• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.305-317
• /
• 2019

The RMR and Q-system for characterizing rock mass and drilling core, and for estimating the support and reinforcement measures in mine galleries, tunnels and caverns have been widely used by engineers. SMR has been widely used in the rock mass classification for rock slope, but Q-Slope has been introduced into slopes since 2015. In the last ten years, a modified Q-system called Q-slope has been tested by the many authors for application to the benches in open pit mines and excavated road rock slopes. The results have shown that a simple correlation exists between Q-slope values and the long-term stable and unsupported slope angles. Just as RMR and Q have been used together in a tunnel or underground space and complemented by comparison, Q-Slope can be used in parallel with SMR. This paper introduces how to use Q-Slope which has not been announced in Korea and application examples of Pasir open pit coal mine in Indonesia.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.14 no.12
• /
• pp.43-52
• /
• 2013

Limestone typically forms large caverns such as reticular caverns or limestone caves, and also forms sinkhole and doline. These caverns cause different settlement when constructing roads, dams, etc. because the foundation cannot sustain the upper structures. So it is necessary to reinforce foundation such as cavern filling method, etc. In this study, ground reinforcement for structure foundation was carried out using CGS method in limestone cavity area and evaluation of reinforcement effect from engineering viewpoint was conducted through the field test. Among others, boring test was carried out to identify the ground structure and engineering characteristics. After CGS reinforcement, boring test was conducted for supplementary verification, and with reinforcement core taken during boring test, rock test was carried out to identify the physical properties of reinforcement material. After applying CGS method, rock test of the typical specimen, among reinforcement cores, taken from boring test was carried out and physical properties of the reinforcement was identified. As a result of compressive test of core sample, material inside the cavity was filled properly, indicating compressive strength of 12.2~19.2(MPa) which was evaluated acceptable. Thus the limestone cavity proved to have been reinforced successfully.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.17 no.1 s.66
• /
• pp.56-65
• /
• 2007

A new underground LNG storage concept in the rock mass has been developed by combining underground cavern construction and new ice-ring harrier technologies with the conventional cryogenic insulation system. Technical feasibility of the storage system has been verified through construction and operation of the pilot storage cavern and a full-scale project is expected to start in the near future. One of the most important issues in the LNG storage system is the operational efficiency of the storage to minimize heat loss during a long period of operation due to the cryogenic heat transfer. This paper presents several important results of heat transfer and coupled hydro-thermal analyses by a finite element code Temp/W and Seep/W. A series of heat transfer analyses for full-scale caverns were performed to determine design parameters such as boil-off gas ratio (BOR), insulation thickness and pillar width. The result of the coupled hydro-mechanical analysis showed that BOR for underground storage system remains at about 0.04 %/day during the early stage of the operation. This value could be even much lower when the discontinuities in the rock masses are taken into consideration.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.307-322
• /
• 2023

Rock-mass grouting plays a crucial role in the construction of dams and deep caverns, effectively preventing seepage in the foundations, enhancing stability, and mitigating hazards. Most rock grouting is affected by hydrogeological and rock engineering indices such as rock quality designation (RQD), rock mass quality (Q-value), geological strength index (GSI), joint spacing (Js), joint aperture (Ap), lugeon value (Lu), secondary permeability index (SPI), and coefficient of permeability (K). Therefore, accurate geological analysis of basic rock properties and guidelines for grouting construction are essential for ensuring safe and effective grouting design and construction. Such analysis has been applied in dam construction sites, with a particular focus on the geological characteristics of bedrock and the development of prediction methods for grout take. In South Korea, many studies have focused on grout injection materials and construction management techniques. However, there is a notable lack of research on the analysis of hydrogeological and rock engineering information for rock masses, which are essential for the development of appropriate rock grouting plans. This paper reviews the current state of research into the correlation between the grout take with important hydrogeological and rock engineering indices. Based on these findings, future directions for the development of rock grouting research in South Korea are discussed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.91-97
• /
• 2008

In this paper, in-situ technique for measuring hydraulic conductivity of Excavation Disturbed Zone (EDZ) in a direct way and its application to an Underground Research Laboratory (URL) site were introduced. It was understood that both the EDZ oriented test equipment as a hardware and analysis/evaluation technique as a software should be integrated for upgrading a quality of estimated EDZ hydraulic conductivity. The well-estimated EDZ hydraulic conductivity is expected to enhance a reliability of stability evaluation for caverns under groundwater table and design of a waterproof or drainage system as well as a grout system.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.229-245
• /
• 1997

There are Common aspects between the underground oil storage cavern and the radioactive waste disposal facility. Both facilities use appropriately the intrinsic natural berrier characteristics of the rock mass and additionally the engineered barrier system for the long term safety. The geological structures and their hydrogeological characteristics in a faactured rock mass act a major role in the safety and performance of the underground oil storage facility through the design, construction and the operation stages. Because the fracture system distributed in a fractured rock block is complicated owing to their own geometrical and hydrogeological attributes, the hydrogeological perforrmrnce of the facility would depend mainly upon the understandings of their characteristics. This study reviews the uncertainties and key issues which have to be considered to analyse the groundwater flow system in a fractured rock mass and proposes the techniques applicable to characterize the hydrogeological parameter.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.164-173
• /
• 2011

In the present study, the stability of a compressed air energy storage cavern was numerically assessed by concrete plug shapes in order to investigate the optimal shape of concrete plug. The concrete plugs were cylindrical, embedded cylindrical, tapered, and wedged in shape. The stability assessment was carried out based on factor of safety through a strength reduction method and a volume ratio which refers to the ratio of the volume of yield regions in concrete induced by internal pressure to all concrete volume. The results from the present study indicated that the embedded cylindrical and taper shaped plugs were mechanically more stable than the cylindrical and wedge shaped plugs. However, from a comparison of stress distributions in rock mass between the embedded cylindrical and taper shaped plugs, the taper shaped plug was found to be more optimal than the embedded cylindrical plug, since the embedded cylindrical plug caused more stress concentration in the interface between the plug and rock mass than the taper shaped plug.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.16 no.3 s.62
• /
• pp.259-276
• /
• 2006

In rock mass subject to high in-situ stresses, the failure process of rock is dominated by the stress-induced fractures growing parallel to the excavation boundary. When the ratio of in situ stresses compared to rock strength is greater than a certain value, progressive brittle failure which is characterized by popping and spatting of rock debris occurs due to stress concentration. Traditional constitutive model like Mohr-Coulomb usually assume that the normal stress dependent frictional strength component and the cohesion strength component are constant, therefore modelling progressive brittle failure will be very difficult. In this study, a series of numerical analyses were conducted for surrounding rock mass near crude oil storage cavern using CW-FS model which was known to be efficient for modelling brittle failure and the results were compared with those of linear Mohr-Coulomb model. Further analyses were performed by varying plastic shear strain limits on cohesion and internal friction angle to find the proper values which yield the matching result with the observed failure in the oil storage caverns. The obtained results showed that CW-FS model could be a proper method to characterize essential behavior of progressive brittle failure in competent rock mass.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.1003-1020
• /
• 2017

Estimation of groundwater inflow into underground opening is of critical importance for the design and construction of underground structures. Groundwater inflow into a pilot underground storage facility in China was estimated using analytical equations, numerical modeling and field measurement. The applicability of analytical and numerical methods was examined by comparing the estimated and measured results. Field geological investigation indicated that in local scale the high groundwater inflows are associated with the appearance of open joints, fractured zone or dykes induced by shear and/or tensile tectonic stresses. It was found that 8 groundwater inflow spots with high inflow rates account for about 82% of the total rate for the 9 caverns. On the prediction of the magnitude of groundwater inflow rate, it was found that could both (Finite Element Method) FEM and (Discrete Element Method) DEM perform better than analytical equations, due to the fact that in analytical equations simplified assumptions were adopted. However, on the prediction of the spatial distribution estimation of groundwater inflow, both analytical and numerical methods failed to predict at the present state. Nevertheless, numerical simulations would prevail over analytical methods to predict the distribution if more details in the simulations were taken into consideration.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.225-234
• /
• 1998

The behavior of the underground opening depends mainly on the magnitude of the initial stress existing before excavation and on the stress redistribution due to the excavation. In the case of elasto-plastic materials such as rock mass, as the structural behavior of surrounded opening due to excavation depends on the stress path, methods and sequence of excavation have influences on the results of numerical analysis. Therefore, in order to design underground openings with large cross-section such as underground nuclear power plants, radioactive waste disposal cavems, oil storage caverns, and so on more reasonably it is desirable to consider the effect of the excavation sequence in the analysis. In this paper, the underground structure is analyzed using the finite element method and the distinct element methods with a view to review the the effect of the excavation sequence. Based on the results of the analysis the followings are discussed : influence of excavation shape and sequence, effect of structural reinforcements, influence of multi caverns.