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

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

Due to climate change and aging of reservoirs, damage to embankment slopes is increasing. However, the safety diagnosis of the reservoir slope is mainly conducted by visual observation, and the time and economic cost are formidable to apply soil mechanical tests and slope stability analysis. Accordingly, this study presented a predicting method for the compaction and strength characteristics of the reservoir embankment soil using a portable static cone penetration test. The predicted items consisted of dry density, cohesion, and internal friction angle, which are the main factors of slope stability analysis. Portable static cone penetration tests were performed at 19 reservoir sites, and prediction equations were constructed from the correlation between penetration resistance data and test results of soil samples. The predicted dry density and strength parameters showed a correlation with test results between R² 0.40 and 0.93, and it was found to replace the test results well when used as input data for slope stability analysis (R² 0.8134 or more, RMSE 0.0320 or less). In addition, the prediction equations for the minimum safety factor of the slope were presented using the penetration resistance and gradient. As a result of comparing the predicted safety factor with the analysis results, R² 0.5125, RMSE 0.0382 in coarse-grained soil, R² 0.4182 and RMSE 0.0628 in fine-grained soil. The results of this study can be used as a way to improve the existing slope safety diagnosis method, and are expected to be used to predict the characteristics of various soils and inspect slopes.

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

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

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

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

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

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.237-250
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• 2015

Underground structures such as a tunnel have been considered as safer than structures on the ground during earthquake. However, severe damages of underground structures occurred at subway tunnel during 1995 Kobe Earthquake and such damages are gradually increased. In this study, a dynamic behavior of a cut and cover tunnel surrounded by weathered soils is investigated using Mohr-Coulomb Model. Parametric study was carried out for boundary conditions, tensile strength, and earthquake magnitudes. The results of numerical analyses in terms of ground deformations and stresses acting on the lining were quite dependent on the side boundary condition (free or fix conditions) and tensile strength of surrounding soils. The ground was deformed upward at the end of earthquake when the side boundary condition was fixed, whereas residual deformations were not predicted when it was free. When the tensile strength of a soil was set to the same as its cohesion, residual deformation was less than 1cm, regardless of side boundary conditions or input accelerations. In addition to that, stress conditions at the maximum deformation and end of earthquake were within an allowable range and considered as safe. Proper boundary conditions and material properties such as tensile strength are quite important because they may significantly impact on the results of dynamic analyses.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.435-443
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• 2007

This study shows the prediction of the engineering properties of weathered zone bearing corestones through the engineering geological surveys and the scale model test in the laboratory. The window survey and the observation on the borehole core were peformed on three natural slopes in corestones area in order to analyse the distribution pattern and the geometrical properties of corestones. Natural corestones were crushed and abrased for the scale model test into less than 5 mm in maximum-2mm in average by the scale reduction ratio based on the size of natural corestones and the specimen size. Scale model tests were carried out on soil and plaster model specimens with different corestone content ratio - 0%, 10%, 20%. The direct shear test on soils shows that shear strength is increased by the increase of corestone content ratio. The increase of cohesion is, however, more important factor to the shear strength of soil for 20% corestone content ratio due to interlocking of crushed corestone particles. The plaster model test shows a tendance of increase of UCS and modulus of elasticity with increase of corestone content. The variation ratio of specimen property by change of corestone content ratio in plaster model test was applied to in situ properties in order to estimate the properties of weathered zone bearing corestones. So it could be predicted that the increase of corestone content to 10% and to 20% produce about 18% and 30% UCS's increase respectively.