Tae-Min Oh

Effect of abrasive waterjet parameters on rock removal

Rock excavation (removal) tests are performed with effective parameters using an abrasive waterjet. For verification of the field rock excavation capabilities, the removal performance and level of efficiency are analyzed for hard granite rock in terms of the water pressure, exposure time of the jet, and the standoff distance. In particular, experimental tests are performed with a long standoff distance required condition in the real excavation field. The rock removal performance level changes according to the rock properties. In this study, various rock specimens are used and P-wave velocities are measured in order to determine the correlation between the removal performance and the P-wave velocity. As a result of the experimental study, the effect of waterjet parameters on rock removal is analyzed.

Effect of Soil Mineralogy and Pore-Water Chemistry on the Electrical Resistivity of Saturated Soils

AbstractThe electrical characteristics of soil-water mixtures reflect the soil type, ionic concentration, surface conduction, fluid saturation, porosity, and pore connectivity of the mixtures. Archie’s law commonly is used to analyze the electrical resistivity measurement results of soil-water mixtures. This paper explores the pore-fluid effect on Archie’s law. Experimental tests were performed on sand and clay specimens to measure the variation in their electrical resistivity at different porosities and for different electrical resistivities of the pore fluid. The results demonstrate that the sand specimens (i.e., low specific surface soil) have a unique Archie’s law curve; however, the clay specimens (i.e., high specific surface soil) have an inconsistent Archie’s law curve owing to the surface conduction induced by the double layer of clay particles. In particular, Archie’s law should be applied and analyzed cautiously when high specific surface soils are subjected to pore fluids with high electrical r...

Effects of free surface using waterjet cutting for rock blasting excavation

The conventional blasting method generates serious blasting vibration and underbreak/overbreak in spite of its high efficiency for rock excavation. To overcome these disadvantages, this paper introduces an alternative excavation method that combines the conventional blasting process with the free surface on the perimeter of the tunnel face using waterjet cutting technology. This proposed excavation method has advantages of (1) reducing vibration and noise level; (2) minimizing underbreak and overbreak; and (3) maximizing excavation efficiency. To verify the effects of the proposed excavation method, field tests were performed with a smooth blasting method at the same excavation conditions. Test results show that the vibration is reduced by up to 55% and little underbreak/overbreak is generated compared with the smooth blasting method. In addition, the excavation efficiency of the proposed method is greater than that of the smooth blasting method. The proposed blasting method with a free surface using waterjet cutting can be applied to urban excavation construction as well as to underground structure construction.

Rock Cutting Depth Model Based on Kinetic Energy of Abrasive Waterjet

Abrasive waterjets are widely used in the fields of civil and mechanical engineering for cutting a great variety of hard materials including rocks, metals, and other materials. Cutting depth is an important index to estimate operating time and cost, but it is very difficult to predict because there are a number of influential variables (e.g., energy, geometry, material, and nozzle system parameters). In this study, the cutting depth is correlated to the maximum kinetic energy expressed in terms of energy (i.e., water pressure, water flow rate, abrasive feed rate, and traverse speed), geometry (i.e., standoff distance), material (i.e., α and β), and nozzle system parameters (i.e., nozzle size, shape, and jet diffusion level). The maximum kinetic energy cutting depth model is verified with experimental test data that are obtained using one type of hard granite specimen for various parameters. The results show a unique curve for a specific rock type in a power function between cutting depth and maximum kinetic energy. The cutting depth model developed here can be very useful for estimating the process time when cutting rock using an abrasive waterjet.

Effects of geometric parameters of a combined nozzle for rock cutting using an abrasive waterjet

Inserting a nozzle assembly into a removed cutting space during a continuous cutting operation is necessary in rock excavation using an abrasive waterjet. In this study, a combined two nozzle assembly is used to secure enough removal width. The shape of the cut space is affected by the geometric parameters (standoff distance, nozzle angle, and vertical distance between the nozzle tips) of the combined nozzle assembly. Abrasive waterjet cutting tests are performed with various geometric parameters for granite rock specimens. Optimized geometric parameters for the nozzle inserting process are determined and verified through the experimental tests.

Estimation of undrained shear strength for saturated clay using shear wave velocity

ABSTRACT Undrained shear strength is a fundamental parameter for estimating the stability of soft soils. This study explores the relationship between undrained shear strength, void ratio, and shear wave velocity for saturated and normally consolidated clay specimens. The undrained shear strength void ratio-shear wave velocity relationship was correlated to empirically determined parameters of selected marine clay specimens. To verify the proposed relationship between undrained shear strength and shear wave velocity, in situ flat dilatometer tests were used for determining the undrained shear strength, and downhole tests were used to assess the shear wave velocity on a natural soil deposit at various depths. The undrained shear strength estimated from the in situ shear wave velocities was compared to the undrained shear strength obtained in the field. The results show that the inferred undrained shear strength yield similar values and follow the same trends as the in situ undrained shear strength data. This method using shear wave velocity can help to nondestructively estimate the undrained shear strength of soft soils in the field and be used in both on-shore and off-shore geotechnical engineering projects.

Monitoring of waterjet cutting free surface using laser sensor

The monitoring of a free surface generated by waterjet cutting technology is very important for an efficient construction process. In this study, experiments using a laser sensor were performed to provide a data processing method and to determine optimized parameters. The experimental parameters here are the angular resolution, measurement distance, and free surface cutting shape. The results show that the monitoring resolution increases with a decrease in the angular resolution and the horizontal measurement distance and with an increase in the cutting (free surface) width. This laser monitoring method can be applied during the measurement of free surface shapes and depths in situ.

A review of the effects of rock properties on waterjet rock cutting performance

ABSTRACT: The rock fracturing during waterjet cutting is very complicated because rock is inhomogeneous and anisotropic, compared with artificial materials (e.g., metal or glass). Thus, it is very important to verify the effects of roc k properties on waterjet rock cutting performance. Properties affecting the rock cutting efficiency have been variously described in the literature, depending on the experimental conditions (e.g., water pressure, abrasive feed rate, or standoff distance) and rock-types studied. In this study, a rock-property-related literature review was performed to determine the key properties important for waterjet rock cutting. Porosity, uniaxial compressive strength, and hardness of the rock were determined to be the key properties affecting waterjet rock cutting. The results of this analysis can provide the basic knowledge to determine the cutting efficiency of waterjet rock cutting technology fo r rock excavation-related construction.Keywords: High pressure waterjet, Abrasive waterjet, Rock property, Rock cutting

Variation of abrasive feed rate with abrasive injection waterjet system process parameters

A new rock excavation method using an abrasive injection waterjet system has been developed to enhance the efficiency and reduce the vibration of tunnel excavation. The abrasive feed rate is an important factor for the cutting performance and the economical efficiency of waterjet-based excavation. In this study, various experiments were performed to explore the effects of major process parameters for both the abrasive feed rate and the suction pressure occurring inside the mixing chamber when the abrasives are inhaled. Experimental results reveal that the abrasive feed rate is affected by geometry parameters (abrasive pipe height, length, and tortuosity), abrasive parameters (abrasive particle size), and jet energy parameters (water pressure and water flow rate). In addition, the relation between the cutting performance and the abrasive feed rate was discussed on the basis of the results of an experimental study. The cutting performance can be maximized when the abrasive feed rate is controlled appropriately via careful management of major process parameters.