• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.4C
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• pp.247-254
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• 2006

Online testing method is one of the numerical experiment methods using experimental information for a numerical analysis directly. The method has an advantage in that analysis can be conducted without using an idealized mechanical model, because mechanical properties are updated from element test for a numerical analysis in real time. The online testing method has mainly been used for the geotechnical seismic engineering, whose major target is sand. A testing method that may be applied to a consolidation problem has recently been developed and laboratory and field verifications have been tried. Although related research thus far has mainly used a method to update average reaction for a numerical analysis by positioning an element tests at the center of a consolidation layer, a weakness that accuracy of the analysis can be impaired as the thickness of the consolidation layer becomes more thicker has been pointed out regarding the method. To clarify the effectiveness and possible analysis scope of the online testing method in relation to the consolidation problem, we need to review the results by applying experiment conditions that may completely exclude such a factor. This research reviewed the results of the online consolidation test in terms of reproduction of the consolidation settlement and the dissipation of excess pore water pressure of a clay specimen by comparing the results of an online consolidation test and a separated-type consolidation test carried out under the same conditions. As a result, the online consolidation test reproduced the change of compressibility according effective stress of clay without a huge contradiction. In terms of the dissipation rate of excess pore water pressure, however, the online consolidation test was a little faster. In conclusion, experiment procedure needs to improve in a direction that hydraulic conductivity can be updated in real time so as to more precisely predict the dissipation of excess pore water pressure. Further research or improvement should be carried out with regard to the consolidation settlement after the end of the dissipation of excess pore water pressure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.183-200
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• 2014

The expansivity of clayey soils is a complicated phenomenon which may affect the stability of geotechnical structures and geo-environmental projects. In all common factors for the monitoring of soil expansion, less attention is given to anion type of pore space solutions. Therefore, this paper is concerned with the impact of various concentrations of different inorganic salts including NaCl, $Na_2SO_4$, and $Na_2CO_3$ on the macro and microstructure behavior of the expandable smectite clay. Comparison of the responses of the smectite/NaCl and smectite/$Na_2SO_4$ mixtures indicates that the effect of anion valance on the soil engineering properties is not very pronounced, regardless of the electrolyte concentration. However, at presence of carbonate as potential determining ions (PDIs) the swelling power increases up to 1.5 times compared to sulfate or chloride ions. The samples with $Na_2CO_3$ are also more deformable and show lower osmotic compressibility than the other mixtures. This demonstrates that the barrier performance of smectite greatly decreases in case of anions with the non-specific adsorption (e.g., $Cl^-$ and $SO{_4}^{2-}$) as the salinity of solution increases. Based on the results of the X-ray diffraction and sedimentation tests, the high soil volumetric changes upon exposure to carbonate is attributed to an increase in the repulsive forces between smectite basic unit layers due to the PDI effect of $CO{_3}^{2-}$ and increasing the pH level which enhance the buffering capacity of smectite. The study concluded that the nature of anion through its influence on the re-arrangement of soil microstructure and osmotic phenomena governs the hydro-mechanical parameters of expansive clays. It seems not coinciding with the double layer theory of the Gouy-Chapman double layer model.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.583-594
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• 2021

The gas permeability behavior of unsaturated bentonite-based materials is of major importance for ensuring effective sealing of high-level radwaste repositories. This study investigated this by taking a sample of Granular Bentonite Material (GBM) at the end of the Engineered Barrier Emplacement (EB) experiment in the Opalinus Clay, placing it under different humidity conditions until it achieved equilibration, and testing the change in the gas permeability under loading and unloading. Environmental humidity is shown to have a significant effect on the water content, saturation, porosity and dry density of GBM and to affect its gas permeability. Higher sensitivity to confining pressure is exhibited by samples equilibrated at higher relative humidity (RH). It should be noted that for the sample at RH=98%, when the confining pressure is raised from 1 MPa to 6 MPa, gas permeability can be reduced from 10^-16 m² to 10^-19 m², which is close to the requirements of gas tightness. Due to higher water content and easier compressibility, samples equilibrated under higher RH show greater irreversibility during the loading and unloading process. The effective gas permeability of highly saturated samples can be increased by 2-3 orders of magnitude after 105℃ drying. In addition, cracks possibly occurred during the dehydration and drying process will become the main channel for gas migration, which will greatly affect the sealing performance of GBM.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.453-464
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• 2019

Soft marine soil has high fine-grained soil content and in-situ water content. Thus, it has low shear strength and bearing capacity and is susceptible to a large settlement, which leads to difficulties with coastal infrastructure construction. Therefore, strength improvement and settlement control are essential considerations for construction on soft marine soil deposits. Biopolymers show their potential for improving soil stability, which can reduce the environmental drawbacks of conventional soil treatment. This study used two biopolymers, an anionic xanthan gum biopolymer and a cationic ${\varepsilon}-polylysine$ biopolymer, as representatives to enhance the geotechnical engineering properties of soft marine soil. Effects of the biopolymers on marine soil were analyzed through a series of experiments considering the Atterberg limits, shear strength at a constant water content, compressive strength in a dry condition, laboratory consolidation, and sedimentation. Xanthan gum treatment affects the Atterberg limits, shear strength, and compressive strength by interparticle bonding and the formation of a viscous hydrogel. However, xanthan gum delays the consolidation procedure and increases the compressibility of soils. While ${\varepsilon}-polylysine$ treatment does not affect compressive strength, it shows potential for coagulating soil particles in a suspension state. ${\varepsilon}-Polylysine$ forms bridges between soil particles, showing an increase in settling velocity and final sediment density. The results of this study show various potential applications of biopolymers. Xanthan gum biopolymer was identified as a soil strengthening material, while ${\varepsilon}-polylysine$ biopolymer can be applied as a soil-coagulating material.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.239-248
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• 2009

In this investigation, we observed surface morphology and porosity of a macroporous adsorbent made of Na-bentonite and Ca-bentonite as structure formation materials and grounded waste paper as macropore forming material for the development of a permeable reactive barrier to remove heavy metals in groundwater. Therefore, we selected minerals having higher cation exchange capacity among 2:1 clay minerals and other industrial minerals because sintering can significantly influence cation exchange capacity, resulting in drastic decrease in removal of heavy metals. The results showed that the increasing sintering temperature drastically decreased CEC by less than 10 % of the indigenous CEC carried by the selected minerals. One axial compressibility test results showed that the highest value was obtained from 5% newspaper waste pulp for both structure formation materials of Na-bentonite and Ca-bentonite although there were not much difference in bulk density among treatments. The pore formation influenced by sintering temperature and period contributes removal of heavy metals passing through the sintered macroporous media having different water retention capacity.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.171-184
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• 2007

Chemical admixture stabilization has been extensively used in both shallow and deep stabilization in order to improve inherent properties of the soil such as strength and deformation behavior. An increment in strength, a reduction in compressibility, an improvement of the swelling or squeezing characteristics and increasing the durability of soil are the main aims of the admixtures for soil stabilization. Recently, the various advanced cement stabilizer mixing technique was developed. Advanced cement stabilizer mixing technique is environmentally-friendly and has an excellent mixing property and outstanding mixing speed. In this study, to develop the rural road pavement technology using cement stabilizer, compaction and unconfined compression test were performed with various mixing ratio and two types of soil(clay and silty soil). And the freezing/thaw test and bending strength test performed to develop suitable cement stabilizer material for stabilization of rural road. Based on the test results, the liquid types of cement stabilizer material and silty soil mixture are most suitable for rural road construction and although the mixing ratio is low, cement stabilizer mixture is effective for durability of rural road surface layer.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.45-54
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• 2011

In this study, the consolidation characteristics are investigated on the artificial soil mixture of kaolinite, fine soils representing dredged soils and reclaimed coal ash from the ash ponds. A large sedimentation chamber was designed and manufactured to produce the artificial soil mixture with uniform stress history. In order to examine the consolidation characteristics in lateral and vertical directions, standard consolidation and Rowe Cell tests were performed. From the results of standard consolidation tests, the artificial soil mixture with coal ash showed lower compressibility and the larger consolidation coefficients enough to aid in early stabilization of the reclaimed sites compared with the kaolinite only. Also, in order to examine the consolidation characteristics when applying vertical drains, the drainage material was installed and tested in the Rowe Cell. The Rowe Cell test results show that the artificial soil mixture yields higher coefficient of consolidation. Thus, the application of artificial soil mixture on the reclaimed sites can shorten the consolidation time.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.133-140
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• 2005

In order to accelerate the rate of consolidation settlement and gain a required shear strength for a given soft clay deposit, vertical drain method combined with a preloading technique has been widely applied. In this paper, a theory of axisymmetric nonlinear consolidation fer drainage-installed deposit, which considers secondary compression (or creep) during primary consolidation, as well as the variations of compressibility and permeability during the consolidation process, has been developed. A computer program named AXICON based on Hypothesis B fur the analysis of axisymmetric nonlinear consolidation was developed by adopting finite difference method. The results of AS(ICON were compared with Hansbo's solution based on Hypothesis A, as well as in-situ settlements and pore pressures measured in test embankment of Ska-Edeby. The results indicated that Hypothesis A usually underestimated the in-situ settlement and Hypothesis B was considered to be logically correct. It was also shown that one may able to appropriately predict the real in-situ behaviors using the proposed program.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.131-144
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• 1996

In order to accelerate the rate of consolidation settlement and to gain a required shear strength for a given soft clay deposit, the preloadina technique combined with a vertical drainage system has been widely applied. Even if a sophisticated numerical analysis technique is applied to solve the consolidation behavior of drainage-installed soft deposits, the actual field behavior is often different from the behavior predicted in the design state due to several uncertainties involved in soil properties, numerical modelling, and measuring system. In this paper, two back-analysis schemes such hs simplex and BFGS methods have been implemented in an a Bisymmetric consolidation program, AXICON which considers the variation of compressibility and permeability during the consolidation process. Utilizing the program, one might be able to appropriately predict the subsequent consolidation behavior from the measured data in an early stage of consolidation of drainage-installed soft deposits.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.50-60
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• 1983

305 samples of alluvial deposit in inland and harbour districts were selected and consolidation charateristics of the alluvium were put in order statiscally. The correlations between them were as follows. 1. The relationships between LL(liguid limit) and Cc (compression index) were explained as Cc=0. 03(LL-21. 7) in case of inland district soil and as Cc=0. 019(LL-19) in case of harbour district soil. As compared with formular proposed by Skernpton, the gradient of this linear line was slight steep. 2. The relationships between PI(plastic index) and Cc were explained as Cc=0. 063 PI-0. 52 in case of inland district soil and Cc=0. 043 PI-0. 31 in case of harbour district soil. 3. As void ratio and natural moisture content were increased, Cc was increased, and as wet density was increased, Cc was decreased with a gentle curve. 4. As LL and P1 increased, mv(coefficient of volume compressibility) was increased but if LL and P1 was increased beyond a certain extend, mv has a tendency of constant value, that is, mv show a tendency to take constant value in the very soft clay. and mv in P=2. 5kg/cm$^2$ was about l${\times}$ l0-$^1$cm$^2$/kg in case of land district soil and 6x 10-$^1$crn$^2$/kg in case of harbour district soil lower than that in P=0. 25kg/crn2. 5. Cv(coefficient of consolidation) was a tendency to decrease with a gentle curve as LL was increased, and Cv in P=0. 25kg/crn2 was about 3x l0-$^1$crn$^2$/min larger than that in P=2. 5kg/crn$^2$. 6. Relationships between Py(pre-consolidation pressure) which is included over consolidation soil and ∑r1h(effective over-burden pressure) were explained as Py=l. 12 ∑r'h in case of land district soil and as Py=l. l5∑r'h in case of harbour district soil. 7. Some of the properties show good correlations between them, practical and effective applications of these correlations are expected in the planning and excution of soil investigation and also in the evaluation of the results.