PUBLIC WORKS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Research Activities

List of Priority Research Projects (2001-2005)

SUBUNIT NO. 1 [Project Objectives]
1. Research on cost-effective structural earthquake-resistant technologies
14. Research on cost reduction measures for structural materials used in major road construction projects

SUBUNIT NO. 2 [Project Objectives]
10. Research on methods to enhance the durability and performance of structural materials
11. Research on soundness evaluation and maintenance and repair technologies for infrastructure
12. Research on maintenance of new materials, unutilized materials and recycled materials used in infrastructure

SUBUNIT NO. 3 [Project Objectives]
2. Research on upgrade of technologies for the reduction of manmade and natural slope collapse
4. Research on geotechnical preservation technologies
13. Research on environmentally-friendly dam construction and dam redevelopments

SUBUNIT NO. 4 [Project Objectives]
3. Research on water quality risk evaluation
6. Research on technologies to restore the natural environments of rivers and wetlands
8. Research on countermeasures for closed water areas

SUBUNIT NO. 5 [Project Objectives]
5. Research on Comprehensive Water Cycle Models for River Basins
(click here for information on PWRI research on river basin scale water and matter cycles)
7. Research on water quality preservation methods in dams and downriver areas, and sedimentation control
9. Research on evaluation methods for technologies to reduce the heat island effect in urban areas



Project Objectives

Sub
unit
Project Name Project Objectives
1 1. Research on cost-effective structural earthquake-resistant technologies (1) Evaluation methods for structural earthquake resistance levels for existing bridges and development of reinforcement measures.
(1)-1 Development of reliable design techniques for earthquake resistant bridges.
(1)-2 Development of cost-effective structural earthquake-resistant reinforcement measures for existing bridges.
(2) Development of design techniques for geotechnical upgrading of embankments based on predictions of areas particularly prone to subsidence during earthquakes.
(3) Development of economic earthquake resistant reinforcement technologies for road embankments and drainage facilities predicted as particularly prone during earthquakes.
14. Research on cost reduction measures for structural materials used in major road construction projects (1) Development of earthquake resistance design measures for main towers and foundations of major bridges.
(2) Development of high-performance superstructures for major bridges able to withstand high winds.
(3) Development of technologies for finer thickness road surfaces and open grading road foundations.
(4) Development of design techniques for large-scale tunnels which require boring machines.
2 10.Research on methods to enhance the durability and performance of structural materials (1) Proposal of design techniques to enhance life spans.
(1)-1 Proposals to enhance life spans of road surfaces.
(1)-2 Proposals to enhance life spans of tunnel lining properties.
(2) Proposals for enhanced performance evaluation measures.
(2)-1 Proposal of bridge performance verification measures by analyses and tests.
(2)-2 Development of safety evaluation measures for underground structures with differing strength levels caused by geological unevenness.
(2)-3 Proposals for clarification of dynamic response of bridges with large volumes of heavy vehicles and technologies to allow for easing of weight restrictions.
(3) Proposals for quality control measures for performance regulations.
(3)-1 Proposals for quality control measures for roadbeds.
11. Research on soundness evaluation and maintenance and restoration technologies for infrastructure (1) Development of technologies for to examine strength levels of structural materials.
(1)-1 Development of nondestructive testing and surveillance technologies to evaluate soundness of structural materials used in civil engineering projects.
(1)-2 Development of damage evaluation technologies to ascertain necessity of restoration.
(2) Development of restoration technologies for structural materials.
(2)-1 Development of restoration techniques for concrete structures.
(2)-2 Development of technologies of restore low noise and low vibration performance of existing road surfaces.
(2)-3 Developments of restoration technologies for deteriorating structural materials.
(3) Development of maintenance management systems for structural materials.
(3)-1 Development of maintenance management systems for concrete structures.
(3)-2 Development of strategic maintenance management measures for bridges that will receive reduced future maintenance control.
(3)-3 Development of strategic maintenance management measures for road surfaces that will receive reduced future maintenance control.
12. Research on maintenance of new materials, unutilized materials and recycled materials used in infrastructure (1) Development of technologies for use in high-strength iron/steel reinforced and FRP-reinforced (fiber reinforced plastics) structural materials.
(2) Development of technologies for use in such unutilized materials as non-standard aggregates and organic waste matter.
(3) Development of technologies for use in the recycling of other industrial waste materials and recycling materials.
3 2. Research on upgrade of technologies for the reduction of manmade and natural slope collapse (1) Development of measures to predict hazardous areas (both micro and macro areas) and for the production of comprehensive hazard maps.
(2) Development of design and positioning techniques for manmade and natural slopes through numerical analyses.
(3) Development of monitoring, management and risk management measures for manmade and natural slopes.
4. Research on geotechnical preservation technologies (1) Clarification of the environmental characteristics of construction materials and contaminated waste materials, and geological dynamic movement.
(2) Development of systematic measures to examine and monitor earth and underground water.
(3) Development of measures for the provisional safety and entrapment of contaminated materials.
13. Research on environmentally-friendly dam construction and dam redevelopments (1) Development of design measures for added dams.
(2) Development of technologies to reinforce dam discharge facilities.
(3) Development of measures to evaluate the quality of non-standard aggregates and their effective use.
(4) Development of measures for the evaluation and mechanical design of bedrock with complex geological features, and sloping reservoirs.
(5) Development of measures for the evaluation bedrock water penetration, and water sealing design measures.
4 3. Research on water quality risk evaluation (1) Development of comprehensive evaluation index for clarification of behavior patterns of endocrine disruptors (environmental hormones) and dioxins, and endocrine disruptor functions.
(2) Development of simple testing methods for endocrine disruptors (environmental hormones) and dioxins.
(3) Clarification of the effect of sewage bound endocrine disruptors (environmental hormones) on freshwater fish, and effective processing measures at water treatment plants.
(4) Development of risk evaluation measures for pathogenic microorganisms such as recycled sewage sludge.
6. Research on technologies to restore the natural environments of rivers and wetlands (1) Clarification of influence that human impact and flow quantity fluctuations exert on natural river environments.
(2) Development of measures to create suitable living environments for river inhabitants.
(3) Development of methods to clarify water purification functions at vegetated lakeside areas, and preservation and restoration measures.
(4) Development of IT-related measures to clarify the migratory patterns of creatures.
(5) Establishment of measures to clarify the role of ecological networks in the lives of water bound creatures, and preservation and restoration measures for ecological networks.
8. Research on countermeasures for closed water areas (1) Development of measures to estimate amounts of nutritive salts emanating from the mud at the bottom of waterways.
(2) Development of measures to stabilize the mud at the bottom of waterways to improve the aquatic environment.
(3) Development of measures to control sediment from feeder and tributary rivers.
5 5. Research on Comprehensive Water Cycle Models for River Basins (1) Creation of a database to monitor hydrological cycles and aquatic environments with a particular view to clarifying hydrological cycles in river basins.
(2) Clarifying the influence of changes in the directional flows of river basins and rivers on hydrological cycles and aquatic environments.
(3) Development of hydrological cycle models that indicate hydrological cycle mechanisms in river basins.
(4) Proposals of construction methods for integrated hydrological cycle models.
7. Research on water quality preservation methods in dams and downriver areas, and sedimentation control (1) Development of measures to predict amounts, quality and migratory patterns of sediment flowing into reservoirs.
(2) Development of design and operation measures for movement of downriver sedimentation, and measures to predict downriver sedimentation behavior patterns.
(3) Development of effective operations of facilities to preserve water quality, and measures to control water temperature and turbidity of discharged water from reservoirs.
(4) Proposals of measures that aim at enhancing the environment in which water is discharged from reservoirs by reproducing natural turbulence and recurring phenomena caused by directional flow changes.
9. Research on evaluation methods for technologies to reduce the heat island effect in urban areas (1) Establish simulation measures to study the heat island phenomenon in urban areas.
(2) Proposals of countermeasure technologies and scenarios.
(2)-1 Proposals for high performance, temperature-reducing road surface materials.
(2)-2 Proposals of various countermeasure scenarios.
(3) Proposals of scenarios for cost and temperature reductions, and measures to evaluate reductions and efficiency of energies.
(3)-1 Clarification of effect of heat island reduction measures in social infrastructure (with particular emphasis on roads and buildings).
(3)-2 Evaluations and predictions of effect of increasing green and watered areas.
(3)-3 Evaluations and predictions of effect of heat-emitting countermeasures.