• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.39-48
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• 2004

The purpose of this paper was to confirm the application of the equation of the soil-water characteristic curve on an unsaturated soil. To this ends, a series of suction test was conducted on the selected 4 kinds of soil which is located in Korea, using the modified pressure extractor apparatus. And it was carried out to analyze the experimental parameters which can describe the soil-water characteristics, were determined by using the data obtained from the experiment. From the results, it was found that the matric suction was varied according to the grain size distribution, amount of fine grain particle and void ratio. Also it was found that the residual volumetric water content was decreased with the void ratio, but the index related air entry value, the soil parameter related water content and the parameter with residual water content were increased with the void ratio. And the application of equation of the soil-water characteristic curve was confirmed for the various conditions and the various state by the comparison between the volumetric water content measured by the experiment and the predicted values.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.27-35
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• 2013

In this study, three dimensional and two dimensional laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of water table rising on DNAPL migration, contaminants mass discharge ($M_d$), and residual NAPL distribution. The accumulation of TCE in unsaturated zone was observed in both two and three dimensional experiments. This implies DNAPL sources could exist in unsaturated zone at contaminated sites. It has been investigated that the TCE concentration is proportional to the areal ratio of residual TCE. This means the residual TCE obviously could affect the TCE concentration in aquifer system. The results of the two-dimensional experiment indicated that the contaminant sources in unsaturated zone could lead the $M_d$ increasing with water table rising and the source zone heterogeneity could also highly affect the $M_d$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.191-194
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper was to derive soil-water characteristic curve equation for unsaturated soil. To this end, a series of suction measured test was conducted on the selected 4 kinds of soil which is located in Korea, used the modified pressure plate apparatus. From the test results, it was proved that characteristic curve changes according to grain size distribution, size of void and fine grained soil contents. Residual degree of saturation(Sr) was decreased with void ratio and changed with fine grained soil contents, parameter ${\lambda}$ and hr was increased with void ratio. Soil-water characteristic curve equation based on the test result was suggested by void ratio or grain size distribution.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2004.03b
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• pp.890-896
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• 2004

This study is intended as an investigation of the EK remediation characteristics of natural soil with treatment time under unsaturated conditions. EK tests are performed under the voltage gradient of 1V/cm, the degree of saturation of 82.8%, and the installing of cation exchange membrane. It was found from the results that the acid front is initially transported at 0.75cm/day and then continuously degreased until the transport velocity of the acid front is balanced to the velocity of the base front. The residual lead concentration indicated the maximum value at the treatment time of lOdays, then the increasing of treatment time largely decreases the concentration within the sample though electromigration than electroosmosis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.28-33
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• 2006

Shallow failures of slopes in weathered soils are caused by infiltration due to prolonged rainfall. These failures are mainly triggered by the deepening of the wetting band accompanied by a decrease in suction induced by the water infiltration. In this paper, hysteresis on soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC) of granite and gneiss weathered soils are investigated using transient flow analysis respectively. Each case was subjected to artificial rainfall intensities and time duration depending on the laboratory-based drying and wetting processes. The results show that the unsaturated seepage on weathered slopes are very much affected by the initial suction of soils and unsaturated permeability of the soils. In addition, a granite weathered soil has a lower air-entry value, residual matric suction, and wetting front suction and less hysteresis loop than a gneiss weathered soil.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.3C
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• pp.113-120
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• 2012

An actual slope failure was analyzed in residual soils at Jinju. Due to rainfall infiltration, the safety factor decreases in the unsaturated layers, since the effective stress and shear strength decrease. In this study, the effective stress is based on suction stress using soil water retention curve. Unsaturated properties were evaluated on soil water retention curve, hydraulic conductivity and shear strength with samples from the site. After infiltration analysis of unsaturated flow under the actual rainfall, the distribution of pore water pressure could be calculated in the slope layers. In the stress field of finite elements, an elastic analysis calculated total stress distribution in the layers and also shear stresses on the slip surface using elastic model. On the slip surface, suction stress and effective stress evaluated the shear strength. As a result, the factor of safety was calculated due to rainfall, which could simulate the actual slope failure. In particular, it was found that the suction stress increases and both the effective stress and the shear strength decrease simultaneously on the slip surface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2004.03b
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• pp.146-153
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• 2004

The goals of this study are to investigate the feasibility of the reference state approach in determining the generalized soil-water characteristic curve that is essential for characterization of unsaturated soil behavior. The soil-water characteristic curves are obtained from a number of specimens of fine-grained residual soils compacted with different void ratios. Based on the experimental test results, the feasibility of using the liquid limit state as the reference state for predicting the soil-water characteristic curve are verified. Finally, through the regression analysis of experimental data using the equation of Fredlund and Xing (1994), a reliable method is proposed to predict the generalized soil-water characteristic curve of fine-grained residual soils using the liquid limit state as the reference.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.37-51
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• 2018

The slope failure due to the rainfall infiltration occurs frequently in Korea, since the depth of the weathered residual soil layer is shallow in mountainous region. Depth of the failure surface is shallow and tends to pass near the interface between impermeable bedrock and soil layer. Soil parameters that have a significant impact on the instability of unsaturated slopes due to rainfall infiltration inevitably include large uncertainties. Therefore, this study proposes a probabilistic analysis procedure by Monte Carlo Simulation which considers the hydraulic characteristics and strength characteristics of soil as random variables in order to predict slope failure due to rainfall infiltration. The Green-Ampt infiltration model was modified to reflect the boundary conditions on the slope surface according to the rainfall intensity and the boundary condition of the shallow impermeable bedrock was introduced to predict the stability of unsaturated soil slope with shallow bedrock under constant rainfall intensity. The results of infiltration analysis were used as inputs of infinite slope analysis to calculate the safety factor. The proposed analysis method can be used to calculate the time-dependent failure probability of soil slope due to rainfall infiltration.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.259-267
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• 2006

Hydraulic conductivity is the rate of water flux on hydraulic gradient. The van Genuchten Mualem (VGM) model is frequently used for describing unsaturated state of soils, that is composed with the function of soil water potential and soil water content and requests various parameters. This study is to get the value of VGM parameters used Rosetta computer program based on neural network analysis method and to calculate VGM parameters. VGM parameters included Ko(effective saturated hydraulic conductivity), ${\theta}r$(residual soil water content), ${\theta}s$(saturated soil water content), L, n and m. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at 10 kPa was calculated by using Rosetta program. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivities of 17 soil series at 1, 3, 5, 7 kPa were also obtained by applying saturated hydraulic conductivity by disk tension infiltrometer based on Gardner and Wooding's equation. Water flow at the water potential of 3 kPa was very low except Namgye, Hagog, Baegsan, Sangju, Seogcheon, Yesan soil series. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at 1 kPa showed the highest value for Samgag soil series and was in order of Yesan, Hwabong, Hagog and Baegsan soil series. Those of Gacheon, Seocheon and Ugog soil series were very low. When the value by VGM was compared with the value by disc tension infiltrometer, there was a tendency with exponential function to soils without gravel but there was no tendency to soils including gravel. Conclusively, it would be limited that VGM model for unsaturated hydraulic conductivity analysis applies to Korean agricultural land including gravel and having steep slope, shallow soil depth.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.09c
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• pp.66-71
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• 2010

This paper studies the effect of saturation of backfill on the seismic stability of reinforced soil walls (RSWs) using centrifuge shaking table tests. For comparison, degradation of static stability and seismic stability of a RSW under unsaturated condition was also investigated. Test results showed that the RSW under saturated condition had enough static stability. However, seismic stability of saturated RSW significantly decreased as compared with that under unsaturated condition. The saturated model RSW did not collapse, though it showed large deformation. It maintained sufficient stability after shakings although a clear slip surface appeared in the backfill. Finally, it is discussed how to evaluate residual stability of RSWs damaged by earthquakes with test results and the simple evaluation method proposed by authors.