• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.259-276
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• 2024

The undrained shear strength is widely acknowledged as a fundamental mechanical property of soil and is considered a critical engineering parameter. In recent years, researchers have employed various methodologies to evaluate the shear strength of soil under undrained conditions. These methods encompass both numerical analyses and empirical techniques, such as the cone penetration test (CPT), to gain insights into the properties and behavior of soil. However, several of these methods rely on correlation assumptions, which can lead to inconsistent accuracy and precision. The study involved the development of innovative methods using extreme gradient boosting (XGB) to predict the pile set-up component "A" based on two distinct data sets. The first data set includes average modified cone point bearing capacity (q_t), average wall friction (f_s), and effective vertical stress (σ_vo), while the second data set comprises plasticity index (PI), soil undrained shear cohesion (S_u), and the over consolidation ratio (OCR). These data sets were utilized to develop XGBoost-based methods for predicting the pile set-up component "A". To optimize the internal hyperparameters of the XGBoost model, four optimization algorithms were employed: Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Social Spider Optimization (SSO), Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA), and Sine Cosine Optimization Algorithm (SCOA). The results from the first data set indicate that the XGBoost model optimized using the Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (XGB - AOA) achieved the highest accuracy, with R2 values of 0.9962 for the training part and 0.9807 for the testing part. The performance of the developed models was further evaluated using the RMSE, MAE, and VAF indices. The results revealed that the XGBoost model optimized using XGBoost - AOA outperformed other models in terms of accuracy, with RMSE, MAE, and VAF values of 0.0078, 0.0015, and 99.6189 for the training part and 0.0141, 0.0112, and 98.0394 for the testing part, respectively. These findings suggest that XGBoost - AOA is the most accurate model for predicting the pile set-up component.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.93-100
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• 2015

The object of this paper is to study the shear characteristics of the weathered granite soil. To this end, a series of consolidated undrained triaxial compression tests are carried out to investigate the shear parameters-cohesion and internal friction angle-for the degree of saturation and degree of weathering. From the results, it is found that the shear parameters of weathered granite soil are influenced on the degree of saturation, degree of weathering and disturbance. Especially, internal friction angle is more influenced on the upper factors than cohesion. And shear parameters are more acted on the degree of saturation than the degree of weathering in the test range. It is, therefore, recommended that must be considered the conditions of granite soil-degree of saturation, degree of weathering and disturbance etc-in case of the calculation of bearing capacity, stability analysis and other designs with shear parameters.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.539-552
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• 2014

A simplified probability-based design charts for stone column-improved ground have been presented based on the unit cell approach. The undrained cohesion ($c_u$) and coefficient of radial consolidation ($c_r$) of the soft soil are taken as the most predominant random variables. The design charts are developed to estimate the diameter of the stone column or the spacing between the stone columns by employing a factored design value of $c_r$ and $c_u$ so as to satisfy a specific probability level of the target degree of consolidation and/or a target safe load that needs to be achieved in a specified timeframe. The design charts can be used by the practicing engineers to design the stone column-improved ground by considering consolidation and /or bearing capacity of the improved ground.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.15-21
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• 2003

A series of triaxial compression tests were performed on samples of compacted granite soil in a modified triaxial cell that allowed separate control of pore air pressure ($U_a$) and pore water pressure ($U_w$) in order to examine the characteristics of pore pressure, volume change and stress-strain behavior during undrained loading conditions. Triaxial samples of unsaturated and saturated compacted granite soil, 50mm in diameter and 100mm in height, were prepared by compaction in a mould. These samples were tested at 3 different suction values (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 kgf/cm$^2$) for unsaturated compacted granite soil and at 3 different confining stresses (1.0, 2.0, 4.0 kgf/cm$^2$). Results showed that only effective cohesion increased with little variation of friction angle, according to matric suction.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.31-45
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• 2019

In this study the spatial variability of soils is substantiated physically and numerically by using random field theory. Heterogeneous samples are fabricated by combining nine homogeneous soil clusters that are assumed to be elements of an adopted random field. Homogeneous soils are prepared by mixing different percentages of kaolin and bentonite at water contents equivalent to their respective liquid limits. Comprehensive characteristic laboratory tests were carried out before embarking on direct shear experiments to deduce the basic correlations and properties of nine homogeneous soil clusters that serve to reconstitute the heterogeneous samples. The tests consist of Atterberg limits, and Oedometric and unconfined compression tests. The undrained shear strength of nine soil clusters were measured by the unconfined compression test data, and then correlations were made between the water content and the strength and stiffness of soil samples with different consistency limits. The direct shear strength of heterogeneous samples of different stochastic properties was then evaluated by physical and numerical modelling using FISH code programming in finite difference software of $FLAC^{3D}$. The results of the experimental and stochastic numerical analyses were then compared. The deviation of numerical simulations from direct shear load-displacement profiles taken from different sources were discussed, potential sources of error was introduced and elaborated. This study was primarily to explain the mathematical and physical procedures of sample preparation in stochastic soil mechanics. It can be extended to different problems and applications in geotechnical engineering discipline to take in to account the variability of strength and deformation parameters.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.497-509
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• 2021

A large deformation FEM (Finite Element Method) based numerical analysis has been performed to study the behaviour of the bell-shaped anchor embedded in undrained saturated (cohesive) soil with the help of finite element based software ABAQUS. A typical model anchor with bell-diameter of 0.125 m, embedded in undrained saturated soil with varying cohesive strength (from 5 kN/m² to 200 kN/m²) has been chosen for studying the characteristic behaviour of the bell-shaped anchor installed in cohesive soil. Breakout factors have been evaluated for each case and verified with the results of experimental model tests for three different types of soil samples. The maximum value of breakout factor was found as about 8.5 within a range of critical embedment ratio of 2.5 to 3. An explicit model has been developed to estimate the breakout factor (F_c) for uplift capacity of bell-shaped anchor within clay mass in terms of H/D ratio (embedment ratio). It was also found that, the ultimate uplift capacity of the anchor increases with the increase of the value of cohesive strength of the soil and H/D ratio. The empirical equation developed in the present investigation is usable within the range of cohesion value and H/D ratio from 5 kN/m² to 200 kN /m² and 0.5 to 3.0 respectively. The proposed model has been validated against data obtained from a series of model tests carried out in the present investigation. From the stress-profile analysis of the soil mass surrounding the anchor, occurrence of stress concentration is found to be generated at the joint of anchor shaft and bell. It was also found that the vertical and horizontal stresses surrounding the anchor diminish at about a distance of 0.3 m and 0.15 m respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.13-21
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• 2006

When enforced earth is used for the retain wall and four walls, the most important thing would be how to maximize the land utilization. Accordingly, in case of enforced earth, we pile up the minimal height of earth ($20{\sim}50\;cm$) and harden the earth using a static dynamic hardening machine. In this paper, we tried to analyze and compare the stress transformation characteristics of reinforced weathered granite soil with geosynthetics when repetitive load is added to the enforced earth structure and when static load is added. The result is that the cohesion component of the strength increased greatly and the friction component decreased slightly.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.473-480
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• 2023

Acid rain of soils has a significant impact on mechanical properties. An X-ray diffraction test, scanning electron microscope (SEM) test, laser particle size analysis test, and triaxial unconsolidated undrained (UU) test were carried out in red clay soils with different compaction degrees under the effect of different concentrations of acid. The experiments demonstrated that: the dissolution effect of acid rain on colluvium weakened with the increase in the compacting degree under the condition of certain pH values, i.e., the damage to the structure of red clay soil was relatively light, where the number of newly increased pores in the soil decreased and the agglomeration of soil particles increased; for the same compacting degree, the structural gap decreased, and the agglomeration increased with the increase in the pH value (acidity decreases) of the acid rain; the dissolution rate of Si, Al, Fe, and other elemental minerals and cement in red clay soil was found to be higher under the effect of acid rain, in turn destroying the original structure of the soil body and producing a large number of pores. This is macroscopically expressed as the decrease of the soil cohesion and internal friction angle, thereby reducing the shear strength of the soil body.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.131-145
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• 2020

The construction on these flimsy ground, activation of unsymmetrical surcharges, can often cause of the embankment road lateral flow or the destruction of the activities. In this study, the stability of the abutment pile foundation installed on soft ground and its behavior has been evaluated. The behavior of the abutment pile foundation under lateral flow was studied by verifying the behavior and reinforcement effects of the abutment pile foundation of previous studies about horizontal loads acting on the pile due to the lateral flow of the ground by performing finite element analysis. As a result of the consolidation analyses, the undrained cohesion or the strength of the soft ground, was increased by about 1.1 to 1.8 times by the increase in the strength of the soft ground according to the degree of consolidation. It is deemed reasonable to use 3.8 cm of the allowable displacement both economically and constructively, but considering the importance of the structure and the uncertainty of the ground, measurement shall be carried out during construction and thorough safety management of the lateral flow should be done.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.397-414
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• 2020

In this paper, practical predictive models for soil shear strength parameters are proposed. As cohesion and internal friction angle are of essential shear strength parameters in any geotechnical studies, we try to predict them via artificial neural network (ANN) and neuro-imperialism approaches. The proposed models was based on the result of a series of consolidated undrained triaxial tests were conducted on reinforced sandy soil. The experimental program surveys the increase in internal friction angle of sandy soil due to addition of polypropylene fibers with different lengths and percentages. According to the result of the experimental study, the most important parameters impact on internal friction angle i.e., fiber percentage, fiber length, deviator stress, and pore water pressure were selected as predictive model inputs. The inputs were used to construct several ANN and neuro-imperialism models and a series of statistical indices were calculated to evaluate the prediction accuracy of the developed models. Both simulation results and the values of computed indices confirm that the newly-proposed neuro-imperialism model performs noticeably better comparing to the proposed ANN model. While neuro-imperialism model has training and test error values of 0.068 and 0.094, respectively, ANN model give error values of 0.083 for training sets and 0.26 for testing sets. Therefore, the neuro-imperialism can provide a new applicable model to effectively predict the internal friction angle of fiber-reinforced sandy soil.