IAC News
IAC News No.16, January 2014
Japan Society of Civil Engineers International Activities Center January 29, 2014 IAC News No.16
A New Year’s Message from the President
On the joyous occasion of New Year, I convey my warmest greetings and wishes to all my fellow civil engineers and friends at home and abroad.
This year marks the 3-year anniversary of International Activities Center (IAC), and does the 100-year anniversary of JSCE. In this November, JSCE holds a commemorative ceremony and events to celebrate its 100th anniversary in Tokyo. The International Forum “Contributions of Infrastructure to Life of Affluence” and 3rd Roundtable Meeting on Disaster Management are some of the events. Prior to the 100-year anniversary, JSCE’s annual meeting, including 16th International Summer Symposium and 2nd Workshop for Young Engineers, is held at Osaka University in September, and a Japan-Korea-Taiwan Joint Seminar is in Pusan in August.
There are 5 groups which assume for a particular purpose and 9 International Sections within JSCE, and approximately 30 civil engineering-related organizations overseas which have entered into an agreement of cooperation with JSCE. It is the major work of the IAC to support and improve the activities of those groups and International Sections and also to strengthen the relationship and communication with those organizations.
Our city Tokyo has been chosen to host the 2020 Olympic Games. We have to remember that training human resources capable of playing a leadership role in a global arena is the key to properly responding to rapidly increasing international exchanges and collaborations. In order to acquire the key, we individuals should obtain a global perspective and act accordingly, and the country should enhance its social systems and structures to meet global standards of infrastructure projects at the same time.
Regarding the implementation of public works projects, for example, the country needs to build non-compartmentalized, comprehensive approaches, integrated, scaled-up projects, and systematic planning, construction, maintenance and operation. Moreover, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) should be adopted and private sectors, e.g., Construction Management (CM) and Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC).should be more encouraged to participate in project executions.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and International Federation of Consulting Engineers (Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs Counseils: FIDIC), which are taking the lead in promoting ethics and ethical behaviors in the construction industry, publishes ICE Conditions of Contract for use in connection with Works of Civil Engineering Construction does Conditions of Contract for Works of Civil Engineering Construction respectively. As to infrastructure assessments, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) collects data on infrastructure health status and releases it as Infrastructure Report Card, and the ICE publishes the State of the Nation, both of which are unique and informative to us.
Memories are still vivid of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that lashed through Leyte Island and caused much death and destruction in the areas. JSCE has sent some expert teams to the stricken areas to study and assess the damages caused by the typhoon, and are introducing their findings on the HP. Meanwhile, we welcome information and comments at home as well as overseas.
I and my JSCE colleagues look forward to sharing interesting news and ideas with you this year, too.
Thank you very much.
2013 CICHE Annual Meeting (Taiwan)
I attended the annual meeting of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering (JSCE’s counterpart in Taiwan, hereinafter called CICHE) held at National Taiwan
University of Science and Technology in Taipei on November 22, 2013, as one member of the JSCE delegation. The CICHE-JSCE partnership has the longest history in JSCE’s cooperation with overseas counterparts, and has strengthened through mutual communication and joint activities over time. The JSCE delegation members were 6: Mr. Takehiko Ono (JSCE Advisor, Immediate-Past President), Mr. Asao Yamakawa (IAC Director, Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.), Dr. Shinri Sone (IAC Indonesia Group Leader, International Research Promotion Division, MLIT) as a speaker at International Roundtable Forum, Ms. Kaori Nakayama (Shimizu Corp.), Ms. Ellen Wang (IAC Taiwan Group member, Kindai-Sekkei & Consultant, Inc.) and myself (IAC Taiwan Group Leader, Kochi University of Technology).
The CICHE’s Annual Meeting is a one-day meeting held every November, which content is like a combination of JSCE’s General Meeting and Annual Meeting. That meeting consists of General Meeting, Special Lectures, and Ceremonies in the morning and international discussions in the afternoon. The 2013 one was scheduled as usual.
At the General Meeting, Mr. Takehiko ONO delivered a presentation titled ”Lessons learned from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.” He expressed his gratitude for the support, assistance and cooperation given from Taiwan after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and then discussed JSCE’s recent efforts and 100th Anniversary Celebration in November 2014 (Photo 1). As CICHE President’s term of office expires, a handover ceremony of presidency from Prof. Shi-Shuenn Chen (former President of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Minister of Public Construction Commission) to Prof. Liang-Jenq Leu (Professor of National Taiwan University) was held(Photo 2).
 Mr. Ono delivers a presentation at the General Meeting |
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The CICHE Annual Meeting offers parallel discussions on civil engineering-related themes while does no research presentations in specialized fields. The International Round Table Meeting, one of the parallel discussions, was carried out with international guest speakers in English. Its theme was “Sustainable Innovation of Technology: Low-Carbon Design and Eco-City” and three presentations was made by speakers from Taiwan, Korea and Japan. Dr. Sone, one of the speakers, delivered the speech “Development of Life Cycle Assessment Method for infrastructure” and shared his views and opinions (Photo 3). His discussion made an excellent impression on the audience, which resulted in showing that Japan had maintained high standards in research.
JSCE-VCA joint seminar for introduction of JSCE’s Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures and latest technologies
The Concrete Committee of JSCE and Vietnam Concrete Association (VCA) jointly organized a seminar in Hochiminh city for introduction of JSCE’s 
Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures and the latest technologies on Sept. 19 & 20. It is the second time that a joint seminar on the same topic is held in Vietnam, following the first time in Sept. 2012 in Hanoi. Physical distance between the North and the South as well as strong request from Vietnamese engineers has led to this second seminar.
In the past, Concrete Committee of JSCE had organized joint seminars in many countries, including Taiwan, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, Sweden, Greece and Turkey for sharing information on common issues and deepening the relationship with oversea colleagues.
The JSCE Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures can be said to be one of the most well developed specifications of its type in Japan. First developed in 1931, the specifications have been periodically updated every five years since then. JSCE has translated the specifications of 2007 version into English so as to make it available to international users by allowing free download.
http://www.jsce.or.jp/committee/concrete/e/newsletter/std2007/top.html
This time, presentations from 7 Japanese leading experts including Prof. Hirotaka Kawano (Kyoto Univ.), Dr. Hideaki Taniguchi (Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd.), Dr. Yoji Ogawa (Nippon Hume Corp.), Assoc. Prof. Shingo Asamoto (Saitama Univ.), Mr. Katsuhiko Tada (Taiheiyo Cement Corp.), Mr. Koji Okuyama (Denka) and Mr. Yoshikazu Suzuki (Japan Pile Corp.) was interpreted by Dr. Phan Huu Duy Quoc (Shimizu Corp.) who is quite familiar with Japanese concrete technologies.
Japanese experts introduced not only the JSCE’s well-developed Standard Specifications and the latest technologies in Japan, but also Japan’s past failures, such as durability or quality control problems, hoping that Vietnam will not make the same mistake in the process of rapid infrastructure development.
Presentations and discussions from Vietnam side revealed current hottest issues: lack of Vietnam-made technical standards and temporary use of various foreign standards for infrastructure development.
The number of 150 participants is an indication of Vietnamese engineers’ thirst for information about concrete technology as well as their trust in Japan’s civil engineering. Therefore, Concrete Committee of JSCE plans to continue this meaningful activity in the future especially in developing countries like Vietnam.
Financial and logistic supports from International Scientific Exchange Fund of JSCE, Vietnam Ministry of Construction, Hochiminh City University of Architect, Vietnam Federation of Civil Engineering Associations, and enterprises like Shimizu Corporation, DENKA(Japan), BASF(Vietnam), Sika Ltd.(Vietnam), Phan Vu Investment Group and Nghi Son Cement Corporation are greatly appreciated.
【Reported by JSCE Concrete Committee, Shingo Asamoto (Saitama University),Phan Huu Duy Quoc (Shimizu Corporation) 】
What's Happening
●2014/2/12・・・・・1st IAC Symposium ( JSCE HQ, Tokyo)
●2014/3/７～9・・・・・26th ACECC ECM in Hawaii, USA
●2014/3/12・・・・・Seminar on Japan Indonesia Civil Engineering Technology ( JSCE HQ, Tokyo)
●2014/5/31・・・・・Joint Company Information Session in Civil Engineering for International Students ( JSCE HQ, Tokyo)
Updates
●The summary of feature articles in the JSCE Magazine is available on the JSCE website.
http://www.jsce-int.org/pub/magazine
●Concrete Committee International Newsletter No. 35
http://www.jsce.or.jp/committee/concrete/e/newsletter/Newsletter.htm
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Y's Murmuring
A few days ago I went to Kashiwanoha Smart City in Chiba. A Tsukuba Express train took me from the very crowded Akihabara Station to a relaxed, spacious Kashiwanoha Campus Station for 30 minutes. I noticed a shopping mall, movie complex, office buildings, and colleges, tall condominiums, gardens and farms around the station. The smart city is a modern IT-based life, surrounded by green trees and farms. Hang on、how about Ishinomaki and Kamaishi in Tohoku? The residents had the places to live, the sea to work, and farms to grow vegetables. The cities, self-sufficient, self-governing, are the first smart cities, aren’t they? I’m wondering if the ideas and technologies to build the new smart city can be applied to reconstruct those tsunami-hit cities.
