• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.43-50
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• 2008

Structures are frequently built on a dredged clay layer overlaid by a soft marine clay deposit in coastal areas of Korea. Large consolidation settlement usually occurs in the case and this may cause damages of super-structures. So, the evaluation of long-term consolidation settlement is very important in design and construction. Therefore, in this study, a long-term consolidation characteristics of marine dredged clays are investigated. Firstly, the relationship of $C_{\alpha}/C_c$ on marine dredged clays near Gwang-yang Port was evaluated. Secondly, long-term consolidation characteristics of the pseudo-preconsolidated ground were evaluated.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2023

The pile driving process may lead to ground heaving, causing additional positive skin friction to act on the piles, compromising their stability. This study proposes a new pile foundation type that can reduce positive skin friction. This was investigated by designing and constructing a pile with a hydraulic cylinder which actively responds to ground deformation. The newly proposed pile design was compared against traditional piles in multiple model tests where ground heaving was simulated. In the tests, base load and total shaft resistance were measured during ground heaving and with expansion of the hydraulic cylinder. As a result of the tests, a very small amount of expansion of the hydraulic cylinder member completely reduced the positive skin friction and increased the base load. Excessive expansion of the hydraulic cylinder, however, generates negative skin friction beyond the zero skin friction state. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the appropriate level of hydraulic cylinder expansion, taking into account the amount of ground heaving and the allowable displacement of the pile.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.23-31
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• 2023

The escalating settlements observed in concrete slab tracks pose a significant challenge in Korea, raising concerns about their adverse impact on the safe operation of high-speed railways and the substantial costs involved in restoration. A primary contributor to these settlements is identified as the utilization of rock materials sourced from tunnel construction, incorporated into the lower subgrade without the requisite soil mixing to achieve an appropriate particle size distribution. This study employs numerical analysis to evaluate the efficacy of partial reinforcement in reducing settlements in rock-filled lower subgrades. Column-shaped reinforcement areas strategically positioned at regular intervals in the lower subgrade induce soil arching in the upper subgrade, leading to a concentration of soil loads on the reinforced areas and consequent settlement reduction. The analysis employs finite element methods to investigate the influence of the size, stiffness, and spacing of the reinforced areas on settlement reduction in the lower subgrade. The numerical results guide the formulation of an optimal design approach, proposing a method to determine the minimum spacing required for reinforcements to effectively limit settlements within acceptable bounds. This research contributes valuable insights into addressing the challenges associated with settlement in concrete slab tracks, offering a basis for informed decision-making in railway infrastructure management.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.71-84
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• 2023

In accordance with Korean structural foundation design standards, dynamic or static load tests are mandated for 1 to 3% of total piles. The construction quality of the remaining 97% to 99% of piles is determined through penetration measurements. This study aims to enhance the quality control of the majority of piles by adopting a pile driving formula that considers both penetration and hammer energy. The current challenge lies in adapting existing overseas driving formulas to the domestic site conditions, characterized by shallow weathered or soft rocks, and the prevalent use of pre-bored piles. To address this, the Modified Gates formula was refined using domestic dynamic load data, thereby improving its applicability to pile management. Despite employing fewer variables, the proposed formula demonstrates a comparable accuracy to dynamic loading tests in predicting the bearing capacity of pre-bored piles. Consequently, this formula holds promise for practical use in future pile quality management.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.7-22
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• 2023

In this study, the limit range of input acceleration was investigated based on time domain and response spectrum analyses by considering the relative density, groundwater depth, and soil type. Special attention was paid to the input acceleration and shear modulus of soil, which affect pile behavior. The surrounding soil was identified as an elastoplastic material and subjected to FLAC3D analysis using the Mohr-Coulomb and Finn models as well as FB-Multiplier analysis using a nonlinear p-y curve for soil spring. Based on the analyses, the limit range of acceleration on the pile is much higher for SP soil than for SM soil, and the groundwater level tends to reduce the limit range of input acceleration, irrespective of soil conditions. The limit range of acceleration was mainly affected by the shear modulus. The limit range of acceleration with nonlinear soil behavior is proportional to the relative density of the surrounding soil.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.55-64
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• 2024

While shield tunneling has demonstrated stability in international cases, the new Austrian tunneling method (NATM) encounters challenges in urban environments with shallow cover, weathered ground, and high groundwater levels. This paper introduces two typical collapse scenarios observed in urban areas, specifically within weathered bedrock and uncemented sandy soil layers. The collapses are analyzed using six stability evaluation methods, and the results are synthesized to assess the excavation face stability through a hexagonal diagram. The study finds a consistent agreement between the analysis results of the two collapsed tunnel sites and the evaluation outcomes. The employment of the stability evaluation diagram, a comprehensive method that considers the ground characteristics of the target tunnel, proves crucial for ensuring barrier stability during the tunnel design stage. This method is essential for a holistic evaluation, especially when addressing challenging ground conditions in urban settings.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.341-358
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• 2024

This paper reports several plane-strain trapdoor tests conducted to investigate the effects of reinforcement on soil arching development under localized surface loading with a loading plate width three times the trapdoor width. An analogical soil composed of aluminum rods with three different diameters was used as the backfill and Kraft paper with two different stiffness values was used as the reinforcement material. Four reinforcement arrangements were investigated: (1) no reinforcement, (2) one low stiffness reinforcement R1, (3) one high stiffness reinforcement R2, and (4) two low stiffness reinforcements R1 with a backfill layer in between. The stiffness of R2 was approximately twice that of R1; therefore, two R1 had approximately the same total stiffness as one R2. Test results indicate that the use of reinforcement minimized soil arching degradation under localized surface loading. Soil arching with reinforcement degraded more at unloading stages as compared to that at loading stages. The use of stiffer reinforcement had the advantages of more effectively minimizing soil arching degradation. As compared to one high stiffness reinforcement layer, two low stiffness reinforcement layers with a backfill layer of certain thickness in between promoted soil arching under localized surface loading. Due to different states of soil arching development with and without reinforcement, an analytical multi-stage soil arching model available in the literature was selected in this study to calculate the average vertical pressures acting on the trapdoor or on the deflected reinforcement section under both the backfill self-weight and localized surface loading.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.138-146
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• 2007

Geotechnical performance at the soft ground is strongly dependent on the properties of the soil beneath and adjacent to the structure of interest. These soil properties can be described using deterministic and/or probabilistic models. Deterministic models typically use a single discrete descriptor for the parameter of interest. Probabilistic models describe parameters by using discrete statistical descriptors or probability distribution density functions. The consolidation process depends on several uncertain parameters including the coefficients of consolidation and coefficients of permeability in vertical and horizontal directions. The implication of this uncertain parameter in the design of prefabricated vertical drains for soil improvement is discussed. A sensitivity analysis of the degree of consolidation and calculation of settlements to these uncertain parameters is presented for clayey deposits.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.19-32
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• 2024

Dynamic earth pressure analysis is a key parameter in the seismic design of subterranean structures. However, existing solutions often lack a holistic approach, ignoring crucial elements like soil-structure interaction, the relative flexibility ratio (F) between the soil and a structure, the racking ratio (R) of a structure, and the structure aspect ratio (L/H). In this study, we conducted a thorough suite of dynamic numerical analyses on basements to understand how these factors influence seismic earth pressure. We found that structures with high aspect ratios and low flexibility were more susceptible to seismic pressure than those with lower aspect ratios and greater flexibility. Consequently, we recommend taking the aspect ratio and flexibility into account when estimating the seismic or dynamic earth pressure on basements and exercising caution when using traditional solutions proposed for retaining walls.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1994.09a
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• pp.94-110
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• 1994

Types of foundation of high rise buildings are primarily determined by loads transmitted from super structure, soil bearing capacity and available construction technology. The usd of deep foundation cannot be justified due to the fact that rock of enough bearing capacity is not found down until 90 ~ 100m. When a concentration of high soil pressure must be distributed over the entire building area, when small soft soil areas must be bridged, and when compressible strata are located at a shallow depth, mat foundation may be useful in order to have settlement and differential settlement of variable soils be minimized. The concept of mat foundation will also demonstrate some difficulities of applications if the load bearing demand directly carried down to the load -bearing strata exceeds the load -bearing capacity. This paper introduces both the analysis and design of mat type foundation for high rise buildings as well as the methodology of modelling of the soil foundation, especially, engineered to redistribute the stress exceeding the soil bearing capadity. This process will result in the wid spread of stresses over the entire building foundation.