• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.12-25
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• 2017

In local underground mines heavily depending on the natural ventilation, ducted fan auxiliary ventilation system is strongly recommended instead of the total mine ventilation system requiring large capital and operating costs. Optimizing the installation of ducted fans in series in long large-opening mines is required to assure the economy and efficiency of the ventilation system. The two most critical design parameters for optimization are the wall separation distance and gap length between adjoining ducts. This study aims at deriving the optimal values for those two parameters concerning the economic and environmental aspects through the extensive CFD analysis, which minimizes pressure loss, leakage and entrainment of the contaminated air in the gap space. The ranges of the wall separation distance and gap length for study are selected by taking into consideration the existing recommendations and guidelines. The ultimate goal is to optimize the auxiliary ventilation system using ducted fans in series to provide a reliable and efficient solution to maintain clean and safe workplace environment in local long underground mines.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.496-507
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• 2020

A prediction of the performance of EPB TBM is significant for improving the constructability of tunnels. Thus, various attempts to simulate TBM excavation by the numerical method have been made until these days. In this paper, to evaluate the performance of TBM with different operating conditions, a parametric study was carried out using coupled discrete element method (DEM) and finite difference method (FDM) EPB TBM driving model. The analysis was conducted by changing the penetration rate (0.5 and 1.0 mm/sec) and the rotational speed of screw conveyor (5, 15, and 25 rpm) while the rotation velocity of the cutter head kept constant at 2 rpm. The torque, thrust force, chamber pressure, and discharging with different TBM operating conditions were compared. The result of parametric study shows that the optimum driving condition can be determined by the coupled DEM-FDM numerical model.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.446-461
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• 2020

Numerical simulations of CIEMAT column test in Spain are performed to investigate the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behavior of MX80 bentonite pellets using TOUGH2-FLAC3D. The heater power and injection pressure of water in the numerical simulations are identical to those in the laboratory test. To investigate the applicability of the thermo-hydraulic (TH) model used in TOUGH2 code to prediction of the coupled TH behavior, the simulation results are compared with the observations of temperature and relative humidity with time. The tendencies of the coupled behavior observed in the test are well represented by the numerical models and the simulator in terms of temperature and relative humidity evolutions. Moreover, the performance of the models for the reproduction and prediction of the coupled TH behavior is globally satisfactory compared with the observations. However, the calculated stress change is relatively small and slow due to the limitations of the simple elastic and swelling pressure model used in numerical simulations. It seems that the two models are insufficient to realistically reproduce the complex coupled THM behavior in the bentonite pellets.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.473-483
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• 2020

This paper examines the vertical stress change concentrated on mine pillar which occurs due to the stress disturbance from opening excavation at room and pillar mine by FLAC3D, a finite difference method (FDM) software. The mesh size combination is decided with a careful consideration of relative error and run-time, then its performance is verified. A series of numerical analyses is conducted and the vertical stress at central pillar was observed for the test cases of 1×1 to 11×11 mine pillars, 40 m to 320 m depth with 40 m difference. The results show that the vertical stress of pillar approaches to the similar value with the value estimated by tributary area theory(TAT) when the development area (N_P) is increased or the height of overburden (H_OB) is decreased, while it is overestimated in the opposite case. Furthermore, it also represents that the vertical stress factor (VSF) converges to a specific value when the depth is increased whille keeping the development area identical.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.484-495
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• 2020

To numerically simulate the advance of EPB TBM, various type of numerical analysis methods have been adopted including discrete element method (DEM), finite element method (FEM), and finite difference method (FDM). In this paper, an EPB TBM driving model was proposed by using coupled DEM-FDM. In the numerical model, DEM was applied in the TBM excavation area, and contact properties of particles were calibrated by a series of triaxial tests. Since the ground around the excavation area was coupled with FDM, the horizontal stress considering the coefficient of earth pressure at rest could be applied. Also, the number of required particles was reduced and the efficiency of the analysis was increased. The proposed model can control the advance rate and rotational speed of the cutter head and screw conveyor, and derive the torque, thrust force, chamber pressure, and discharging during TBM tunnelling.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.141-151
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• 2015

A new rock excavation method using an abrasive injection waterjet system has been developed to enhance the efficiency and reduce the vibration of tunnel excavation. The abrasive feed rate is an important factor for the cutting performance and the economical efficiency of waterjet-based excavation. In this study, various experiments were performed to explore the effects of major process parameters for both the abrasive feed rate and the suction pressure occurring inside the mixing chamber when the abrasives are inhaled. Experimental results reveal that the abrasive feed rate is affected by geometry parameters (abrasive pipe height, length, and tortuosity), abrasive parameters (abrasive particle size), and jet energy parameters (water pressure and water flow rate). In addition, the relation between the cutting performance and the abrasive feed rate was discussed on the basis of the results of an experimental study. The cutting performance can be maximized when the abrasive feed rate is controlled appropriately via careful management of major process parameters.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.54-68
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• 2004

In this study, scaled model tests were performed on blasting demolition of reinforced concrete structures and the experimental results were analyzed in comparison with the results of numerical analysis. The tests were designed to induce a progressive collapse, and physical properties of the scaled model were determined using scale factors obtained ken dimension analysis. The scaled model structure was made of a mixture of plaster, sand and water at the ratio determined to yield the best scaled-down strength. Lead wire was used as a substitute for reinforcing bars. The scaled length was at the ratio of 1/10. Selecting the material and scaled factors was aimed at obtaining appropriately scaled-down strength. PFC2D (Particle Flow Code 2-Dimension) employing DEM (Distinct Element Method) was used for the numerical analysis. Blasting demolition of scaled 3-D plain concrete laymen structure was filmed and compared to results of numerical simulation. Despite the limits of 2-D simulation the resulting demolition behaviors were similar to each other. Based on the above experimental results in combination with bending test results of RC beam, numerical analysis was carried out to determine the blasting sequence and delay times. Scaled model test of RC structure resulted in remarkably similar collapse with the numerical results up to 900㎳ (mili-second).

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.568-576
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• 2015

In this study, scenarios based on the leakage of highly compressed air and fire occurrence turned out to be high risks in an operation stage of CAES facility were constructed and estimated. By combining Bernoulli equation with momentum equation, an expression to calculate an impact force of a jet flow of compressed air was derived. An impact force was found to be proportional to the square of diameter of fracture and the pressure of compressed air. Four types of fire scenarios were composed to evaluate an effects that seasonal change and location of fire source have on the spread behavior of smoke. Smoke from the fire ignited in the vicinity of CAES opening descended more quickly below the limit line of breathing than one from the fire occurred 10 m away from CAES opening, which is expected to occur due to a propagation of wave front of smoke. It was shown that a rate of smoke spread of the winter fire is faster than one of the summer fire and smoke from the winter fire spreads farther than one of the summer fire, which are dependent on the direction of air flow into access opening. Evacuation simulation indicated that the required safe evacuation time(RSET) of the summer and winter fires are 262, 670 s each.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2015

The rebound hardness test using the SilverSchmidt hammer was performed for diorite, granodiorite, and andesite exposed around the King Sejong Station, Barton peninsula. Then, the R-value and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of these rocks were estimated from the Q-values which were obtained from the SilverSchmidt hammer. The Q-value of diorite was distributed in the range from 67.0 to 89.5, granodiorite of the range from 57.5 to 89.0, and andesite of the range from 58.0 to 76.5. The average Q-values of diorite, granodiorite, and andesite were 76.0, 72.0, and 67.0, respectively. The converted UCS of diorite was distributed in the range from 118 to 195 MPa, granodiorite of the range from 91 to 193 MPa, and andesite of the range from 92 to 148 MPa. The average UCS of diorite, granodiorite, and andesite were 147, 136, and 117 MPa, respectively. The converted R-value of diorite was distributed in the range from 53.0 to 72.2, granodiorite of the range from 45.4 to 71.8, and andesite of the range from 45.8 to 60.9. The average Q-values of diorite, granodiorite, and andesite were 60.0, 58.0, and 53.0, respectively. The R-value was represented approximately 20% lower than the Q-value. In conclusion, it will be possibile that the R-value and UCS of rocks under the extreme area from the SilverSchmidt Q-value are evaluated.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2016

Recently, many studies have been conducted to use fixed-wing and rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, Drones) for topographic surveying in open-pit mines. Because the fixed-wing and rotary-wing UAVs have different characteristics such as flight height, speed, time and performance of mounted cameras, their results of topographic surveying at a same site need to be compared. This study selected a construction site in Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea as a study area and compared the topographic surveying results from a fixed-wing UAV (SenseFly eBee) and a popular rotary-wing UAV (DJI Phantom2 Vision+). As results of data processing for aerial photos taken from eBee and Phantom2 Vision+, orthomosaic images and digital surface models with about 4 cm grid spacing could be generated. Comparisons of the X, Y, Z-coordinates of 7 ground control points measured by differential global positioning system and those determined by eBee and Phantom2 Vision+ revealed that the root mean squared errors of X, Y, Z-coordinates were around 10 cm, respectively.