• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.9-17
• /
• 2005

A set of soil samples were picked up from a failed slope formed by rainfall in limestone zone in Jangseong-gun, Jeonnam, Korea, to find out its physical and mechanical characteristics for this study, and variation of safety factor depending on slope inclination was defined by analysing slope stability affected by rainfall. Decomposed limestone soil in the research area is composed of quartz, orthoclase, gibbsite, geothite, etc., with specific gravity of 2.73, and this soil is included in SC by unified soil classification system. Calcium ingredient decreased remarkably during weathering at its mother rock. Coefficient of permeability is 2.56×10/sup -4/ cm/ sec, similar to its value of silty clay. Cohesion decreases remarkably from 3.0 t/ ㎡ to 0.72 t/ ㎡, and Φ value of internal friction angle tends to decrease as it turns to be saturated soil from partial saturated soil in the shear test. To analyze slope stability affected by rainfall, it is reasonable to seek seepage depth with reference to rainfall＊ intensity. In the slope stability analysis, when the seepage depth is the larger, its safety factor is the less, which makes the slope unstable. Comparing with minimum safety factor, 1.5 of cut slope in consideration of the seep-age line, safety factor is found to be satisfactory only when inclination of cut slope of decomposed limestone soil is more than 1：1.2 slope at least considering rainfall. It is also found that decrease of cohesion has great effect on decline of safety factor of slope while partial saturated soil turns to be saturated soil.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.505-520
• /
• 2022

In recent years, geotextile-encased gravel columns (usually called stone columns) have become a popular method to increasing soil shear strength, decreasing the settlement, acceleration of the rate of consolidation, reducing the liquefaction potential and increasing the bearing capacity of foundations. The behavior of improved loose base-soil with gravel columns under shear loading and the shear stress-horizontal displacement curves got from large scale direct shear test are of great importance in understanding the performance of this method. In the present study, by performing 36 large-scale direct shear tests on sandy base-soil with different fine-content of zero to 30% in both not improved and improved with gravel columns, the effect of the presence of gravel columns in the loose soils were investigated. The results were used to predict the shear stress-horizontal displacement curve of these samples using support vector machines (SVM). Variables such as the non-plastic fine content of base-soil (FC), the area replacement ratio of the gravel column (Arr), the geotextile encasement and the normal stress on the sample were effective factors in the shear stress-horizontal displacement curve of the samples. The training and testing data of the model showed higher power of SVM compared to multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network in predicting shear stress-horizontal displacement curve. After ensuring the accuracy of the model evaluation, by introducing different samples to the model, the effect of different variables on the maximum shear stress of the samples was investigated. The results showed that by adding a gravel column and increasing the Arr, the friction angle (ϕ) and cohesion (c) of the samples increase. This increase is less in base-soil with more FC, and in a proportion of the same Arr, with increasing FC, internal friction angle and cohesion decreases.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.559-571
• /
• 2022

Deep soil mixing, DSM technique has been widely used to improve the engineering properties of problematic soils. Due to growing urbanization and the industrial developments, disposal of brick dust poses a big problem and causes environmental problems. This study aims to use brick dust in DSM application in order to minimize the waste in brick industry and to evaluate its effect on the improvement of the geotechnical properties. Three different percentages of cement content: (10, 15 and 20%) were used in the formation of soil-cement mixture. Unlike the other studies in the literature, various percentages of waste brick dust: (10, 20 and 30%) were used as partial replacement of cement in soil-cement mixture. The results indicated that addition of waste brick dust into soil-cement mixture had positive effect on the inherent strength and stiffness of loose sand. Cement replaced by 20% of brick dust gave the best results and reduced the final setting time of cement and resulted in an increase in unconfined compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and resilient modulus of sand mixed with cement and brick dust. The findings were also supported by the microscopic images of the specimens with different percentages of waste brick dust and it was observed that waste brick dust caused an increase in the interlocking between the particles and resulted in an increase in soil strength. Using waste brick dust as a replacement material seems to be promising for improving the geotechnical properties of loose sand.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.397-409
• /
• 2023

This study examines two traditional approaches (non-linear elastic and elasto-plastic) in association with 2D and 3D FEM analyses of a box-section pile embedded in sand. A particular emphasis is placed on stress singularities concerning both reentrant corners of the pile section and the resulting tension zones. From the experience gained in this study, non-linear elastic soil models are less restrictive when one considers stress singularities and their possible effects on convergence of the solution. At least for monotonic loading, when compared with field tests, non-linear elastic models yield better results than the plasticity ones. On the other hand, although elasto-plastic models are not limited to monotonic loading, they are much more sensitive to stress singularities. For this reason, a spherical elastic region is necessary at the pile tip to ensure convergence. Without this region, one must artificially impose an apparent cohesion to limit the tension stresses within a sand medium.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.63-69
• /
• 1983

A theoretical equation is presented to estimate the lateral earth pressures acting on piles in a row in cohesionless soil. Then, a series of model tests are carried out for various kinds of pile diameters and pile intervals, followed by very good agreements between the experimental and theoretical values of the lateral earth pressures on piles. The experimental results prove the validity of an assumption on the plastic condition of soil around piles set up in the theoretical derivation. And also the significance of the theoretical values by the presented theoretical equation is clarified.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.86-102
• /
• 1981

The soil test data of 28 earth dams, scheduled to be constructed in Kore3, were selected for this study. The safety factors of their side slops were computed using Fellenius' "slice Method" by computer. The results summarized in this study are as follows; 1. Dam sections can be easily determined by fig.10 without a time consuming trial and error calculations of assumed sections. 2. For the economical design of earth dam sections, it was found that more cohesive soil was suitable for lower dams(dam height less than 25m) and soils with a higher friction angle was better for higher dams 3. In the case that used soil materials have the same Internal friction angle, side slope increase was almost same. 4. The relationship between side slope and friction angle was found as log.S=a tan ø+b (Fig. 7) 5. The relationship between side slope and cohesion (c) was also found as log. S=a c+b (Fig. 8) 6. The change of safety factors due to the change of central core materials was very little (Table-2) 7. The decrease of safety factors according to the unit weight increase of embankment materials was negligible. 8. In general the relationship between the wet unit weight and the saturated unit weight was r sat = (rt)$^2$+0. 140. This study will contribute to the determination of economic and safe planning and designing of earth dams, embankments and cutting side slopes.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.163-172
• /
• 1990

The filter criteria of geotextiles to prevent excessive loss of fine particles in cohesion-less soils are largely depend on the flow conditions of water in soil/geotextile systems. In the soil/geotextile system under uni-directional flow conditions, it is adequate to retain only the coarse soil fraction because a 'self-induced' soil filter layer may form in cohesionless soil adjacent to the geotextile. In alternating flow conditions, however, a complete soil filter layer within the soil will not form and thus the geotextile pores must be small enough to retain finer particles of the soil to be protected. Based on these concepts, theoretical filtration criteria of geotextiles are developed considering the flow conditions of water. To test the validity of these criteria, laboratory testing was carried out. This indicated that large losses of fine particles would result, especially at high hydraulic gradients, short periods and low vertical loads. The revised filtration criteria are proposed evaluating effect of various design factors.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.9-34
• /
• 2013

Submarine pipelines encounter significant wave forces in shallow coastal waters due to the action of waves. In order to reduce such forces (also to protect the pipe against anchors and dropped objects) they are buried below the seabed. The wave force variation due to burial depends on the engineering characteristics of the sub soil like hydraulic conductivity and porosity, apart from the design environmental conditions. For a given wave condition, in certain type of soil, the wave force can reduce drastically with increased burial and in certain other type of soil, it may not. It is hence essential to understand how the wave forces vary in soils of different hydraulic conductivity. Based on physical model study, the wave forces on the buried pipeline model is assessed for a wide range of wave conditions, for different burial depths and for four types of cohesion-less soils, covering hydraulic conductivity in the range of 0.286 to 1.84 mm/s. It is found that for all the four soil types, the horizontal wave force reduces with increase in depth of burial, whereas the vertical force is high for half buried condition. Among the soils, well graded one is better for half buried case, since the least vertical force is experienced for this situation. It is found that uniformly graded and low hydraulic conductivity soil attracts the maximum vertical force for half buried case. A case study analysis is carried out and is reported. The results of this study are useful for submarine buried pipeline design.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.129-144
• /
• 2010

The earth pressure acting on the vertical shaft is less than that acting on the retaining wall due to three dimensional arching effect. Thus, it might be essential to estimate the earth pressure actually acting on the shaft when designing the vertical shaft. In this paper, large-sized model tests were conducted as Part II of companion papers to verify the newly suggested earth pressure equation proposed by Kim et al. (2009: Part I of companion papers) that can be used when designing the vertical shaft in cohesionless soils as well as in c-$\phi$ soils and multi-layered soils. The newly developed model test apparatus was designed to be able to simulate staged shaft excavation. Model tests were performed by varying the radius of vertical shaft in dry soil. Moreover, tests on c-$\phi$ soils and on multi-layered soils were also performed; in order to induce apparent cohesion to the cohesionless soil, we add some water to the dry soil to make the soil partially-saturated before depositing by raining method. Experimental results showed a load transfer from excavated ground to non-excavated zone below dredging level due to arching effect when simulating staged excavation. It was also found that measured earth pressure was far smaller than estimated if excavation is done at once; the final earth pressure measured after performing staged excavation was larger and matched with that estimated from the newly proposed equation. Measured results in c-$\phi$ soils and in multi-layered soils showed reduction in earth pressures due to apparent cohesion effect and showed good matches with analytical results.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.181-194
• /
• 1999

Both the chemical components and the physical and mechanical properties of the compacted and undisturbed weathered granite soils were estimated to investigate the influences of the degree of weathering and saturation on the shear strength. The weathered granite soils used in this study were taken from six different sites in Korea. The results showed that the shear strength of weathered granite soil decreased with increasing the degree of weathering and saturation. Under the normal stresses less that 40kPa, the shape of Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope followed curved or hyperbolic relationship and a half of cohesion value obtained by the common shear test was observed. Using the Sueoka's method, the values of CWI were ranged from 21.5 to 31.26 which can be characterized as a completely weathered granite soil. Large decrease in shear strength and remarkable variation in dilatancy were observed in saturated granite soil compared to unsaturated soil. It was also found that the shear strength of undisturbed weathered granite soil of Pungam site can be expressed approximately by the equation of ${(\tau)_{sat}= 1.0(\tau)_{unsat}-12.48}$ and this equation can be extended to the other sites considered in this study.