capacity even in the thick clay deposit such as this test site.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.85-95
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• 2022

This study is about the story of 'Saemi', existing in the Sacheon Alluvial fan area. Saemi is a local word for Dumbeong, which is the traditional water irrigation facilities in this area that could be formed according to the geographical characteristics of a Alluvial fan site. In the meantime, although Saemi has been an important source of water, related research has been mainly done from an ecological point of view. Accordingly, the researcher paid attention to the functional aspects of Saemi itself, grasped its location, distribution status, and usage including the construction method, and considered its intrinsic value through classification and characteristic analysis of Saemi. As a result of five field surveys from September 2021 to October 2022, 129 Saemies remained in the Sacheon alluvial fan area. According to the structure and shape, Saemi could be divided into basic type, complex type, and buried type. The basic type was subdivided into bucket-type and stairs-type along with the complex type, and the buried type was subdivided into all buried-type and some buried-type. Saemies were mainly distributed at the distal end of the Sacheon alluvial fan site, individual Saemies were built on farmland, and common Saemies were usually built along roadsides adjacent to villages. The reason why the Saemies are concentrated at the distal end is the geographical characteristics of the alluvial fan where the water underflows. Saemi was an important multifunctional water supply source equivalent to the main water source for people at the distal end of the pond who did not receive a stable supply of water from the reservoir. Saemi was at the center of the underground water irrigation network agricultural system in the Sacheon alluvial fan area according to the principles of 'bbaeim(drop out)' and 'gaepim(pooling)' It has provided a foundation for establishing itself as an appropriate technology in this area. Such Saemi contributed to the rural landscape and agricultural biodiversity through its own system and served as a public interest function. It is necessary to know, conserve, manage, and continuously utilize the value of this Saemi as an agricultural heritage.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.445-471
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• 2023

Long-term safety over millennia is the top priority consideration in the construction of disposal sites. However, ensuring the mechanical stability of deep geological repositories for spent fuel, a.k.a. radwaste, disposal during construction and operation is also crucial for safe operation of the repository. Imposing restrictions or limitations on tunnel support and lining materials such as shotcrete, concrete, grouting, which might compromise the sealing performance of backfill and buffer materials which are essential elements for the long-term safety of disposal sites, presents a highly challenging task for rock engineers and tunnelling experts. In this study, as part of an extensive exploration to aid in the proper selection of disposal sites, the anticipation of constructing a deep geological repository at a depth of 500 meters in an unknown state has been carried out. Through a review of 2D and 3D numerical analyses, the study aimed to explore the range of properties that ensure stability. Preliminary findings identified the potential range of rock properties that secure the stability of central and disposal tunnels, while the stability of the vertical tunnel network was confirmed through 3D analysis, outlining fundamental rock conditions necessary for the construction of disposal sites.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.104-126
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• 2024

Buffer and backfill play an essential role in isolating high-level radioactive waste and retard the migration of leaked radionuclides in deep geological disposal system. A bentonite mixture, which exhibits a swelling property, is considered for buffer and backfill materials, and excessive groundwater inflow from surrounding rock mass may affect stability and efficiency of their role as an engineered barrier. Therefore, stringent quality control as well as in-situ installation management and inflow water constrol for buffer and backfill are required to ensure the safety of deep disposal facilities. In this study, we analyzed the design requirements of buffer and backfill by examining various laboratory tests and a field study of the Steel Tunnel Test at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. We introduced how to control the quality of buffer and backfill construction in-field, and also presented how to handle excessive groundwater inflow into disposal caverns, validating the groundwater retention capacity of bentonite pellets and the effectiveness of geotexile use.