• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.983-1001
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• 2017

The extent by which economy and safety concerns can be addressed in earth retaining structure design depends on the accuracy of the assumed failure surface. Accordingly, this study attempts to investigate and quantify mechanical backfill properties that control failure surface geometry of cohesionless backfills at the active state for translational mode of wall movements. For this purpose, a small scale 1 g physical model study was conducted. The experimental setup simulated the conditions of a backfill behind a laterally translating vertical retaining wall in plane strain conditions. To monitor the influence of dilative behavior on failure surface geometry, model tests were conducted on backfills with different densities corresponding to different dilation angles. Failure surface geometries were identified using particle image velocimetry (PIV) method. Friction and dilation angles of the backfill are calculated as functions of failure stress state and relative density of the backfill using a well-known empirical equation, making it possible to quantify the influence of dilation angle on failure surface geometry. As a result, an empirical equation is proposed to predict active failure surface geometry for cohesionless backfills based on peak dilatancy angle. It is shown that the failure surface geometries calculated using the proposed equation are in good agreement with the identified failure surfaces.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.247-258
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• 2019

Soil strength and failure surface geometry directly influence magnitudes of passive earth thrust acting on geotechnical retaining structures. Accordingly, it is expected that as long as the shape of the failure surface geometry and strength parameters of the backfill are known, magnitudes of computed passive earth thrusts should be highly accurate. Building on this premise, this study adopts conventional method of slices for calculating passive earth thrust and combines it with equations for estimating failure surface geometries based on in-situ stress state and density. Accuracy of the proposed method is checked using the results obtained from small-scale physical retaining wall model tests. In these model tests, backfill was prepared using either air pluviation or compaction and different backfill relative densities were used in each test. When the calculated passive earth thrust magnitudes were compared with the measured values, it was noticed that the results were highly compatible for the tests with pluviated backfills. On the other hand, calculated thrust magnitudes significantly underestimated the measured thrust magnitudes for those tests with compacted backfills. Based on this observation, a new approach for the calculation of passive earth pressures is developed. The proposed approach calculates the magnitude and considers the influence of locked-in stresses that are the by-products of the backfill preparation method in the computation of lateral earth forces. Finally, recommendations are given for any geotechnical application involving the compaction of granular bodies that are equally applicable to physical modelling studies and field construction problems.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.431-446
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• 2017

Rock bridges in rock masses would increase the bearing capacity of Non-persistent discontinuities. In this paper the effect of ratio of rock bridge surface to joint surface, rock bridge shape and normal load on failure behaviour of intermittent rock joint were investigated. A total of 42 various models with dimensions of $15cm{\times}15cm{\times}15cm$ of plaster specimens were fabricated simulating the open joints possessing rock bridge. The introduced rock bridges have various continuities in shear surface. The area of the rock bridge was $45cm^2$ and $90cm^2$ out of the total fixed area of $225cm^2$ respectively. The fabricated specimens were subjected to shear tests under normal loads of 0.5 MPa, 2 MPa and 4 MPa in order to investigate the shear mechanism of rock bridge. The results indicated that the failure pattern and the failure mechanism were affected by two parameters; i.e., the ratio of joint surface to rock bridge surface and normal load. So that increasing in joint area in front of the rock bridge changes the shear failure mode to tensile failure mode. Also the tensile failure change to shear failure by increasing the normal load.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 1995

Maximum allowable PV values of oilless composite bearing materials (70% epoxy-resin/30% Graphite) were measured and compared at various types of test rigs that have different contact geometry and the operating conditions. Test results showed that material failure was mainly characterized by the sharp increase in both coefficient of friction and surface temperature, and different PV values were measured under different Contact geometry. The discrepancy in measurement of PV values was analyzed in the light of theoretical frictional heating analysis. Results show that surface temperature rise depends on its contact geometry, and PV values could be overestimated in the testing conditions of high sliding velocity. Test data of different contact geometry were normalized by using a normalized contact pressure and sliding velocity; it showed a good correlation. This work suggests that normalized PV values could be more effective in evaluating bearing materials than conventional PV values for a design parameter of journal bearings.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1999.03a
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• pp.277-284
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• 1999

This study describes the influence factors related to slope failure pattern and dimension in the southern Kyounggi area. Intrusive and metamorphic rocks are distributed in the study area. Geological condition, rainfall property and slope geometry are influence on slope failure characteristics in the study we& Geological factors related to slope failure are rock type, geological structure and weathering condition. Because of deep soil (RS-CW) depth of granite region, circular failure type is major failure pattern in granite region. Almost granite slopes with circular or surface failure pattern are failed during heavy rainfall season. But typical wedge failure type related to geological structure factor is a main failure pattern of metamorphic rock slope. Additionally failure dimension is influenced by geological factors and several factors, i.e. natural slope condition, failure type, rainfall intensity and etc. failure height/width ratio and thickness/length ratio of granite slope are 0.88 and 0.23. But the ratios of metamorphic rock slope are 1.36 and 0.19.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.1417-1422
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• 2001

Since fracture surface presents clear evidence to describe the circumstances of material failure event, analysis of fracture surface should provide plenty of useful information for failure prevention. Thus if we extract proper information from the fracture surface, the safety evaluation, for plant component could be more accurate. In general, the chaotic morphology of fracture surface is determined by the degree of material degradation as well as by other factors such as type of load, geometry of specimen, notch condition, microstructure of material and environment. In this research, we developed a fractal analysis technology for the fracture surface of aged turbine rotor steel based on the slit-island technique using an image analyzer. Moreover the correlation between the fractal dimension and the aging time was studied.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.599-614
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• 2022

One of the methods of stabilizing retaining walls, embankments, and deep excavations is the implementation of plate anchors (like the Geolock wall anchor systems). Back-to-back Mechanically Stabilized Earth (BBMSE) walls are common stabilized earth structures that can be used for bridge ramps. But so far, the analysis of the interactive behavior of two back-to-back anchored walls (BBAW) by double-plates anchors (constructed closely from each other and subjected to the limited-breadth vertical loading) including interference of their failure and sliding surfaces has not been the subject of comprehensive studies. Indeed, in this compound system, the interaction of sliding wedges of these two back-to-back walls considering the shear failure wedge of the foundation, significantly impresses on the foundation bearing capacity, adjacent walls displacements and deformations, and their stability. In this study, the effect of horizontal distance between two walls (W), breadth of loading plate (B), and position of vertical loading was investigated experimentally. In addition, the comparison of using single and equivalent double-plate anchors was evaluated. The loading plate bearing capacity and displacements, and deformations of BBAW were measured and the results are presented. To evaluate the shape, form, and how the critical failure surfaces of the soil behind the walls and beneath the foundation intersect with one another, the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique was applied. The experimental tests results showed that in this composite system (two adjacent-loaded BBAW) the effective distance of walls is about W = 2.5*H (H: height of walls) and the foundation effective breadth is about B = H, concerning foundation bearing capacity, walls horizontal displacements and their deformations. For more amounts of W and B, the foundation and walls can be designed and analyzed individually. Besides, in this compound system, the foundation bearing capacity is an exponential function of the System Geometry Variable (SGV) whereas walls displacements are a quadratic function of it. Finally, as an important achievement, doubling the plates of anchors can facilitate using concrete walls, which have limitations in tolerating curvature.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1988.06c
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• pp.3-67
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• 1988

Model studies on the response of homgeneous earth embankment dams subjected to strike-slip fault movement have been penomed via centrifuge and finite element analysis. The centrifuge model tests have shown that crack development in earth embankment experiences two major patters: shear failure deep inside the embankment and tension failure near the surface. The shear rupture zone develops from the base level and propagates upward continuously in the transverse direction but allows no open leakage chnnel. The open tensile cracks develop near the surface of the embankment, but they disappear deep in the embankment. The functional relationship has been developed based on the results of the centrifuge model tests incorporating tile variables of amount of fault movement, embankment geometry, and crack propagation extent in earth des. This set of information can be used as a guide line to evaluate a "transient" safety of the duaged embankment subjected to strike-slip fault movement. The finite element analysis has supplemented the additional expluations on crack development behavior identified from the results of the centrifuge model tests. The bounding surface time-independent plasticity soil model was employed in the numerical analysis. Due to the assumption of continuum in the current version of the 3-D FEM code, the prediction of the soil structure response beyond the failure condition was not quantitatively accurate. However, the fundamental mechanism of crack development was qualitatively evaluated based on the stress analysis for the deformed soil elements of the damaged earth embankment. The tensile failure zone is identified when the minor principal stress of the deformed soil elements less than zero. The shear failure zone is identified when the stress state of the deformed soil elements is at the point where the critical state line intersects the bounding surface.g surface.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.333-366
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• 2023

Rock as a mass generally exhibits discontinuities, commonly witnessed in rock slopes and underground structures like tunnels, rock pillars etc. When these discontinuities experiences loading, a new crack emerges from them which later propagates to a macro scale level of failure. The failure pattern is often influenced by the nature of discontinuity, geometry and loading conditions. The study of crack growth in rocks, namely its initiation and propagation, plays an important role in defining the true strength of rock and corresponding failure patterns. Many researchers have considered the length of the discontinuity to be fully persistent on rock or rock-like specimens by both experimental and numerical methods. However, only during recent decades, there has been a substantial growth in research interest with non-persistent discontinuities where the crack growth and its propagation phenomenon were found to be much more complex than persistent ones. The non-persistence fractures surface is generally considered to be open and closed. Compared to open flaws, there is a difference in crack growth behaviour in closed or narrow flaws due to the effect of surface closure between them. The present paper reviews the literature that has contributed towards studying the crack growth behaviour and its failure characteristics on both open and narrow flaws subjected to uniaxial and biaxial compression loading conditions.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.73-81
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• 2004

Failure mechanisms of welded joints under fatigue loads are interpreted that multiple collinear surface cracks initiating randomly along the weld toes propagate under the mutual interaction and coalescence of adjacent two cracks. To estimate fatigue crack propagation life for three types of the representative welded joints, i.e. non-load carrying cruciform, cover plate and longitudinal stiffener joint, the stress intensity factors at the front of the surface cracks have to be calculated, which are influenced strongly by the geometry of attachments, weld toes and the crack shapes. For the effective calculation of the stress intensity factors the Mk-factor was introduced which can be derived by a parametric study performed by FEM considering influence of the geometrical effects. The fatigue life of the cruciform joint was estimated by using the Mk-factors and the method considering the propagation mechanisms of the multiple surface cracks. Analysis results for the fatigue life had a good agreement with that of experiment.