• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.230-237
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• 1997

As concrete structure is getting old and decrepit, its inspection and diagnosis is getting important. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the soundness of structure using non-destructive tests for effective repairs and maintenances. But, applications of non-destructive tests in tunnel have been used restrictively, due to accessibility only from one side in tunnel lining and presence of tunnel installations. Recently, the various non-destructive techniques have been studied. Especially, ground penetrating radar(GPR) and impact echo (IE) methods have been researched for tunnel inspection. In this study, the applicability of impact echo test in tunnel lining inspection has been investigated. This paper described the tunnel inspection for lining thickness and internal flaw using impact echo tests. Model tests were carried out using impact echo test systems on two concrete models, Model I is measuring for lining thickness, Model II is detecting for internal flaw. Also, the test were applied for lining inspections in a tunnel constructed by NATM. From the results of impact echo tests, we have concluded that impact echo test is a very useful and effective technique for inspecting the concrete tunnel linings.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.455-461
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• 2014

The Honam-Jeju, Korea-Japan, and Korea-China subsea tunnel construction projects have drawn significant attention since the early 2000s. These subsea tunnels are much deeper than most existing natural shallow sea tunnels linking coastal areas. Thus, the need for developing new technologies for the site selection and construction of deep subsea tunnels has recently emerged, with the launch of a research project titled "Development of Key Subsea Tunnelling Technology" in 2013. A component of this research, an analysis of deep subsea geological structure, is currently underway. A ground investigation, such as a borehole or geophysical investigation, is generally carried out for tunnel design. However, when investigating a potential site for a deep subsea tunnel, borehole drilling requires equipment at the scale of offshore oil drilling. The huge cost of such an undertaking has raised the urgent need for methods to indirectly assess the local geological structure as much as possible to limit the need for repeated borehole investigations. This study introduces an indirect approach for assessing the geological structure of the seafloor through a submarine bathymetry analysis. The ultimate goal here is to develop an automated approach to the analysis of submarine geological structures, which may prove useful in the selection of future deep subsea tunnel sites.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 2024

There are obvious differences between the characteristics of offshore ground motion and onshore ground motion in current studies, and factors such as water layer and site conditions have great influence on the characteristics of offshore ground motion. In addition, unlike seismic response analysis of offshore superstructures such as sea-crossing bridges, tunnels are affected by offshore soil constraints, so it is necessary to consider the dynamic interaction between structure and offshore soil layer. Therefore, a seismic response analysis model considering the seawater, soil layer and tunnel structure coupling is established. Firstly, the measured offshore and different soil layers onshore ground records are input respectively, and the difference of seismic response under different types of ground motions is analyzed. Then, the models of different site conditions were input into the measured onshore bedrock strong ground motion records to study the influence of seawater layer and silt soft soil layer on the seabed and tunnel structure. The results show that the overall seismic response between the seabed and the tunnel structure is more significant when the offshore ground motion is input. The seawater layer can suppression the vertical seismic response of seabed and tunnel structure, while the slit soft soil layer can amplify the horizontal seismic response. The results will help to promote seismic wave selection of marine structures and provide reference for improving the accuracy of seismic design of immersed tunnels.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.265-280
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• 2023

Water leakage in tunnels is a defect that can affect tunnel stability and the ground movement by changing the stress and pore water pressure of the surrounding ground. Long-term or large-scale water leaks may lead to damage of tunnel structure and the surrounding environment, such as tunnel lining instability and ground surface settlement. The present study numerically investigated the effects of water leakage on the structural stability of a tunnel and the ground behavior. The tunnel was assumed to be under undrained conditions for preventing the inflow of the surrounding water and leaks occurred in the concrete lining after completion of the tunnel construction. A coupled hydro-mechanical analysis using a TOUGH-FLAC simulator developed in Python was conducted for assessing the leakage induced-behavior of the tunnel structure and ground under different conditions of the amount and location of water leak. Additionally, the effect of hydro-mechanical coupling terms on the results of coupled response was investigated and discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.37-50
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• 2021

Recently, due to the expansion of urban infrastructure using underground spaces in urban areas, many adjacent constructions and excavations have been made carried out between existing facilities, and complaints related to the stability of existing facilities due to close construction have become significant issues. In this study, it was closely reviewed for the existing metro tunnel structure in the new Dongbuk urban metro railway to determine the behavioral characteristics of tunnel structure according to adjacent tunnel construction. Also, it was analysed the evaluation of the safety zone and excavation method for metro tunnel structure. And after a detailed damage assessment, track irregularities and structural calculation by using a numerical analysis, stability of the metro tunnel structure according to nearby tunnel excavation was evaluated to be secured for safety. This study is expected to be applied as practical reference to review the evaluation of safety effects of existing tunnel structure and buildings according to adjacent construction in complex deep urban tunnelling.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.161-177
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• 2017

This paper presents the design considerations and field applications on inflatable structure system to protect rapidly flooding damages in large section tunnel. This inflatable structure system is very valuably used to protect passively and rapidly the possibilities of tunnel damages by flooding threats and unusual leakage to be occurred during and after underground infrastructure. In particular, this system should be necessary in subsea tunnel. The predominant factors in the design of inflatable structure system are the leakage and friction characteristics between the inflater and tunnel liner. The analytical and experimental studies are performed to develop the design considerations and to examine the design parameters of the inflatable structure system. The analytical solutions are developed using membrane theory to suggest the design considerations. The relative friction tests of several fabric materials are also carried out to determine the friction characteristics according to the different friction conditions between inflater and tunnel surface. The test results show that the friction coefficients in wet surface condition are about 20% lower than the values in dry surface condition. In addition, virtual design of tunnel protection system for two virtual subsea tunnel sites which is under reviewing in Korea, is carried out based on this research. It is expected that the results of this research will be very useful to understand the inflater structure design and development the technology of tunnel protection structures in the future.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.231-242
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• 2018

Subway tunnel structure has been rapidly developed in many cities for its strong transport capacity. The model-based damage detection of subway tunnel structure is usually difficult due to the complex modeling of soil-structure interaction, the indetermination of boundary and so on. This paper proposes a new data-based method for the damage detection of subway tunnel structure. The root mean square acceleration and cross correlation function are used to derive a statistical pattern recognition algorithm for damage detection. A damage sensitive feature is proposed based on the root mean square deviations of the cross correlation functions. X-bar control charts are utilized to monitor the variation of the damage sensitive features before and after damage. The proposed algorithm is validated by the experiment of a full-scale two-rings subway tunnel lining, and damages are simulated by loosening the connection bolts of the rings. The results verify that root mean square deviation is sensitive to bolt loosening in the tunnel lining and X-bar control charts are feasible to be used in damage detection. The proposed data-based damage detection method is applicable to the online structural health monitoring system of subway tunnel lining.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.163-173
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• 2021

In this paper, the parameters of haunch height, reinforcement ratio and site condition were evaluated for the influence on the seismic performance of a composite precast fabricated utility tunnel by shaking table test and numerical simulation. The dynamic response laws of acceleration, interlayer displacement and steel strain under unidirectional horizontal seismic excitation were analyzed through four specimens with a similarity ratio of 1:6 in the test. And a numerical model was established and analyzed by the finite element software ABAQUS based on the structure of utility tunnel. The results indicated that composite precast fabricated utility tunnel with the good anti-seismic performance. In a certain range, increasing the height of haunch or the ratio of reinforcement could reduce the influence of seismic wave on the utility tunnel structure, which was beneficial to the structure earthquake resistance. The clay field containing the interlayer of liquefied sandy soil has a certain damping effect on the structure of the utility tunnel, and the displacement response could be reduced by 14.1%. Under the excitation of strong earthquake, the reinforcement strain at the side wall upper end and haunches of the utility tunnel was the biggest, which is the key part of the structure. The experimental results were in good agreement with the fitting results, and the results could provide a reference value for the anti-seismic design and application of composite precast fabricated utility tunnel.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.37-50
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• 2001

Recently, as tunnel structure is getting old, many deformations and defects have been occurred. As tunnel has the characteristics of underground structure, the estimation of the cause of deformation is very difficult. Then, it is necessary to investigate the state of tunnel lining and to estimate the deformation cause and safety for tunnel. In this study, inspection and diagnosis system for effective maintenance in tunnel was researched. Firstly, non-destructive techniques such as GPR (ground penetrating radar), impact echo test, and infrared thermal techniques were applied to tunnel lining inspection. Tunnel lining analysis system was developed to analyze the stability of tunnel. And, tunnel soundness evaluation system was developed to find the probable causes and indicate the method for repair and reinforcement for tunnel.

• Composites Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 2009

Recently structural monitoring using fiber optic sensors became popular, but the fiber sensors are very difficult to apply to the real structure due to difficulty of handling. In this research, we developed the fiber sensor packages easy to attach or fasten to the structures like ordinary electric sensors. We apply the fiber sensors to the real tunnel structure for measuring the strains and shape changes. The applied fiber optics sensors show the behavior of tile tunnel structures. We summarize the data from tunnel for 2 year construction period and confirm the structural behavior of tunnel.