• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.49-56
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• 2023

Gravel is commonly employed to enhance the bearing capacity of foundations and provide stable support for structures. However, effectively assessing the ground characteristics in the presence of gravel poses significant challenges. This study aims to compare the resolution of ground containing gravel using electrical resistivity, elastic wave surveys, and ground penetration radar (GPR). Nondestructive methods are applied at construction sites where soil improvement is carried out using gravel. The experiments focus on shallow depths, and the obtained results cover depths up to 2 m. Both the electrical resistivity and elastic wave techniques exhibit similar behavior in their findings, indicating comparable outcomes. However, GPR has limitations in observing the characteristics of ground with gravel. Dynamic cone-penetration tests were conducted to validate these findings. The electrical resistivity and elastic wave profiles exhibited similar behaviors in localized areas, further supporting their compatibility and reliability.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.53-62
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• 2023

The characteristics of unfrozen water content in frozen soils significantly impact the thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical behavior of the ground. A thorough analysis of the unfrozen water content characteristics of the target subsoil material is crucial for evaluating the stability of frozen ground. This study conducted indoor experiments to measure the freezing point and unfrozen water content of sandy soil while considering pore water salinity. Utilizing the experimental data, we introduced a novel empirical model to conveniently estimate the unfrozen water retention curve. Furthermore, the validity of the unfrozen water retention curve was assessed by comparing the experimental data with the results of a simulation model that utilized the proposed empirical model as input data.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.15.2-22
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• 1995

Evaluating stiffness of near-surface materials has been one of the critically important tasks in many civil engineering works. It is the main goal of geotechnical characterization. The so-called deflection-response method evaluates the stiffness by measuring stress-strain behavior of the materials caused by static or dynamic load. This method, however, evaluates the overall stiffness and the stiffness variation with depth cannot be obtained. Furthermore, evaluation of a large-area geotechnical site by this method can be time-consuming, expensive, and damaging to many surface points of the site. Wave-propagation method, on the other hand, measures seismic velocities at different depths and stiffness profile (stiffness change with depth) can be obtained from the measured velocity data. The stiffness profile is often expressed by shear-wave (S-wave) velocity change with depth because S-wave velocity is proportional to the shear modulus. that is a direct indicator of stiffiiess. The crosshole and downhole method measures the seismic velocity by placing sources and receivers (geophones) at different depths in a borehole. Requirement of borehole installation makes this method also time-consuming, expensive, and damaging to the sites. Spectral-Analysis-of-Surface-Waves (SASW) method places both source and receivers at the surface, and records horizontally-propagating surface waves. Based upon the theory of surfacewave dispersion, the seismic velocities at different depths are calculated by analyzing the recorded surface-wave data. This method can be nondestructive to the sites. However, because only two receivers are used, the method requires multiple measurements with different field setups and, therefore, the method often becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive. Furthermore. the inclusion of noise wavefields cannot be handled properly, and this may cause the results by this method inaccurate. When multi-channel recording method is employed during the measurement of surface-waves, there are several benefits. First, usually single measurement is enough because multiple number (twelve or more) of receivers are used. Second, noise inclusion can be detected by coherency checking on the multi-channel data and handled properly so that it does not decrease the accuracy of the result. Third, various kinds of multi-channel processing techniques can be applied to f1lter unwanted noise wavefields and also to analyze the surface-wavefields more accurately and efficiently. In this way, the accuracy of the result by the method can be significantly improved. Fourth, the entire system of source, receivers, and recording-processing device can be tied into one unit, and the unit can be pulled by a small vehicle, making the survey speed very fast. In all these senses, multi-channel recording of surface waves is best suited for a routine method for geotechnical characterization in most of civil engineering works.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.93-105
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• 2018

Precise investigation and interpretation of the ground subsidence risk factors needed to predict and evaluate the settlement problems of the surrounding ground due to the ground excavation. There are various geophysical exploration methods to investigate the ground subsidence risk factors. However, there are factors that influence the characteristics of the underground medium in these geophysical methods, and the actual soil contains complex factors affecting geophysical exploration. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the effects on the geophysical methods based on the understanding of the geotechnical properties of soil. In this study, a test bed was constructed to consider various complicated factors in the complex ground and the ground behavior was analyzed by numerical analysis. In addition, we analyzed the limitations on investigating the ground subsidence risk factors through ground penetration radar (GPR) survey. As a result, ground subsidence of Open-cut Type Excavation is caused by various factors. Especially, in the case of soft ground condition, it was found that it was greatly influenced by the flow change of groundwater level. At the center frequency of GPR of 250 MHz, the attenuation of the electromagnetic wave is severely attenuated in the clay with high electrical conductivity, making it difficult to penetrate deeply into the ground (4 m below the surface). As the electromagnetic waves pass through the groundwater level below the groundwater, the attenuation of the electromagnetic waves becomes severe.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.45-65
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• 2022

In this paper, a diaphragm wall that supports soils and rock was modeled using FLAC, a finite difference analysis program, to evaluate the seismic behavior of temporary retaining structures in a deep excavation. The appropriateness of the numerical model was verified by comparing its results with those of the centrifuge test performed in a similar condition. The bending moment distribution along the diaphragm wall shows a very similar tendency, and the maximum acceleration obtained at the backfill and top of the wall shows a difference within 5%. Based on the developed model, a parametric study was conducted in various input earthquake, ground, and excavation conditions. The maximum structural forces and bending moment under earthquake loading were compared with the maximum values during excavation, from which the critical condition that requires a seismic design was roughly sorted out. The maximum bending moment of a wall that retains soil layers increased 17%. Particularly, the axial force of struts located in loose soils increased 32% under 100 years return period of an earthquake event, which strongly is estimated to require seismic design for structural safety.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.5-17
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• 2022

Recently, several studies have been conducted on virtual fixed-point and elastic soil spring methods to simulate the soil-pile interaction in response to spectrum analysis of pile-supported structures. However, the soil spring stiffness has not been properly considered due to the seismic load magnitude, and studies on the response spectrum analysis of pile-supported structures considering this circumstance are inadequate. Therefore, in this study, the response spectrum analysis was performed considering the soil spring stiffness according to the seismic load magnitude, and the dynamic behavior of the pile-supported structure was evaluated by comparing it with existing virtual fixed-point and elastic soil spring methods. Comparing the experiment and analysis, the moment differences occurred up to 117% and 21% in the virtual fixed-point and elastic soil spring models, respectively. Moreover, when the analysis was performed using an API p-y curve considering the soil spring stiffness according to the seismic load magnitude, the moment difference between the experiment and analysis was derived at a maximum of < 4%, and it is the most accurate method to simulate the experimental model response.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.33-40
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• 2021

The deterioration of underground facilities, disturbance of the ground due to underground development activities, and changes in ground water can cause ground subsidence accidents in the urban areas. The investigation on the geotechnical and hydraulic factors affecting the ground subsidence accident is very significant to predict the ground subsidence risk in advance. In this study, an analysis DB was constructed through 3D ground modeling to utilize the currently operating geotechnical survey information DB and ground water behavior information for risk prediction. Additionally, using these results, the relationship between the actual ground subsidence occurrence history and ground conditions and ground water level changes was confirmed. Furthermore, the methodology used to visualize the risk of ground subsidence was presented by reconstructing the engineering characteristics of the soil presented according to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) in the existing geotechnical survey information into the internal erosion sensitivity of the soil, Based on the result, it was confirmed that the ground in the area where the ground subsidence occurred consists of more than 40% of sand (SM, SC, SP, SW) vulnerable to internal erosion. In addition, the effect of the occurrence frequency of ground subsidence due to the change in ground water level is also confirmed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1994.09a
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• pp.87-93
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• 1994

Factors which affect the capacity and the soil plug condition of an open-ended pile can be broadly divided into three categories:i.e., pile conditions, soil conditions and penetration methods. It has been found that the relative density and the horizontal stress have much effects on the soil plug behavior than other soil conditions. Also, it has been found that the pile diameter is the most important factor among pile conditions. However, a few investigations have been performed to account for both soil conditions and pile conditions. In this paper, a number of calibration chamber tests have been conducted with three different sized open-ended model piles. The model pile was driven into siliceous sand, with varying soil conditions, to clarify coupled effects of pile diameter and soil conditions on the plug behavior, the capacity, and the load trasfer mechanixm of soil plug. The model piles are composed of two stainless steel pipes so as to measure the plug capacity, the tip resistance, and the outside skin friction. separately.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1999.11c
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• pp.85-94
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• 1999

Reinforced Soil Wall has several merits comparing with conventional retaining wall. The conventional method has the limit of wall height, ununiform settlement of the foundation ground, quality assurance of the embankment body, shortening of construction period, economical construction and so on. Basis of previous mentioned things reinforced soil wall is the substitutional method of conventional retaining wall and its necessity is continuously increasing. The embanking material used in reinforced soil wall is generally limited such as a good quality sandy soil, and in many case constructors have to transfer such a good embanking material from far away to construction site. As a result, they would pressed by time and economy. If poor soils could be used embanking material, for example, clayey soil produced in-situ by cutting and excavation, the economical merit of reinforced soil wall would be increased more and more. Likewise, a lot of study about laboratory experimental behavior of reinforced soil wall using a good quality soil is being performed, but is rare study about clayey soil containing much volume of fine particle relatively in korea. In this study, the authors investigated behavior of the geosynthetic reinforced and unreinforced soil walls using clayey soil as embanking material in view of horizontal movement of walls, bearing capacity and reinforcement stress.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.385-392
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• 2003

Traditional forms of river and coastal structures have become very expensive to build and maintain, because of the shortage of natural rock. Geotextile tubes hydraulically or mechanically filled with dredged materials have been applied in hydraulic and coastal engineering in recent years(shore protection structure, detached breakwater, groins and jetty). Recently, new preliminary design criteria supported by model and prototype tests, and some stability analysis calculations have been studied. In this study, the numerical analysis was performed to investigate the behavior of geotextile tube with various properties of geotextile and hydraulic pumping conditions. Numerical analysis was executed to compare with the results from the large-scale field model tests, and also compared the results of 2-D plane strain analysis and 3-D FEM analysis. A geotextile tube was modeled using the commercial finite element analysis program ABAQUS and the one-quarter of tube was modeled. Behavior of geotextile tube during the hydraulic pumping procedure was analyzed by comparing the large-scale field model test and numerical analysis. The shape variation and maximum tube height between the numerical analysis results and large-scale filed test results are turned out to be a good agreement.