IAC News

Prof. Hiromichi Shirato(Kyoto University)
Chair of the Committee on Structural Engineering

Introduction of the Activities of Committee on Structural Engineering

The Committee on Structural Engineering was established in July 1953 as the Committee on Bridge Structure to serve as a liaison for the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). It split into two functions in July 1971, when the Committee on Structural Engineering was created along with the Committee on Steel Structures. Since then, the Committee has worked on the planning, design, and maintenance of social infrastructure facilities and structures, such as roads and railways. It also pursues research and development of infrastructures and associated advanced technologies.

As a major international exchange activity, the Committee holds the “International Summer Program.” The International Education Subcommittee holds seminars and symposiums with themes concerning the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of structures. Overseas students, researchers, and engineers from the public, private, and academic sectors are invited to attend. Events were held in 2009, 2010, and 2014. The fourth event will be held in FY2016. The International Activities Committee, Committee on Structural Engineering, and the Committee on Steel Structures cohosted the first seminar, “Advanced Engineering for Long-Life Steel Bridge,” in Bangkok, Thailand in 2003. This joint seminar was open to the public. The seminar in 2012, supported by the Scientific Exchange Fund of JSCE also held in Bangkok, discussed the design, maintenance, and reinforcement of bridges.

In addition, the Committee runs study subcommittees and also is involved in a variety of activities, including hosting symposiums in Japan, and publishing guidelines, standards, and books. One of these activities, the “Structural Engineering Symposium,” is hosted annually by the Architectural Institute of Japan under the sponsorship of the Science Council of Japan. The 60th event was held in 2014. Task committees compile the study results into guidelines for the structural engineering series and structural engineering technology series. The“Common Specifications for Infrastructures I (principles, definitions, responsible engineers, required performance and structural planning)” and the “Common Specifications for Infrastructures II (actions and loads) ” were both published in FY2010. The annual journal, “Bridges in Japan,” also has been published annually since 1967 to introduce representative bridges, with the focus on bridges that have been awarded the Tanaka Prize.

The Committee on Structural Engineering is dedicated to promoting the core areas of structural engineering, such as the development of JSCE guidelines and common specifications. We also are dedicated to promoting cooperation among the permanent committees and exploring new fields that span these committees. With the aim of increasing its global presence, the Committee will continue to release standards overseas in the hope of establishing them as international standards.

2015 Mongolian Association of Civil Engineers (MACE) Annual Meeting Report

Mongolian Association of Civil Engineers (MACE), with which JSCE has signed an agreement of cooperation, held its Annual Meeting in the capital Ulaanbaatar on June 18 (Thr) and 19 (Fri). By the invitation to that meeting, the following persons attended: Prof. Hiroshi Mutsuyoshi (Saitama University), Assoc. Prof. Takeshi Maki (Saitama University), Mr. Takayuki Ezaki (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), Mr. Tomohiro Fujita (Public Works Research Institute), Mr. Fujiki (Azusa Sekkei), and Prof. Eiki Yamaguchi (Kyushu Institute of Technology). Among them, Mr. Fujiki, who has been engaged in the construction of new Ulaanbaartar international airport, traveled a short distance to the meeting.

MACE offered three kinds of international programs besides its general meeting during the annual meeting as follows:

1)International Seminar on Construction Site Management & Quality Control. International Case Studies
2)International Forum on Geotechnics: Immediate Issues and Future Perspectives
3)International Roundtable Meeting on PPP. Policy & Implementation. Case Studies

Among the JSCE delegation, as a speaker, Mr. Fujiki, Mr. Tomohiro Fujita and Mr. Takayuki Ezaki participated in the International Seminar, the International Forum and the International Roundtable respectively. Then, Prof. Mutsuyoshi and Prof. Maki delivered a special lecture as shown in Photo 1. Besides JSCE, there were participants from the host country, Korea, Taiwan, and Philippines. Those participants shared their viewpoints on those themes and actively got themselves involved in discussions. The JSCE delegation had more members and presentations than othe delegations, and Dr. Ganzorig the long-serving MACE President thanked the JSCE delegation for its contribution to the meeting.

JSCE has its branch Mongolia Section, and a former section president Mr. Enkhutur Shoovdor has obtained a master degree at Saitama University under the guidance of Prof. Mutsuyoshi, and currently holds the important post Advisor to Minister of Construction and Urban Development in Mongolia.

Owing to Mr. Enkhutur’s kind arrangements, the JSCE delegation acquired an opportunity to visit Mr. Tsogtbaatar Damd, the Minister of Construction and Urban Development in the morning of the 19th (Photo 2). We assumed that it would be a brief visit; however, we happened to stay and talk with the Minister for over 30 minutes. We could not have had this meeting without Mr. Enkhtur’s effort; at the same time, we reminded ourselves of the importance of personal networking.

At the annual meeting, Dr. Ganzorig stepped down as the MACE President, and Mr. Erdenebat Tsogtoojav took over that position (Photo 3). Along with this transition, the 
MACE-JSCE relationship will enter another phase. Moreover, four persons were awarded Honorary Membership: two Mongolian engineers, Prof. Luh-Maan Chang of CICHE and me of JSCE. Prof. Chang and I were the 6th international engineers who were given that honor.

【Dr. Eiki Yamaguchi IAC Mongolia Group Leader】

Report on IAC Japanese Civil Engineers the Global Leaders Symposium Series Vol. 5: Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project to meet electricity demand in Sri Lanka

JSCE IAC held IAC Japanese Civil Engineers the Global Leaders Symposium Series Vol. 5: Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project to meet electricity demand in Sri Lanka- at the JSCE HQ on July 22, 2015.

The symposium was opened by Mr. Asao Yamakawa, IAC Acting Senior Director, followed by the keynote speeches delivered by Mr. Hirai, Manager of Overseas Projects Division, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan (MLIT) on “MLIT’s efforts to promote overseas development of infrastructure system,” and by Mr. Hagiwara, Project Manager, Electric Power Development Co.,Ltd.(J-POWER) on “J-POWER’s international business and civil engineers.” Then, four civil engineers from Maeda Corporation introduced Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project.

The four civil engineers explained the project by component such as a concrete gravity dam, a head race tunnel, and an underground power house, using photos and video, which helped the audience better understand how the project was carried out. They also introduced some examples how they overcame the challenges that they encountered on the project .

They had many difficulties in their dairy life as well. Because the construction began in the middle of a civil war, they had to carry their passports and airline tickets to Singapore all the time and fill up their cars with gas to prepare an emergency situation. Another problem was food quality. There were many complaints about meals like amounts and combination of dishes, thus they took extra effort to train cooks to prepare meals suitable to Japanese engineers’ tastes.

In 2007, an engineer who was working for the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project and his child were featured in the TV program “I Want to Say Thanks to My Dad Working Far Away from Home.” Then, Mr. Yukihiro TSUKADA, JSCE Executive Director closed the symposium with a speech.
 
It was Vol. 5 of the Global Leaders Symposium Series. The IAC will continue the symposium and look forward to welcoming more audience.

【Mr. Hisanari Ushirooka member of the IAC Information Networking Group】

Presentation by the engineer from Maeda Corporation

Panel displays of the construction sites

【Mr. Hisanari Ushirooka member of the IAC Information Networking Group】