• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2009

Since weathering weakens the rock fabric and exaggerates any structural weakness, it affects mechanical properties as well as physical and chemical properties of rock. Weathering leads to a decrease in density, strength, friction angle and cohesion, and subsequently it affects negatively on the stability of rock slope. The purpose of the study is to investigate the changes of the rock slope stability caused by discontinuities which have different weathering grades. For that, the discontinuity samples which are divided into two different weathering grades are obtained from the field and tested their mechanical properties such as JCS, JRC and residual friction angle. In order to evaluate the effects on the stability of slope due to weathering, the deterministic analysis is carried out. That is, the factors of safety for planar failure are calculated for rock masses which have two different weathering grades, such as fresh and weathered rock mass. However, since the JRC and friction angle values are widely scattered and the deterministic analysis cannot consider the variation, the factors of safety cannot represent properly the stability of the rock slope. Therefore, the probabilistic analysis has been used to consider the scattered values. In the deterministic analysis, the factors of safety for the fresh discontinuity and weathered discontinuity are 1.25 and 1.0, respectively. The results indicate the fresh discontinuities are stable for planar failure and the weathered discontinuities are marginally stable. However, the probabilities of failure for the fresh discontinuity and weathered discontinuity are 25.6% and 45.9%, respectively. This shows that both discontinuities are analyzed as unstable in the probabilistic analysis.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.6 s.59
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• pp.411-424
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• 2005

Weathering is defined as a process by which surface rock, once formed in the deep ground, is broken down and altered to keep the equilibrium with the ambient environment. In this study granitic rock samples of different weathering grades were collected in the field and the microscopic observation, X-ray diffraction analysis, electron microscopic observation, chemical analysis, and rock property tests were carried out. Formation of secondary minerals, especially clay minerals, by weathering was identified and the mechanism for the change of engineering properties such as rock strength degradation was analyzed. Tunnel model test, Failure behaviour, Shallow tunnel, Unsupproted tunnel length.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.33-43
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• 2004

The six grades weathering system is normally used in weathered rock classification. In this study. fresh and weathered rock block of grade I to V were sampled in Jang-soo ana but samples of the grade VI was omitted from this study. The variation quantities of chemical weathering indices with weathering degree are smaller than those of physical and mechanical properties. Increase of Weathering degree is well indicated by physical and mechanical properties such as strength, hardness, ultrasonic velocity and slake durability result. Especially, absorption and porosity ratio is a good indicator. As weathering proceeds. a number of the cracks affect the rock deformation. Therefore, stress-strain curves of weathered rocks in unconfined state are quite different from ones of fresh rocks.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.355-364
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• 2004

A study on the weathering grade classification has been performed for granite and granite gneiss in Korea. The qualitative classification criteria of weathering were reviewed and then modified with field studies for the weathered rock masses. The thin section observations and XRD analyses for the different weathering grades rock samples showed the petrographical and petrophysical difference with respect to the weathering : the proportion of weathering-resistant minerals suck at quartz and orthoclase has a tendency to increase with the development of weathering, but that of weathering-sensible minerals such as anorthite and biotite is decreased. The ranges of physical and mechanical rock properties for different weathering grades were obtained from the laboratory rock tests and field tests for the studied rocks. And then, along with $RDI_{sq}$(Fookes et al., 1988), the weathering index $I_{a}$, (Woo, 2003) has been developed in this study to demarcate the weathering grade. Those two indices rely mainly on the water absorption ratio of rock and on the different rock strength. The range of these weathering indices have been determined with the physical and mechanical rock properties that can be obtained from simple field or laboratory tests in 4 grades $I_{a}$＞ 7 for F, 3.5 ＜ $I_{a}$ ＜ 10 for SW, 1.0 $I_{a}$＜ 6.0 for MW and $I_{a}$＜ 2.5 for HW. Consequently, the weathering index could be utilized to classify quantitatively the rock weathering grade, especially for the studied granites and the granite gneiss in Korea.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.287-303
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• 2009

Rock mass in Baekrokdam at the summit of Hallasan in Jeju island is composed of two volcanic rock types: Baekrokdam trachybasalt at the eastern region and Hallasan trachyte at the western region. On-going rockfall and subsequent collapse of Baekrokdam wall rock are closely linked to the weathering of trachyte distributed in the western region of Baekrokdam. Samples of Hallasan trachyte showing different weathering grades had been collected and the polarizing microscopic observation, X-ray diffraction analysis and analysis for chemical weathering had been conducted. Formation of secondary minerals, especially clay minerals, by chemical weathering has not been identified, but the change of chemical weathering indices indicated that chemical weathering process had been proceeded to the degree for increasing and decreasing the contents of some chemical components. Changes in physical and mechanical rock properties due to weathering has also been examined. Artificial weathering test of freezing-thawing reveals that the process of crack initiation and propagation deteriorated the mechanical characteristics of Hallasan trachyte and $D_B$ = 1.5 or porosity = $20{\sim}21%$ would be the ultimate limiting value induced by the mechanical weathering processes.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.5-22
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• 1993

A series of laboratory tests (physical and mechanical index and engineering design) were conducted on undisturbed granite soils of CW and RS weathering grades in Korea. From these testes it can be concluded that most of physical and mechanical index values are very sensitive to change in weathering grade from CW to RS. Engineering design tests indicate that the unconfined compressive strength and the shear strength parameters are significantly reduced and that the soil becomes ductile and plastic with increasing weathering and saturation. It was found that weathered granite soils have the special characteristics when water saturated: (i) they significantly lose their shear strength(especially cohesion) and unconfined compressive strength, (ii) they are fragile and their grains break down in water as observed in grain size analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.5-17
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• 2000

The physical and mechanical properties of the sedimentary rocks deposited in Taegu and Kyongbuk region have been measured in the laboratory and at the field. Four kinds of rocks such as the shale, the mudstone, the siltstone and the sandstone were the object of this study. In sedimentary rock joint, bedding made it impossible to extract cores for uniaxial compressive test. Some correlations between the uniaxial compressive strength and the other characteristic values such as Point load index, Schmidt hammer rebound, Brazilian strength, P-wave velocity and Absorption ratio are made. The chemical and mineral compositions are also investigated by the XRF and XRD analysis. In addition, the weathering grade of rocks are classified by the quantitative indices of Point load index, Schmidt hammer rebound and Absorption ratio.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2010

This study examined geological characteristics of a wetland in Mountain Geumjeong in Busan Metropolitan City. Field survey and laboratory tests were performed to identify topographic features, geological and structural geological characteristics, rock strength along the distance from the wetland, soil profile in the wetland, and chemical property of the wetland soil. The bedrock of the wetland consists of hornblende granite. Hornblende granite and rhyolitic rock around the wetland have the joints with strikes of N-S, E-W, and NE-SW directions and with higher dips greater than $60^{\circ}$. Lower rock strength and higher weathering grades take place towards the wetlands. According to X-ray diffraction analysis of wetland soil samples, kaolinite, montmorillonite, and gibbsite appear which demonstrate weathered products of feldspars in the hornblende granite. The soil profile in the wetland comprises O, A, B, and C horizons from the land surface. The contents of the organic matters decrease from shallow parts to deeper parts of the soil profile. In addition, $K^+$ and $Na^+$ originating from the weathering of feldspars are dominant components among inorganic ions in the wetland soil.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.23
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• pp.11-24
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• 2008

A physical characteristics and chemical compositions change by weathering on the granite were examined for the conservation treatment of the Mireuksaji temple stone pagoda. The natural weathered granite was collected from the Mt. Mireuk, and divided into the classification standards based on weathering degrees and strength measured by rock-test hammer. The results from comparison of the strength measured by undestructive rock-test hammer and the strength values converted from ultrasonic velocity showed that each strength measurement value was proportionate. The water absorption of the sample was 1.68 to 0.20%. The F-type of fresh rock was not naturally saturated and the WW-type was naturally saturated but took quite a long time. The water absorption was increased gradually in order of SW-type, the MW-type and the HW-type according to weathering condition. The CW-type samples showed the highest water absorption among the weathered classification samples. Through dyeing test, it was found out that only the feldspar was dyed out of the F-type and the WW-type. The SW-type and the MW-type were distinguished by the fact that plagioclase being dyed. And dyed area was expanded to quartz crack in HW-type and CW-type. Physical change by weathering of the rock-forming minerals could be classified with 3 grades. Through the XRD analysis, albite among the rock-forming mineral showed remarkable decrease. SEM-EDX analysis of the component change in the rock-forming minerals such as biotite, plagioclase, and orthoclase, showed that in case of highly-weathered grade samples compared with fresh samples, contents of the $Al_2O_3$, $K_2O$, $Na_2O$ increase and CaO, MgO decrease in the biotite, the CaO, $K_2O$ increase and $Na_2O$ decrease in the plagioclase, the $Al_2O_3$ a little increase and $K_2O$, $Na_2O$ decrease in the orthoclase. The results of extracted cation analysis using the powder samples of each weathering grade, the CaO, $Na_2O$, $K_2O$ and MgO are highly chemical variations in rock forming minerals and positive variation show high in the weathering grade of the WW-type and CW-type. This research will be used as an importance data to establish a plan for conservation treatment of composed stone in the Mireuksaji temple stone pagoda.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.70-85
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• 2012

Uiseong Tamni-ri Five-storied Stone Pagoda is composed of andesitic tuff and partially combined with tuff breccia and fine-grained granite. The andesitic tuff is identical to basement rock of Geumseongsan Mountain based on lithological, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics. The pagoda has suffered physical weathering such as crack and scaling, discoloration and biological colonization with complex reaction. Expecially, dark gray and brown discoloration appeared whole over the surface of the pagoda, and three to five-layered exfoliation and granular disintegration dominantly occurred in the fourth and fifth roof stones. It is assuming that the stone elements of the pagoda are evaluated as third to forth grades (average third grade) of weathering compared to fresh rock in Geumseongsan Mountain. The physical strength of the stone elements shows low values in the south and west sides of the pagoda that corresponds high weathering degree of the west side due to exfoliation, crack and granular disintegration. It is necessary to investigate the pagoda for precise deterioration assessment, monitoring and conservation treatment.