ICHARM Teams Up With ADB to Start a Water-related Disaster Mitigation Project in Asia
 Floods that cause serious damage to livelihoods become increasingly frequent worldwide. |
 Director-General Yao (left), Chief Executive Sakamoto (center) and Director Takeuchi (right) shakes hands at the signing ceremony.  Project Agreement  The roles of ICHARM in the technical assistance project |
The International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) had meetings with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to jointly start a collaboration project in the Asian Region to provide technical assistance in water-related disaster management.
Finally, both organizations agreed to officially start a regional technical
assistance project, and the signing ceremony was held on 13 Nov. 2009 at
the ADB Headquarters in Manila, Philippines. The project agreement was
signed by three representatives - Mr. Xianbin Yao, director-general of
the ADB Regional and Sustainable Development Department, Dr. Tadahiko Sakamoto,
chief executive of the Public Works Research Institute, and Prof. Kuniyoshi
Takeuchi, director of ICHARM.
The project is officially called "Regional Technical Assistance 7276:
Supporting Investment in Water-Related Disaster Management" and scheduled
to be carried out until April 2011.
Further information is available on the ADB website at: http://pid.adb.org/pid/TaView.htm?projNo=42110&seqNo=01&typeCd=2. ADB is ready to invest $ 2 million in the project, part of which will
be provided to PWRI to cover the necessary expense.
The project focuses on the Asian region that constantly suffers from floods, particularly India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Lower Mekong Basin (i.e., Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). The role of ICHARM is to offer technical assistance that will help each country make effective disaster management investment in the future. ICHARM is planning to help those countries implement a satellite-based flood forecasting and warning system that ICHARM has been working on for developing countries. The centre is also preparing for inviting local engineers for training and holding on-site workshops to strengthen community-based disaster management.
ICHARM will be involved in this project for the next one and half years in different countries and is planning to report the progress through our website and newsletters.
(Contact:Disaster Prevention Research Team, ICHARM)
Received internship students from Hokkaido Sapporo Technical High School
 Survey on the status of growth of riverside forests |
 Measurement of compaction using sand replacement |
 Survey on the status of corrosion of reinforcing bars inside concrete |
CERI received three students of the Civil Engineering Department of Hokkaido Sapporo Technical High School for a three-day internship from Oct. 7th to 9th. The internship program is promoted by Hokkaido Sapporo Technical High School together with local communities, local corporations, and local governments in order to help high school students obtain a proper sense of work and career and develop the capability and attitude to independently and voluntarily choose their course of career.
Oct. 7th
On Day 1, under the guidance of Senior Researcher Tanabe of the Cold-Region Technology Promotion Division, the student interns started to tackle the challenge of preparing a manual for impact compaction test and struggled with PCs with which they were not yet familiar to prepare a data sheet to fill in the impact compaction test results.
In the afternoon, the students conducted a survey on the status of growth of riverside forests along the Toyohira River together with Deputy Team Leader Kuwahara of the Watershed Environmental Engineering Research Team.
Oct. 8th
On Day 2, the students measured the compaction of the sand replacement at a construction site in Shukubai, Chitose city, for the Douou-ken Connection Road under construction by the Chitose Road Office, Sapporo Development and Construction Dept. Amid the finger-freezing cold, the students were given detailed, friendly instructions by Senior Researcher Sato of the Geotechnical Research Team and completed difficult work that took over 3 hours.
Oct. 9th
On the final day, under the guidance of Researcher Yoshida of the Materials
Research Team, the students conducted experiments to measure and confirm
the status of corrosions of reinforcing bars inside concrete using the
self-potential method.
Although their internship was only for three days and it's not clear to
what extent the students understood what they experienced, we believe they
learned the pleasure of working and got important information to help them
decide their future course.
(Contact: Planning Division, CERI)
Civil Engineering Day 2009 Opening to the public
 Bridge Contest award ceremony |
 Display of components removed from bridge girders |
 Wow! Interesting Stories about Concrete  Five Offices of the Kanto Regional Development Bureau Participated |
On Nov. 14th, the Civil Engineering Day 2009 Opening to the public was held jointly by PWRI and the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM). This annual event is thrown to help a wide variety of people understand civil engineering project. This year's event is the 16th. Despite bad weather and the ongoing spread of the swine flu, 414 people visited the event.
The visitors particularly enjoyed the annual regular attractions, including the opening of experiment facilities to the public and the holding of a hands-on civil engineering workshop. Visitors took a bus that looped around the campus and could drop in at any facility they wanted to see. The facilities opened to the visitors this year include the pavement test field, the dam hydraulics laboratory, the debris flow generator, and the test track. At each of these facilities, detailed information was provided to visitors so that both young and old alike could enjoy experiments and demonstrations.
One new program was the display of bridge components damaged by accidents such as chloride attacks or fires at the material stockyard for clinical research for visitors to see and touch. Many people showed a particular interest in components damaged by the fire that occurred on the Metropolitan Expressway last year. Many visitors said that they liked the explanations because they were made with careful attention to detail. We believe that the visitors had a better understanding of civil engineering and felt closer to it after having visited experiment facilities, which people can rarely see.
Other events also held this year include a hands-on workshop to help familiarize visitors with civil engineering, an exhibition of a working car held with the cooperation of the five offices of the Kanto Regional Development Bureau in Ibaraki prefecture, the exhibition of excellent works of the Cardboard Bridge Contest by fifth graders of elementary schools in Tsukuba city and a performance by the Azuma Elementary School marching band. These events aimed to entertain people of various ages.
The stamp rally was resumed this year, and visitors who collected all the stamps were rewarded by the Expert Civil Engineering Doctor Certificate.
The Civil Engineering Day Opening to the public is one of several opportunities for PWRI to draw people's attention to what we do and to the importance of civil engineering works. We wish to hold an even better event next year.
(Contact: Planning and Management Division)
PWRI New Technology Showcase 2009 held
 Technology Presentation |
 Exhibition of Panels and Models and Technical Consultation |
 Panel Discussion (Hiroshima) |
The PWRI New Technology Showcase 2009 was held on Sep. 30th, 2009, in Tokyo,
on Dec. 2nd in Hiroshima, and on Dec. 10th in Fukuoka.
Aiming to widely promulgate PWRI's research results, the Showcase presents
newly developed technologies carefully selected for their high applicability
to civil engineers in both public and private organizations by holding
presentations and exhibiting panels and models as in the same style for
displaying and selling products in showcases, and conducts technical consultation
on the actual use thereof. This year's Showcase introduced 11 technologies
in Tokyo, 8 in Hiroshima, and 10 in Fukuoka.
Visitors to those three venues totaled 580 participants including those
from private companies, MLIT, local governments and public benefit corporations.
Their attention to the presentations never ceased until the end, and an
active Q&A session was also held.
In Hiroshima in particular, the "Construction Technology Forum"
held by the Chugoku Regional Development Bureau of MLIT, civil engineering
organizations and universities in Chugoku region, and the PWRI New Technology
Showcase were united into a single event and held on the same day at the
same venue as a new initiative. Excellent synergy was obtained as a result,
as participants who came to the venue for the forum also had a chance to
learn about the new technologies of PWRI. The Forum held a panel discussion
under the theme of "Toward the Future of New Technological Applications",
and heated discussion among panelists from ordering parties,receiving parties,
and educational institutes, as well as the Director Nakamura of the Construction
Technology Research Dept, PWRI who participated the discussion as a panelist,
was held on systems that promote the adoption of as many new technologies
as possible.
We are planning to hold the Showcase in Sapporo on Feb. 23rd, 2010. Details
will be provided on the website. We are looking forward to your participation.
(Contact: Construction Technology Research Department)
4th Engineer Exchange Forum in Kitami held
 Prof. Watanabe delivering a keynote lecture |
 Venue of the Forum  Program |
CERI has four branch offices in the Center, the South, the North and the
East of Hokkaido to promote the development and diffusion of factory floor
technology and technical improvement in local areas. Each branch office
is engaged in promotion of local survey and testing for R&D, understanding
of local needs, diffusion of research results and developed technologies,
and provision of technical guidance.
As part of these activities, the Engineer Exchange Forum is held to promote
the exchange of information on technical development required in local
areas, engineer exchange between industry, academic, and government, and
coordination and cooperation among engineers.
The Northern Hokkaido Branch Office, CERI held the 4th Engineer Exchange
Forum in Kitami on Oct. 14th. Intended to improve technical capability
in the Okhotsk area (jurisdiction of the Abashiri Subprefectural Office)
and promote exchange and cooperation among engineers of industry, government
and academia, the Forum provided lectures on the Okhotsk area including
a keynote lecture by Prof. Watanabe, Kitami Institute of Technology, on
the Cold Region Technology for Coexistence with the Natural Environment
in the Okhotsk Area and other lectures by researchers of CERI and the Institute
of Professional Engineers, Japan, members. The Forum was attended by some
170 participants.
Prof. Yasuharu Watanabe, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology, delivered a keynote lecture titled "Changes of Channels as the Basis of River Ecosystem." Prof. Watanabe concluded his lecture by saying that the river environment changes with time; that life of living organisms is based on those changes as a precondition; and that those changes are used to preserve the species and help them prosper; and that it is necessary to have a full understanding of the riverbed topography as a basis and recognize the basis changes. The professor summed up his lecture by emphasizing the need to use natural power, as mankind cannot create its preferred rapids and deep pools at will.
After CERI presented the research results, two persons from the Institute
of Professional Engineers spoke about technical development delivered from
the Okhotsk area, and President Kubo, Nitto Construction Co., Ltd. reported
that they developed a concrete tester used to diagnose the strength of
a concrete structure and have already started sales, emphasizing their
intent to continue R&D to enhance the safety of infrastructure and
improve reliability.
President Toda, Shari Kensetsu Kogyo Co., Ltd., said the roads in Shiretoko
(Shari town) are a lifeline for physical distribution, logistics, and human
communication, and that a GPS-based construction system was developed to
ensure safe snow removal at Shiretoko Pass.
(Contact: The Northern Hokkaido Branch Office, CERI)
1st International Bridge Forum and CAESAR's efforts
 Collapse of the I-35W Bridge, Minneapolis, USA (Website of the Minnesota Department of Transportation)  The International Bridge Forum (at Cambridge University, UK) |
 Discussion |
Major road networks in advanced countries have rapidly developed following
the two World Wars, and the majority of bridges are currently over 50 years
old. These bridges are highly deteriorated due to various reasons including
the increase in vehicle size unforeseen at the time of construction and
traffic volume.
For example, in the USA and Canada, the sudden collapse of a bridge resulting
in a loss of life has been known to occur. To protect bridges, as in protecting
people from illness, it is important to gather information on and analyze
damage and deterioration case histories, inspection techniques, scientific
trials and the effectiveness of repairs.
Under these circumstances, the International Bridge Forum (IBF) was established
to share information on R&D and the practical application of bridge
maintenance in various countries. The idea of the forum was proposed by
UK bridge owners and the first conference was held at Cambridge University,
UK, for three days starting Sep. 14th, 2009. CAESAR serves as a technological
support center to assist road maintenance service by the national government
and local governments. CAESAR was invited to attend the conference.
Participating countries include the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada
(did not attend this conference), the US, Italy, Switzerland, Germany,
France and Japan, and participants are representatives of bridge owners
of the governments and states of these countries and their research institutions.
CAESAR was the only organization invited to attend the conference from
Japan.
The conference was composed of discussion sessions on summary reports of
participating countries. Heated discussion was conducted on the report
of the deteriorating bridges in Japan and CAESAR's new research approach.
It is worth noting that CAESAR's new approach to research, anatomical survey
for older or damaged highway bridges, can be seen elsewhere like the following
links:
http://www.pwri.go.jp/eng/ujnr/newnl/enl_60.pdf
http://www.pwri.go.jp/eng/ujnr/tc/g/pdf/24/24-8-1yoshioka.pdf
(Contact: CAESAR)