• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.315-328
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• 2019

This paper presents an investigation on bearing capacity, load-settlement behavior and safety factor of rock-soil slopes reinforced using geogrid-box method (GBM). To this end, small-scale laboratory studies were carried out to study the load-settlement response of a circular footing resting on unreinforced and reinforced rock-soil slopes. Several parameters including unit weight of rock-soil materials (loose- and dense-packing modes), slope height, location of footing relative to the slope crest, and geogrid tensile strength were studied. A series of finite element analysis were conducted using ABAQUS software to predict the bearing capacity behavior of slopes. Limit equilibrium and finite element analysis were also performed using commercially available software SLIDE and ABAQUS, respectively to calculate the safety factor. It was found that stabilization of rock-soil slopes using GBM significantly improves the bearing capacity and settlement behavior of slopes. It was established that, the displacement contours in the dense-packing mode distribute in a broader and deeper area as compared with the loose-packing mode, which results in higher ultimate bearing load. Moreover, it was found that in the loose-packing mode an increase in the vertical pressure load is accompanied with an increase in the soil settlement, while in the dense-packing mode the load-settlement curves show a pronounced peak. Comparison of bearing capacity ratios for the dense- and loose-packing modes demonstrated that the maximum benefit of GBM is achieved for rock-soil slopes in loose-packing mode. It was also found that by increasing the slope height, both the initial stiffness and the bearing load decreases. The results indicated a significant increase in the ultimate bearing load as the distance of the footing to the slope crest increases. For all the cases, a good agreement between the laboratory and numerical results was observed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2000.03b
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• pp.173-182
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• 2000

To find axial and lateral responses of impact-driven H piles in embankment(SM), the H piles are instrumented with electric strain gages, dynamic load test is performed during driving, and then the damage of strain gages is checked simultaneously. Axially and laterally static load tests are performed on the same piles after one to nine days as well. Then load-settlement behavior is measured. Furthermore, to find the set-up effect in H pile, No. 4, 16, 26, and R6 piles are restriked about 1, 2, and 14 days after driving. As results, ram height and pile capacity obtained from impact driving control method become 80cm and 210.3∼242.3ton, respectively. At 15 days after driving, allowable bearing capacity by CAPWAP analysis, which 2.5 of the factor of safety is applied for ultimate bearing capacity, increases 10.8%. Ultimate bearing capacity obtained from axially static load test is 306∼338ton. This capacity is 68.5∼75.7% at yield force of pile material and is 4∼4.5 times of design load. Allowable bearing capacity using 2 of the factor of safety is 153∼169ton. Initial stiffness response of the pile is 27.5ton/mm. As the lateral load increases, the horizontal load-settlement behaves linearly to which the lateral load reaches up to 17ton. This reason is filled with sand in the cavity formed between flange and web during pile driving. As the result of reading with electric strain gages, flange material of pile is yielded at 19ton in horizontal load. Thus allowable load of this pile material is 9.5ton when the factor of safety is 2.0. Allowable lateral displacement of this pile corresponding to this load is 23∼36mm in embankment.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.5-16
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• 2012

Geotechnical buried structures with relatively light weight have been suffering from uplift damage due to liquefaction in the past earthquakes. The factor of safety approach by Koseki et al. (1997a), which is widely used in seismic design, predicts the triggering of uplift. However, a method for "quantitative" estimates of the uplift displacement has yet to be established. Estimation of the uplift displacement may be an important factor to be considered for designing underground structures under the framework of performance-based design (ISO23469, 2005). Therefore, evaluation of the uplift displacement of buried structure in liquefied ground during earthquakes is needed for a performance-based design as a practical application. In order to predict the uplift displacement quantitatively, a simplified method is derived based on the equilibrium of vertical forces acting on buried structures in backfill during earthquakes (Tobita et al., 2012). The method is verified through comparisons with results of centrifuge model tests and damaged sewerage systems after the 2004 Niigata-ken Chuetsu, Japan, earthquake. The proposed flow diagram for performance-based design includes estimation of the uplift displacement as well as liquefaction limit of backfill.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.329-339
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• 2023

The objective of this study is to develop a Stability Evaluation System for retaining walls to assess their safety in real-time during excavation. A ground investigation is typically conducted before construction to gather information about the soil properties and predict wall stability. However, these properties may not accurately reflect the actual ground being excavated. To address this issue, the study employed a differential evolution algorithm to estimate the soil parameters of the actual ground. The estimated results were then used as input for an artificial neural network to evaluate the stability of the retaining walls. The study achieved an average accuracy of over 90% in predicting differential settlement, wall displacement, anchor force, and structural stability of the retaining walls. If implemented at actual excavation sites, this approach would enable real-time prediction of wall stability and facilitate effective safety management. Overall, the developed Stability Evaluation System offers a promising solution for ensuring the stability of retaining walls during construction. By incorporating real-time soil parameter analysis, it enhances the accuracy of stability predictions and contributes to proactive safety management in excavation projects.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.115-122
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• 2005

In this paper, a new method composed of discrete element method and genetic algorithm has been introduced to estimate the safety factor and search critical slip surface on slope stability analysis. In case of estimating the safety factor, conventional methods of slope analysis based on the limit equilibrium do not satisfy the overall equilibrium condition; they must make assumptions regarding the inclination and location of the interstice forces. An alternative slope analysis method based on the discrete element method, which can consider the compatibility condition between force and displacement, is presented. Real-coded genetic algorithm is applied to the search for the minimum factor of safety in proposed analysis method. This search method is shown to be more robust than simple optimization routines, which are apt to find local minimum. Examples are also shown to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.139-151
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• 2022

The mechanical properties of expansive soil are very unstable, highly sensitive to water, and thus easy to cause major engineering accidents. In this paper, the expansive soil foundation pit project of the East Huada Square in the eastern suburb of Chengdu was studied, the moisture content of the expansive soil was considered as an important factor that affecting the mechanics properties of expansive soil and the stability of the non-equal-length double-row piles in the foundation pit support. Three groups of direct shear tests were carried out and the quantitative relationships between the moisture content and shear strength τ, cohesion c, internal friction angle φ were obtained. The effect of cohesion and internal friction angle on the maximum displacement and the maximum bending moment of piles were analyzed by the finite element software MIDAS/GTS (Geotechnical and Tunnel Analysis System). Results show that the higher the moisture content, the smaller the matrix suction, and the smaller the shear strength; the cohesion and the internal friction angle are exponentially related to the moisture content, and both are negatively correlated. The maximum displacement and the maximum bending moment of the non-equal length double-row piles decrease with the increase of the cohesion and the internal friction angle. When the cohesion is greater than 33 kPa or the internal friction angle is greater than 25.5°, the maximum displacement and maximum bending moment of the piles are relatively small, however, once crossing the points (the corresponding moisture content value is 24.4%), the maximum displacement and the maximum bending moment will increase significantly. Therefore, in order to ensure the stability and safety of the foundation pit support structure of the East Huada Square, the moisture content of the expansive soil should not exceed 24.4%.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.367-382
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• 2013

Different types of long slender pile shall buckle with weak soil and liquefied stratum surrounded. Different from considering single side earth pressure, it was suggested that the lateral earth pressure can be divided into two categories while buckling: the earth pressure that prevent and promotes the lateral movement. Active and passive earth pressure calculation model was proposed supposing earth pressure changed linearly with displacement considering overlying load, shaft resistance, earth pressure at both sides of the pile. Critical buckling load calculation method was proposed based on the principle of minimum potential energy quoting the earth pressure calculation model. The calculation result was contrasted with the field test result of small diameter TC pile (Plastic Tube Cast-in-place pile). The fix form could be fixed-hinged in the actual calculation assuring the accuracy and certain safety factor. The contributions of pile fix form depend on the pile length for the same geological conditions. There exists critical friction value in specific geological conditions that the side friction has larger impact on the critical buckling load while it is less than the value and has less impact with larger value. The buckling load was not simply changed linearly with friction. The buckling load decreases with increased limit active displacement and the load tend to be constant with larger active displacement value; the critical buckling load will be the same for different fix form for the small values.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2019

This paper presents the numerical simulation of membrane structure under impact load. Firstly, the numerical simulation model is validated by comparing with the test in Hao's research. Then, the effects of the shape of the projectile, the membrane prestress and the initial impact speed, are investigated for studying the dynamic response and failure mechanism, based on the membrane displacement, projectile acceleration and kinetic energy. Finally, the results show that the initial speed and the punch shape are related with the loss of kinetic energy of projectiles. Meanwhile, the membrane prestress is an important factor that affects the energy dissipation capacity and the impact resistance of membrane structures.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.50-57
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• 2010

Various installation faults may lie in fasteners in the construction of a direct-fixation track by the top-down method. At an extreme, they may cause excessive interaction between the train and track, compromise the running safety of the train, and cause damage to the track components. Therefore, the faults need to be kept within the allowable level through an investigation of their effects on the interactions between the train and track. In this study, the vertical dynamic stiffness of fasteners in installation faults was measured based on the dynamic stiffness test by means of an experimental apparatus that was devised to feasibly reproduce gap faults. This study proposes an effective analytical model for a train-track interaction system in which most elements, except the nonlinear wheel-rail contact and some components that behave bi-linearly, exhibit linear behavior. To investigate the effect of the behavior of fasteners in gap faults in a direct-fixation track on the vehicle and track, vehicle-track interaction analyses were carried out, targeting key review parameters such as the wheel load reduction factor, vertical rail displacement, rail bending stress, and mean stress of the elastomer. From the results, it was noted that the gap faults in the concrete bearing surface of a direct-fixation track need to be limited for the sake of the long-term durability of the elastomer than for the running safety of the train or the structural safety of the track.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.47-60
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• 2023

At present, in South Korea, there is a growing concern regarding solar power facilities installed on slopes because they are prone to damage caused by natural disasters, such as heavy rainfall and typhoons. Each year, these solar power facilities experience soil erosion due to heavy rainfall and foundation damage or detachment caused by strong wind loads. Despite these challenges, the interaction between the ground and structures is not adequately considered. Current analyses primarily focus on the structural stability under external loads; the overall facility site's stability-excluding the solar structures-in relation to its surrounding slopes is neglected. Therefore, in this study, we use finite-difference method analysis to simulate the behavior of the foundation and piles to assess changes in lateral displacement and bending stress in piles, as well as the safety factor of sloped terrains, in response to various influencing factors, such as pile diameter, spacing between piles, pile-embedding depth, wind loads, and dry and wet conditions. The analysis results indicate that pile spacing and wind loads significantly influence lateral displacement and bending stress in piles, whereas pile-embedding depth strongly influences the safety factor of sloped terrains. Moreover, we found that under certain conditions, the design criteria in domestic standards may not be met.