2025 Innovative Technique Award (技術開発賞)
1. Road Anti-Icing Technology Integrating Traditional Japanese Washi Paper
making with Carbon Fiber Steel Segment Press-Fit Method
(Urban-Foundation® Method）
- Kentaro Kuraji(Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd.)
- Guangfeng Zhang(Metropolitan Expressway Technology Center)
- Keisuke Abe(Taiyo Co., Ltd.)
- Hitoshi Kato(Taiyo Co., Ltd.)
This technology is an innovative road anti-icing system that utilizes "Carbon Washi" heating sheets, created by integrating traditional Japanese papermaking techniques with carbon fibers. Compared to conventional methods, it offers multiple advantages including high heat transfer efficiency from near-surface embedding, suitability for heavy-traffic routes, ease of application to bridges, and seamless removal during pavement resurfacing. Since its development in 2020, it has been adopted at over 22 sites including expressways, national highways, and private facilities. As a cost-effective and original solution, it significantly contributes to winter road traffic safety and the continuity of economic activities.
2. A Next-Generation Crane Operation System for Enhancing Productivity and
Safety (ORCISM®: Obayashi Robotics Crane Integrated SysteM)
- Keigo Sato (Obayashi Corporation)
- Chiaki Matsuno (Obayashi Corporation)
- Yuya Mitani (Obayashi Corporation)
ORCISM® is a next-generation crane operation system developed to enhance both safety and productivity in crane operations. It integrates crane machine guidance, machine control, and machine management on a digital twin synchronized with the physical environment in real time. By preventing collisions and boundary violations, suppressing load sway, and enabling autonomous deceleration and stopping, the system helps mitigate hazardous operations. In addition, the ORCISM supports automated and autonomous operation based on prior simulations, digital work procedures, real-time visualization of operating conditions, and remote autonomous inspection. Through unified data management from construction planning to progress control, the system further enhances productivity, reduces work time, ensures safety, supplements skills and technologies, enables labor saving, and stabilizes construction quality. “Mobile factory”
3. Development of a Self-Compacting Concrete (LACs concrete®) Contributing to Productivity Improvement (VFC)
- Shuji Matsumoto (Kajima Corporation)
- Kazuki Koshima (Kajima Corporation)
- Hinako Roppongi (Kajima Corporation)
- Ryoichi Ashizawa (Kajima Corporation)
- Kenzo Watanabe (Kajima Corporation)
- Shuji Yanai (Kajima Corporation)
LACs concrete, which is easier to use and can be placed without compaction or an increase in cost, was developed for construction of structures with general structural and construction conditions. It is produced by adding a newly developed powdered fluidizing agent to base concrete produced at conventional ready-mixed concrete plants. It exhibits high fluidity with a slump flow of 450–600 mm and, through an original mix design methodology, achieves an appropriate balance between resistance to material segregation and self-compacting performance, thereby eliminating the need for compaction and improving construction productivity.
4. Development of an Automated Modeling and Verification System for RC Shop Drawings Utilizing Parametric Modeling
- Fumiya Matsushita (Shimizu Corporation)
- Naoyuki Araki (Shimizu Corporation)
- Hiroaki Suzuki (Shimizu Corporation)
- Koji Yoshimura (Shimizu Corporation)
- Rieko Murakami (Shimizu Corporation)
To improve productivity, accelerating DX in the construction industry has become an urgent priority. This technology uses parametric modeling to drastically reduce the labor and time required to create, validate, and revise shop drawings in RC design. First, geometric information on reinforcing bars and construction planning data were defined as a standardized information model within the project, enabling machine-readable parameters and establishing a foundation for automation. Next, detailed design information was reflected parametrically in the standard model, automating modeling work. In addition, an algorithm was developed to perform item-specific verification logic based on input parameters, significantly improving the quality of shop drawings.
5. Development of Measurement System for Groundwater Inflow Rate and Pressure Ahead of the Tunnel Face (T-DrillPacker®)
- Yusuke Hiratsuka (Taisei Corporation)
- Sou Kumamoto (Taisei Corporation)
- Hajime Yamamoto (Taisei Corporation)
High hydraulic pressure and/or large groundwater inflow into a tunnel is a serious risk during tunnel construction, affecting safety and construction schedules. In conventional advance drilling, the drill string (drill rods and bit) must be pulled out before packer installation, which increases the risk of borehole collapse and requires significant time and effort. With the developed system, the packer can be installed without retrieving the drill string, enabling accurate measurement of groundwater flowrate and hydraulic pressure. Drilling can be resumed immediately after measurements, allowing investigation at multiple locations in a single borehole efficiently. This facilitates proper planning of measures supporting safe and certain construction.
6. Development of Next-Generation Mountain Tunneling Method:
Innovation in Rock Bolt Construction
- Miki Kanaoka (SHIMIZU CORPORATION)
- Yasuo Ide (SHIMIZU CORPORATION)
- Kodai Oya (SHIMIZU CORPORATION)
- Ryo Hemmi (SHIMIZU CORPORATION)
- Seiichi Miyakoshi (Furukawa Rock Drill Co., Ltd.)
- Yoshinobu Fujishiro (Furukawa Rock Drill Co., Ltd.),
- Minoru Chiba (KFC Ltd.)
- Minoru Hata (Nippon Hume Co.)
- Makoto Sato (Tokyo metropolitan Sewerage service Co.)
The installation of rock bolts in mountain tunnels involved hazardous, labor-intensive work at the tunnel face, with risks of rockfall and inconsistent quality due to reliance on worker skill. This created a strong need for mechanization. This technology addresses these issues by mechanizing the entire rock bolt installation process, from drilling to insertion. It utilizes a dedicated two-boom rock bolt machine and an automatic mortar supply system, both remotely controlled via PC. This eliminates dangerous work at the tunnel face, significantly enhancing safety. By standardizing skilled workers' expertise into a system, it also ensures stable construction quality. This advanced technology is broadly applicable to mountain tunnel construction.
7. Production of novel soil improvement technologies using
super-absorbent polymer material
- Kenji Shimosaka
- Hitoshi Asano
- Makoto Tone
- Yasutoshi Ohno
- Hirokazu Akagi
The novel soil improvement method using super-absorbent polymeric materials is produced for a pile construction and jet grout mixing. A stabilizing fluid using super-absorbent polymer improves borehole wall stability and soil cutting performance, enhances the quality of concrete piles and improved ground bodies, and reduces the volume of waste slurry. As a result, it contributes to reducing industrial waste, environmental burdens and even construction cost.
8. Development of Mass Production and Construction Technologies for Floating Offshore Wind Farms
- Osamu Kobayashi
- Masahiro Nomata
- Yasuhiro Shinkawa
- Koji Tanaka
- Kenta Sakai
For Japan, an island nationく, floating offshore wind power is considered a key solution for decarbonization and ensuring a stable energy supply. To promote the widespread adoption of offshore wind power, we developed a hybrid spar-type floater featuring 2 sections, a steel upper section and a concrete lower section. Furthermore, by utilizing a semi-submersible spud barge for launching floaters and building an integrated mass-production system that leverages existing ports, we have established an efficient construction process. These innovations culminated in the successful delivery of Japan’s first commercial floating offshore wind farm off the coast of Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture.
9. Development of an Automated Centering System for Lining Works in Mountain Tunnels
- Tomohiro Nishimura
- Tomohiro Tanaka
- Tsutomu Azuma
- Kenta Kondo
- Hideaki Nishiura
This technology is a unique system that comprehensively reduces labor requirements and improves productivity in tunnel lining operations by automating the entire process from centering setup to concrete placing and compaction. A total station and various sensing devices mounted on the centering enable automatic stripping, movement, and installation of the movable lining form through simple button operations. Sensors detect the concrete rise level and automatically lift placing hoses positioned on both sides from the crown. In coordination, concrete pump start/stop control and form vibrator operation are automatically executed, enabling consistent and efficient placing and compaction.
10. Development of Cast-in-Place Piling Method for Super Low-Overhead Clearance (Compact Reverse JET18)
- Hirofumi Ikemoto (East Japan Railway Company)
- Tsutomu Taketani (East Japan Railway Company)
- Motoaki Kurisu (Tekken Corporation)
- Shigetsugu Takeda (J-Tec Corporation)
- Katsunori Iuchi (Toa-Tone Boring Corporation)
This construction method enables the safe installation of large-diameter cast-in-place piles in extreme low-overhead and narrow condition, such as directly beneath railway station platforms. Turntable driving method and newly developed “kelly rod” have achieved 1.8m-height drilling machine. Furthermore, the maximum 3.0m-diameter cast-in-situ pile bored hole can be drilled by this machine. In addition, a system for a precise measurement and control of slurry level has been developed in order to improve the bored hole stability avoiding a bored-hole-surface collapse. As a result, day and night construction of cast-in-situ piles extremely neighboring railway tracks can be realized. This construction method has been applied to not only railway projects, but also road and electricity projects with maintaining functions of those infrastructures.
