Abstract:Recently, the polymeric micro-fluidic biochip, often called LOC (lab-on-a-chip), has been focused as a cheap, rapid and simplified method to replace the existing biochemical laboratory works. It becomes possible to form miniaturized lab functionalities on a chip with the development of MEMS technologies. The micro-fluidic chips contain many micro-channels for the flow of sample and reagents, mixing, and detection tasks. Typical substrate materials for the chip are glass and polymers. Typical techniques for micro-fluidic chip fabrication are utilizing various micro pattern forming methods, such as wet-etching, micro-contact printing, and hot-embossing, micro injection molding, LIGA, and micro powder blasting processes, etc. In this study, to establish the basis of the micro pattern fabrication and mass production of polymeric micro-fluidic chips using injection molding process, micro machining method was applied to form micro-channels on the LOC molds. In the research, a series of machining experiments using micro end-mills were performed to determine optimum machining conditions to improve surface roughness and shape accuracy of designed simplified micro-channels. Obtained conditions were used to machine required mold inserts for micro-channels using micro end-mills. Test injection processes using machined molds and COC polymer were performed, and then the results were investigated.

In this study, small scaled (1/30) laboratory chamber tests of the pile foundation for a lightweight concrete pavement system were carried out to evaluate the safety of a pile foundation on sandy soil. The testing ground was simulated in the field and a standard pile-loading test was conducted. The test piles were divided into 3 types, Cases A, B and C, which is the location from the center of the slab by applying a vertical load. The interval between the piles was set to 8 cm. As a result of the pile foundation model test, the pavement settled when the vertical load was increased to 12kg from 1.5kg in sandy soil ground, particularly the maximum settlement of 0.04mm. Judging from the model chamber test, Case A showed compressive deformation, whereas Case B represented the compression and tensile forces with increasing vertical load. Case C showed an increase in tensile strain.

The main purpose of this study is to analyze and evaluate the feasibility of ligthweight pavement system with pile foundation on soft soil by laboratory small chamber test. In order to verify the stability of lightweight pavement system, the 1/30 scaled downed model system was tested at lab. The soft soil condition was simulated and group piles for skin friction resistance were used. Within the limited lab test, the settlements of pavement system were 0.86 mm for Case A, 0.70 mm for Case B, and 0.50 mm for Case C. The converted maximum settlement differential settlement were 25.8 mm and 10.8 mm. These values meet the inside of specification of Bridge Design Guide in Korea. The use of lightweight pavement systems on soft soils could be an alternative construction method on soft soils to reduce the challenges of conventional design and constructions.

The void of asphalt pavement effects very much on the performance of asphalt pavement, including permanent deformation. In recent, lots of multi-functional hot mix asphalt have been developed. The multi-functional properties depend on the void characteristic of hot mix asphalt. In this research, the Micro CT scanner is adopted to verify the void characteristic of hot mix asphalt. Couple of different mixtures, including permeable asphalt pavement, SMA and dense-graded asphalt mixture, were used for void analysis. In case of PA-13 permeable asphalt pavement and SMA 10mm, the effective void, total void and the ratio of connection between void increase as the level of compaction decreases. There is a little difference of the effective void, total void and the ratio of connection for 50 blows/side and 75 blows/side of compaction. In case of dense-graded asphalt mixture, there is a small amount of void, but most of void is isolated, which means little effect on the permeability of asphalt mixtures. Judging from the limited test results, a Micro CT scanner will be an alternative to analyze the void properties of asphalt mixtures. The correlation of unconfined compressive test and impact resonant test was relatively good.