• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.283-291
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• 2018

Cracks in soil provide significant preferential pathways for contaminant transport and rainfall infiltration. Water exchange between the soil matrix and crack is crucial to characterize the preferential flow, which is often quantitatively described by a water exchange ratio. The water exchange ratio is defined as the amount of water flowing from the crack into the clay matrix per unit time. Most of the previous studies on the water exchange ratio mainly focused on cracked sandy soils. The water exchange between cracks and clay matrix were rarely studied mainly due to two reasons: (1) Cracks open upon drying and close upon wetting. The deformable cracks lead to a dynamic change in the water exchange ratio. (2) The aperture of desiccation crack in clay is narrow (generally 0.5 mm to 5 mm) which is difficult to model in experiments. This study will investigate the water exchange between a deformable crack and the clay matrix using a newly developed experimental apparatus. An artificial crack with small aperture was first fabricated in clay without disturbing the clay matrix. Water content sensors and suction sensors were instrumented at different places of the cracked clay to monitor the water content and suction changes. Results showed that the water exchange ratio was relatively large at the initial stage and decreased with the increasing water content in clay matrix. The water exchange ratio increased with increasing crack apertures and approached the largest value when the clay was compacted at the water content to the optimal water content. The effective hydraulic conductivity of the crack-clay matrix interface was about one order of magnitude larger than that of saturated soil matrix.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.17-28
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to measure the volumetric water content of unsaturated soils during drying and wetting process by using volumetric pressure plate extractor (VPPE) incorporated with time domain reflectometry (TDR). The VPPE consists of a pressure cell, a pressure regulator, a burette system and a TDR probe. Two samples with different initial void ratios were prepared in the pressure cell, and the air pressure at the range of 0.1 kPa - 50 kPa was applied to adjust the matric suction by the pressure regulator. The burette system was used to measure the volumetric water content change of the sample according to the matric suction. In addition, the TDR probe, installed in the cell, was used to evaluate the dielectric constant from the reflected signal of the electromagnetic wave at the probe. The volumetric water content of specimen was estimated by the empirical equation between the volumetric water content and dielectric constant, which was calibrated with the Jumunjin sand. The test results show that the volumetric water content calculated by TDR probe is strongly correlated to the measured value by burette system. The hysteresis occurs during drying and wetting process. Furthermore, the degree of hysteresis reduces in the repeated process. This study suggests that TDR may be effectively used to evaluate the water content soil for the determination of water characteristic curve of unsaturated soils.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.5-13
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• 2019

The soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) plays an important role in determining the soil suction parameters required to predict the seepage or shear behaviors of unsaturated soils. In addition, path dependency of the SWCC affects the mechanical and hydrologic behaviors. In general, there is a disadvantage that it takes a long time to measure both the drying and wetting paths of the SWCC by a stepwise pressurization method. Thus, the continuous pressurization method as an improved testing method for the SWCC was suggested, and the testing time for two paths of the SWCC was significantly shorter than the conventional methods. For the applicability evaluation of this method, the results of the SWCC obtained by the stepwise pressurization method and the evaporation method in this study were compared to the result obtained from this method. As a result, it was found that the difference among three methods was negligible, and the testing time of the continuous pressurization method was greatly decreased. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to quickly and accurately measure the SWCC under various conditions by the continuous pressurization method.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2019

High-level radioactive waste (HLW) such as spent fuel is inevitably produced when nuclear power plants are operated. A geological repository has been considered as one of the most adequate options for the disposal of HLW, and it will be constructed in host rock at a depth of 500~1,000 meters below ground level with the concept of an engineered barrier system (EBS) and a natural barrier system. The compacted bentonite buffer is one of the most important components of the EBS. As the compacted bentonite buffer is located between disposal canisters with spent fuel and the host rock, it can restrain the release of radionuclides and protect canisters from the inflow of groundwater. Because of inflow of groundwater into the compacted bentonite buffer, it is essential to investigate soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) of the compacted bentonite buffer in order to evaluate the entire safety performance of the EBS. Therefore, this paper conducted laboratory experiments to analyze the SWCC for a Korean Ca-type compacted bentonite buffer considering dry density, confined or unconfined condition, and drying or wetting path. There was no significant difference of SWCC considering dry density under unconfined condition. Furthermore, it was found that there was higher water suction in unconfined condition that in confined condition, and higher water suction during drying path than during wetting path.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.17-23
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• 2022

Using cement as a road subbase is economical, easily modified and supplemented and has excellent road pavement quality control. In addition, cement adheres well to sandy soils without adhesion, and it plays a role of permanently preserving adhesion in viscous soils with adhesion, so it can be widely applied as stable treatment with the advantages of increased strength, reduced compressibility. and improved durability. However, while cement is excellent in terms of strength for a road subbase, the material properties mean that it is difficult to maintain and reinforce when cracks or fractures occur due to dry shrinkage, and the pH increases in the ground due to hexavalent chromium eluting from cement. which can cause environmental problems such as groundwater contamination. Therefore, this study evaluates the usability of alternatives in the road base layer such as environmentally cementitious stabilizer and on-site soil generated from the site. We intend to reduce the environmental damage and evaluate the durability. To evaluate the applicability of the site, Environmental stability test and freeze-thaw test and wetting-drying test was conducted to evaluate the strength characteristics of alternative materials on the road through the limited performance evaluation of environmentally cementitious stabilizer. The test ranges were set at mixing ratios of 10%, 20%, and 30% and ages of three days, and 28 days old to evaluate the early strength and reference strength according to the mixing ratio of the environmentally cementitious stabilizer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.09a
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• pp.764-771
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• 2010

The stability analysis method of an unsaturated slope considering the suction stress was performed on the infinite sand slope. During drying and wetting processes, the Soil-Water Characteristics Curve (SWCC) of the sand with the relative density of 75% was measured using the automated SWCC apparatus. Also, the Suction Stress Characteristics Curve (SSCC) was estimated. Based on these results, the stability analysis of an unsaturated infinite slope was carried out considering the slope angle, the weathering zone and the relative change in friction angle as a soil depth. According to the result of slope stability analysis, the safety factors of slope were less than 1 when the slope angles were more than $50^{\circ}$. The safety factors of slope tend to increase with increasing the depth from the ground surface. Especially, the safety factors have a tendency to increase and decrease above near the ground water level due to the suction stress. The maximum safety factor of slope in this analysis was occurred at the Air Entry Value (AEV) of drying process. The influence range of suction stress above the ground water level can be found out and can be defined as the funicular zone which means the metric suction range from the air entry point to the point of residual volumetric water content.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.318-326
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• 2001

PLLA scaffold loaded with gentamicin sulfate (GS) was prepared by emulsion freeze-drying method for the prevention of infection and the improvement of wettability. i.e., the cell- and tissue-compatibility. GS-loaded PLLA scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury porosimetry and blue dye intrusion, and the GS release pattern was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). GS-loaded PLLA scaffolds with porosity above 50%, medium pore size ranging from 30 to 57 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ (with larger pore diameters greater than 150 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$), and specific pore area in the range of 35 to 75($m^2$ /g )were manufactured by varying processing parameter as GS concentration. It was observed that GS-loaded PLLA scaffolds were highly porous with good interconnections between pores for allowing cell adhesion and growth. These scaffolds may be applicable for scaffold as structures that facilitate either tissue regeneration or repair during reconstructive operations.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.394-400
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• 2013

This study was carried out in order to examine the germination characteristics of Atractylodes japonica seeds, and it was to develop the more efficient pre-treatment and production system of the seeds. Experiment was performed by two ways-temperature control (10, 15, 20, $25^{\circ}C$) and shading treatment (full sunlight, 35, 50, 75, 95% of full sunlight). Seed pre-treatment before the each experiment was carried out by temperature (with low temperature and wetting treatment (LTW) for 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days) and shading treatment (with drying at room temperature (DRT), drying at low temperature (DLT) and water soaking (WS) for 48 hours). Seeds of A. japonica were germinated well under temperature control (overall 85.3~100%), especially high temperature. And, the seeds pre-treated with LTW for 45 days germinated with a 100% success rate. Under the surveying shading treatment, the highest germination rate was 95.8% with DRT and overall 63.2~95.8%. Germination rate under seeds with WS was 63.2~7.8%. As a result of surveying the whole experiment, A. japonica seeds don't need to pre-treat cause of high germination, but if it is performed with LTW for a certain period of time, it would be more productive.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2022

This study uses the recovered water as mixing water and artificial lightweight aggregate pre-wetting water as part of a study to increase the recycling rate and reduce greenhouse gas of the ready-mixed concrete recovered during the concrete transport process, and cement fine powder of blast furnace slag(BFS) and fly ash(FA). The engineering characteristics of the three-component lightweight aggregate mortar used as a substitute were reviewed. For this purpose, the flow, dry unit mass, compressive strength, drying shrinkage, neutralization depth, and chloride ion penetration resistance of the three-component lightweight aggregate mortar were measured. When used together with the formulation, when 15 % of BFS and 5 % of FA were used, it was found to be positive in improving the compressive strength and durability of the mortar.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.43-54
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• 1995

The aim of the work described in this paper is to develope a constitutive model for the prediction of an unsaturated soil and to confirm the application'of the model, which is composed of the elastic and plastic part in consideration of the matric suction and the net mean stress. From test results, volume changes and deviator stresses are analyzed at each state and their relationships are formulated. The application of the model to silty sands is confirmed by the comparison between test and predicted results. During drying -wetting and loading -unloading processes for isotropic states, the agreement between predicted and test results are satisfactory. Predicted deviator stresses are well agreed with test results in shearing process. Overall acceptable predictions are reproduced in high confining pressure. Usefulness of the model is confirmed for the unsaturated soil except volumetric strain, which is not well agreed with the test results due to deficiency of dilatancy of the model in low confining pressure. It is, therefore. recommended to study the behavior of dilatancy for an unsaturated soil.