EIT-JSCE Joint Seminar on Rock Engineering 2007
(w/ EIT and Committee on Rock Mechanics, Sept 17-19, 2007)
The joint seminar between Japanese Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) and the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT), which was sponsored by the JSCE International Scientific Exchange Fund, was held in Bangkok from 17-19 September 2007. This event consisted of a general seminar, a field trip, and a seminar for students and young engineers. It was organized by two co-chairmen, who were Prof. Hiroyasu Ohtsu, Kyoto University and Dr. Noppadol Phienwej, Asian Institute of Technology.
The general seminar held at Imperial Queen's Park Hotel on September 17 started with an opening speech by Dr. Noppadol Phienwej, who was followed by Dr. Yoshifumi Nishiwaki, Chairperson of the Committee of Rock Mechanics, JSCE. More than 70 participants from Japan and Thailand attended the seminar and actively exchanged opinions on rock engineering and related fields. The seminar included 22 oral and poster presentations on various topics such as rock mechanics, landslide, geo-exploration and so on.
As for the field trip, Japanese participants visited the Tha Dan Dam and landslide monitoring site, Nakhon Nayok, on September 18. Tha Dan Dam, which was built to facilitate irrigation, is one of the biggest roller compacted concrete (RCC) type dam with a height of 93 m and a length of 2,720 m. And, they also visited the slope monitoring site adjacent to the dam, where Kyoto Univ. group members under the guidance of Prof. Hiroyasu Ohtsu, in collaboration with Kasesart University, has also been undertaking hydrogeological monitoring.
The seminar for students and young engineers, which was the first trial to provide a chance on international collaboration to young generation related to rock engineering field, was held in the office building of EIT, Bangkok, on September 19. 13 graduate students from Japan (Kyoto University, Kobe University, Yamaguchi University, and Kansai University) and 7 graduate students Thailand (Asian Institute of Technology, Kasesart University, and Suranaree University of Technology) made oral presentations on various topics such as rock mechanics, landslide and slope failure, and geo-exploration and exchanged their opinions. It was a really good opportunity for graduate students to exchange information with their counterparts from other universities and another country. It would be our great pleasure if the experience, which young generation got at this seminar, would lead to get their concerns on international collaboration on civil engineering and encourage their research activities.
Reported by:
Prof. Hiroyasu Ohtsu
Kyoto University
Group photograph taken at the students and young engineers on September 19
