PURPOSES : This study investigated an appropriate saw-cut time frame for jointed concrete pavements. Rectangular slabs (400–500 × 500 × 150 mm) were prepared for saw-cutting tests, and experimental specimens were made using different mixes (type I cement, slag, Fly ash, high early strength cement, etc.) and temperature curing conditions (10, 20, and 25 ℃ as well as variable field conditions). METHODS : A prototype saw-cut device was manufactured to avoid unwarranted joint cutting using uncontrolled saw-cut equipment. The setting times were determined using Proctor penetration resistance (PR) and Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests. The setting times were converted to setting maturities. To link the setting time of the concrete with the initiation time for saw cutting, successive parallel cuts were performed on the rectangular slabs for all mixes. A series of saw-cutting attempts were made between the final setting time and the time when the raveling index (denoted by R) exceeded a value of 2. Reconstructed images of the saw-cut segments were then analyzed using ImageJ, which is a commonly used, open-source software tool. RESULTS : Considering the PR and UPV settings, the final setting of the PR test was adopted as the basis for the correlation curve. The saw-cutting maturity at R = 2 was correlated with the setting maturity of each mix and curing condition. CONCLUSIONS : The relationship between the saw-cutting maturity and setting maturity was represented by a lower limit line, based on the test results of this study. The coefficient of determination (R2) for the test was 0.74, indicating that the proposed PR test at the final setting and image-based techniques provided an optimal method by which to determine the saw-cut initiation time. Another upper limit line can be introduced by using the HYPERPAV software tool for any concrete mix under diverse curing conditions..

Rock discontinuities in underground rock behave as weak planes and affect the safety of underground structures, such as high-level radioactive waste disposal and underground research facilities. In particular, rock discontinuities can be a main flow path of groundwater and induce large deformation caused by stress disturbance or earthquakes. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the characteristics of rock discontinuities considering in-situ conditions when constructing highlevel radioactive waste disposal, which needs to assure the long-term safety of the structure. We prepared Hwang-Deung granite rock block specimens, including a saw-cut rock surface, to perform multi-stage direct shear tests as a preliminary study. In the multi-stage direct shear tests, we can exclude possible errors induced by different specimens for obtaining a full failure envelope by using an identical specimen. We applied the initial normal stress of 3 MPa on the specimen and increased the normal stress to 5 and 10 MPa step by step after peak shear stress observation. We obtained the mechanical properties of saw-cut rock surfaces from the experiments, including friction coefficient and cohesion. Additionally, we investigated the effect of filling material between rock discontinuities, assuming the erosion and piping phenomenon in the buffer material of the engineering barrier system. When the filling material existed in the rock surfaces, the shear characteristics deteriorated, and the effect of bentonite was dominant on the shear behavior.