JSCE Magazine Summary & Index
Latest Magazine
September 2025
What comes with big events
Big events such as the Olympic Games and World Expositions have long captured public attention
and often serve as catalysts for urban development. The Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 and
Tokyo 2020 Olympics are recent examples that highlight the strong connection between civil engineering and big events.
These events not only require construction of venues but also demand large-scale infrastructure for
transportation, accommodation, and urban functionality. The pressure of fixed deadlines and public
scrutiny necessitates advanced project and transport management, as well as sustainable approaches.
This issue explores how civil engineering contributes to mega-events and what these efforts leave
behind for cities and societies.
It features cases from national events like the Osaka-Kansai Expo, Tokyo 2020, and regional initiatives
involving local sports clubs and local stadiums. The issue also examines future-oriented practices,
including sustainable procurement and long-term urban planning.
Through our articles, it aims to provide a comprehensive view of how big events intersect with
infrastructure and community development. We hope this issue will deepen readers’ understanding
of the evolving relationship between big events, cities, and civil engineering in Japan and beyond.
Civil engineering in the 21st century faces an increasingly complex array of societal challenges:
the Nankai Trough mega-earthquake, climate change, a shrinking and super-ageing population,
carbon neutrality, ageing infrastructure, and a shortage of engineers and skilled workers.
How can we solve this escalating complexity? One of the answers is that the current generation of
civil engineers should be more aggressive in evolving our conventional knowledge and methodologies
and embracing rapid technological progress such as generative AI, 3D printing, metamaterials, etc.
Moreover, integrating knowledge and technology across various academic domains is required to
grasp current and future technological seeds and societal needs. How flexibly civil engineering
embraces these game-changers will undoubtedly determine its future development.
This month's special feature explores attractive construction materials, manufacturing and
construction techniques, and their fundamental theories of a new era.
Specifically, stainless steel, flash-butt welding, UHPFRC, 3D printing, bio-cementation, fail-safe steel,
carbon nanotube, auxetic material and a unique material made from food waste are focused on.
The opening roundtable discussion features experts from materials science, civil engineering, and
3D printing ventures. They discuss the challenges and prospects of implementing new technologies
in society, offering insights that broaden perspectives within the field.
