• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.149-160
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• 2013

Volcanic activity commonly creates a highly complicated volcanic complex due to the admixture of lava flow and sedimentation of volcanic ash. The Song-Gok site is composed of volcanic rocks that collapsed at the lower part of the slope, in combination with several discontinuities in and around a fault. The results of projection analysis indicated the possibility of plane, wedge, and toppling failure in the failure section. The results of discontinuity modeling using the Distinct Element Method (DEM) revealed a total displacement of 207 mm and a joint shear displacement of 114 mm. The yield surface zone was verified at the fault plane of the failure section. In geotechnical terms, volcanic rock slopes are characteristically vulnerable to failure because of differential weathering among the various rock types, the effect of groundwater based on the permeability of the rocks, and the presence of systematic joints generated by the cooling and contraction of lava. When considering the stability of a volcanic rock slope, it is necessary to consider data such as the geological features of the rock, as obtained through detailed geological survey, and variations in discontinuities and rock blocks.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.5-14
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• 2004

The observational design and construction method in tunnels is becoming important recently. In many tunnels, enormous cost and time are consumed to cope with the failing or sliding of rock blocks, which could not be predicted because of the complexity of rock discontinuities. It is difficult to estimate the properties of rock masses before the construction. In this paper, a new observational design and construction method in tunnels are proposed, and then applied to the example of the very large cross section tunnel based on actual discontinuity information observed in situ. The items examined in developing a program for the new observational design and construction method are the following ones: generality, precision, high speed, and friendly usability. At the very large cross section tunnel, 7 key blocks were judged to be unstable because they could not be supported by standard supports. Supplementary supports were installed to these 7 key blocks before the excavation. It is possible to detect key blocks all along the tunnel exactly by using the numerical analysis program developed for the new observational design and construction method in the very large cross section tunnel. This computer simulation method with user-friendly interfaces can calculate not only the stability of key blocks but also the design of supplementary supports.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.483-498
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• 2015

This article describes a new in-situ load test called the Hydraulic Cylinder Test (HCT) and its application to determine the geotechnical properties of soil-rock mixtures. The main advantages of the test are its easy implementation, speed of execution and low-cost. This article provides a detailed description of the equipment and the test procedure, and examines a case study of its application to determine the geotechnical properties of an earth-filled dam for a tailings pond. The containment dams of the ponds are made from blocks of gypsum and marl, obtained from the excavation of the ponds, mixed in a matrix of sands and clays. The size of the rocks varies between 1 and 30 cm. The HCT is particularly useful for determining the geotechnical properties of this type of soil-rock mixture. Nine HCTs were carried out to determine its strength (c, ${\phi}$) and deformation (B, G) properties. The results obtained were validated using the Bim strength criterion, recently proposed, and some pressure meter tests carried out beforehand. The properties obtained are used to analyze the stability of the dam using computer simulations and a modification to its design is proposed.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.305-311
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• 2005

Shotcrete adhesive strength in large section tunnels in jointed rock masses plays an important role in preventing rock block from falling and shotcrete debonding due to blasting vibration. Nevertheless, it has not been considered as a major factor such as shotcrete compressive strength in design and construction. For this reason, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effect on shotcrete adhesive strength for large-sectioned tunnels. First, the parametric study using numerical model similar to Holmgren's punch-loaded test was executed for various range of adhesive strength. It shows that the shotcrete bearing capacity is linearly proportioned to the adhesive strength between shotcrete layer and blocks. And then, distinct element analysis of a jointed rock tunnel for an adhesive strength of 1 MPa and a conventional fully-bonded condition between the shotcrete layer and the excavation face was compared in order to evaluate the effect of the shotcrete adhesive strength.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.310-320
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• 2012

This paper describes the design and construction of a 2-arch tunnel with varying section. This new design has advantages of 2-arch tunnels, which is rather expensive, but is still economically competitive compared to parallel tunnels. Economic analysis was also conducted. To secure the stability of the varying section tunnel, excavated part was reinforced by tie-bolts and RRS, and 2-arch part was supported by EPS blocks and concrete walls. Stability of the pillar was theoretically analyzed and also examined by numerical simulations for various widths. Displacement monitoring was conducted and results were compared with numerical results. Economic analysis showed reductions in construction cost and period by 11% and 10 months respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.97-107
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• 2007

Accurate evaluation of the slope stability by assuming failure block as the entire slope is considered to be apposite for the small scale slope, whereas it is not the case for the large scale slope. Hence, appropriate estimation of a failure block size is required since the safety factor and the joint strength parameters are the function of the failure block size. In this paper, the size of failure block was investigated by generating 3-dimensional rock joint system based on statistical data of joints obtained from research slope, such as joint orientation, spacing and 3-dimensional joint intensity. The result indicates that 33 potential failure blocks exist in research slope, as large as 1.4 meters at least and 38.7 meters at most, and average block height is 15.2 meters. In addition, the data obtained from 3 dimensional joint system were directly applicable to the probability analysis and 2 and 3 dimensional discontinuity analysis.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.3 s.172
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• pp.305-317
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• 2005

This study addresses the preliminary results of rock slope stability analyses including hazard assessments for slope failure conducted on the selected sections of rural road cut slope which are about 4 km long. The study area is located in the Mt. Chuntae northeast of Busan and mainly composed of Cretaceous rhyolitic ash-flow tuff', fallout tuff, rhyolitc and andesite. The volcanic rock mass in the area has a number of discontinuities that produce a potentially unstable slope, as the present cut slope is more than 70 degrees in most of the slope sections. Discontinuity geometry data were collected at selected 8 scanline sections and analyzed to estimate important discontinuity geometry parameters to perform rock slope kinematic and block theory analyses. Kinematic analysis for plane sliding has resulted in maximum safe slope angles greater than $65^{\circ}$ for most of the discontinuities. For most of the wedges, maximum safe cut slope angles greater than $45^{\circ}$ were obtained. Maximum safe slope angles greater than 80" were obtained fur most of the discontinuities in the toppling case. The block theory analysis resulted in the identification of potential key blocks (type II) in the SL4, SL5, SL6 and SL8 sections. The chance of sliding taking place through a type ll block under a combined gravitational and external loading is quite high in the investigated area. The results support in-field observations of a potentially unstable slope that could become hazardous under external forces. The results obtained through limit equilibrium slope stability analyses show how a stable slope can become an unstable slope as the water pressure acting on joints increases and how a stable slope under Barton's shear strength criterion can fail as the worst case scenario of using Mohr-Coulomb criterion.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.137-150
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• 2002

Recently, plane failure mode occurred frequently along the bedding plane having low angle dip about 20 degree when cutting slopes were constructed in sedimentary rock region of the Gyeongsang Basin. Landslide of the Whangryeong Mountain which was occurred at Busan Metropolitan City in 1999 belongs to the category mentioned above. Reconstruction for cutting slope of the Whangryeong Mountain has finished in 2000 and final grade of reconstructed cutting slope is 1:2.0. To analyze slope failure mode for landslide of the Whangryeong Mountain, various analyses were performed such as in-situ investigation and test, drilling, laboratory test, aerial photograph interpretation, X-ray diffraction analysis, and slope stability analysis using Stereographic Projection and Limit Equilibrium methods. As the result, it is identified that tension cracks had been developed one year before the landslide took place. The tension crack semis to be formed by merging several joint sets. It appears that failure blocks broke down along the sliding planes of different layers. Risk of plane failure is conformed as a result of stability analysis using Stereographic Projection and Limit Equilibrium methods in case that greenish gray tuffaceous shales, regared as sliding planes, are weathered. From now on, a detailed investigation is needed for the thin layers which is sensitive to weathering, and stability analysis for this layer is performed at cut slope construction site having similar geological condition.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2020

An advancing cutting roof for gob-side entry retaining with no-pillar mining under specific geological conditions is more conducive to the safe and efficient production in a coalmine. This method is being promoted for use in a large number of coalmines because it has many advantages compared to the retaining method with an artificial filling wall as the gateway side filling body. In order to observe the inner structure of the gateway cutting roof and understand its stability mechanism, an equivalent material simulation experiment for a coalmine with complex geological conditions was carried out in this study. The results show that a "self-stabilization bearing structure" equilibrium model was found after the cutting roof caving when the cut line deviation angle was unequal to zero and the cut height was greater than the mining height, and the caving roof rock was hard without damage. The model showed that its stability was mainly controlled by two key blocks. Furthermore, in order to determine the optimal parameters of the cut height and the cut line deviation angle for the cutting roof of the retaining gateway, an in-depth analysis with theoretical mechanics and mine rock mechanics of the model was performed, and the relationship between the roof balance control force and the cut height and cut line deviation angle was solved. It was found that the selection of the values of the cut height and the cut line deviation angle had to conform to a certain principle that it should not only utilize the support force provided by the coal wall and the contact surface of the two key blocks but also prevent the failure of the coal wall and the contact surface.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.277-294
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• 2010

The Seosanmaaesamjonbulsang (National Treasure No. 84) consists of light gray and coarse to mediumgrained biotite granite with partly developed pegmatite and quartz vein. The host rock is divided into dozens of rock blocks with various shape along irregular discontinuity plane. The evaluation results of discontinuity systems reveal that the host rock were exposed to instable sloping environments. Results of deterioration diagnosis show that the degree of damage has been made worse by physical weathering and surface discoloration laying stress on part that vertical and horizontal joints are massed. Generally, deterioration rate of the triad Buddha surface cover with 42.7%, however, the rate of physical weathering and surface discoloration are subdivided to 9.6% and 33.1%, respectively. Ultrasonic measurements indicate that the triad Buddha was reached highly weathered grade in general. And the rock material was weaken to show low velocity zone of 1,000m/s along irregular joint systems. Indoor and outdoor mean relative humidity of the shelter was recorded more than 70% during every season, and high frequency appears in high relative humidity range over 95%. Such environments seem to have produced dew condensation on the rock surface with rainfall and supply water, promoted physical, chemical and biological weathering along crack and joint, resulting in high permeation of water and percentage of water content. Therefore, it is judged that for scientific conservation of the triad Buddha it needs environment control through persistent preservation environment monitoring including water problem.