国総研ニューズレター

No.43

NILIM News Letter

Winter 2013

■ Result of Full-scale Fire Experiment of a Three-story Wooden School Building
Building Department, Fire Standards Division
Last yearʼs preliminary experiment has been followed by a full-scale
fire experiment (preparatory experiment) of a three story wooden schoolbuilding in order to revise the Building Standard Law.
A full-scale fire experiment (preparatory experiment) was performedon November 25, 2012 in Gero City in Gifu Prefecture. It was done inorder to check the effectiveness of countermeasures taken to preventa fire from spreading to the upper stories in its early stage and fromspreading through fire compartments of stairwells and through fire
doors in fire walls, which were problems shown by the preliminary
experiment of February 22, 2012 (reported in News Letters No. 39 andNo. 41), and to collect data to evaluate fire spreading routes, state ofcollapse, and the impact on the buildingʼs surroundings.
This preparatory experiment confirmed that as a result of progressin non-combustibility of interior finishing of buildings and theconstruction of balconies or eaves above openings in exterior walls,
the expansion of the fire in the first story room where the fire started(50 minutes after ignition, re-ignition of other combustible materials
in the room where ignition occurred) was restricted, but about 129
minutes after ignition, the fire spread through the floor of the second
story. Until the fire was extinguished 142 minutes after ignition,
the fire had not spread through the fire doors, confirming theeffectiveness of countermeasures. For an outline of the experimentbuilding and results such as temperatures etc. of typical rooms, see
the NILIM web site.

Based on the results of the preliminary experiment and thispreparatory experiment specifications and experiment methods
will be adjusted to prepare for a scheduled second full-scale
fire experiment based on building specifications which will
hypothetically be standardized in 2013.
• Web site: Research on Fire Safety of Three-story Wooden School
Buildings
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bbg/kasai/h23/top.htm

View of the building 137 minutes after ignition, when the fire had
spread to the 1st and 2nd stores■ Japanʼs first hydrogen supply open experiment using a common duct
Building Department, Environment and Equipment Standards Division
A hydrogen supply experiment using a common duct wasconducted publicly in Tsukuba City, and a hydrogen society will
be realized in the near future. Phenomena such as power failures
which can occur were verified.
The Building Department of the National Institute for Land andInfrastructure Management, in cooperation with Tsukuba City,
conducted an open experiment: operating a fuel cell by supplying
it with hydrogen through a pipe laid in a common duct owned by
Tsukuba City.
Fuel cells using City Gas have been introduced under the brandname Ene-Farm, but the fuel cell used for this experiment is called
PEFC (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell), and directly generates powerusing hydrogen gas.
Reusable energies such as solar electric power and wind electric
power cannot be declared to be stable energy sources, because theyquantities of power they generate fluctuate according to the weather,
but this PEFC used for this experiment can follow the quantity
generated and electric power demand by a building extremely well,so it can generate only the required quantity according to the power

Coveredwith a panel

Panelrestored

Quantityof powergenerated
W500

6400

5300

Flow rateℓ/min.

4
Quantity of power generated by thefuel cell
Flow rate of hydrogen on supply side

200
161

121

3Seconds

Electric power generated and hydrogen consumed by a fuel cell
following photovoltaic cell power generation1

generated by photovoltaic cells, which are governed by changing
weather conditions.
In order to introduce this PEFC to buildings, hydrogen mustbe supplied through pipelines, but in order to transport hydrogenthrough pipelines in urban regions, it is impossible to avoid laying
pipes in common ducts.
This experiment was carried out as part of research to obtainbasic data to be used to verify the basic technologies needed toensure safety in common ducts and to calculate the cost, and thereby
realize an energy system combining reusable energies and PEFC in
the near future.
• Web site of the Environment and Equipment Standards Division
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/heg/index.htm■ A New Guideline for the Creation of Safe and Comfortable Bicycle Use Environments
Road Department, Traffic Engineering Division
Advanced Road Design and Safety Division
In November 2012, the Road Bureau of the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Traffic Bureau of
the National Police Agency issued the Guideline to the Creationof Safe and Comfortable Bicycle Use Environments (below calledthe “Guideline”) to road managers (government managed roads,regional governments) and to prefectural police bureaus.
The Guideline was prepared jointly by the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the National Police
Agency based on the results of surveys and research by theNational Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management topresent concepts to guide the creation of bicycle use environment
undertaken throughout Japan in the future.
The basic concept of the Guideline is that under the Road Traffic
Law, “a bicycle is a vehicle, which in principle, travels on roads.”
Thus the Guideline shows items to be studied concerning theprovision of road space permitting bicycles to travel safely andcomfortably on roads.
The Guideline consists of Planning, Design, Obeying Rules,and Overall Initiatives. Planning describes procedures and study
methods to be applied by regional authorities to enact bicycle
network plans. And it also shows the concepts and yardsticks tobe applied to select a form of improvement according to traffic
conditions of network routes chosen by the plan.

And Design presents concepts of design of bicycle travelingspace on roads including intersections. Obeying Rules widely
disseminates knowledge of the rules, provides incentives to comply
with the rules, and presents guidance and enforcement. And Overall
Initiatives presents parked car and parked bicycle countermeasureefforts and examples of countermeasure to promote the use ofbicycles.
We are counting on road managers referring to the Guideline tocreate and improve bicycle use environments throughout Japan.
And the Guideline will be sequentially revised in response totechnical knowledge obtained in the future and to revisions of legal
standards etc., and the National Institute for Land and InfrastructureManagement will also conduct technical studies based on its
application in regions throughout Japan.
From January 2013, briefing sessions were held in successionin 10 blocks to explain the Guideline to road managers and toprefectural police bureaus.
To refer to the Guideline, access the following URL.
• Web site of the Road Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism
http://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/road01_hh_000300.html(Japanese only)

Design example [1]Traveling on the road
along with anautomobile turning left.

Until this point, bicycle lane(a zone exclusively for use by bicycles)

Road surface markings showing position abicycle is traveling in the intersection

Design example [2]Bicycle lane is connected to the intersection andis separated from the automobile turning left.

Figure. Examples of Design of Bicycle Traveling Space at a Four-leg Intersection2

■ Development of Life Cycle Environmental Assessment Methodology for Infrastructures- Prospect of Infrastructures LCA –Environment Department, Road Environment Division
In order to achieve a low carbon construction industry by using
infrastructure life cycle assessments (LCA), a system to widely
disseminate awareness of LCA and to use the results of LCA isnecessary.
In order to achieve a low carbon construction industry in Japanby using infrastructure LCA, it is necessary to introduce systems towidely disseminate awareness of LCA and to provide motivation
for the reflection of the LCA evaluation results in design andconstruction.
The National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management
has conducted the NILIM Project, “Research on the Practical
Application of Infrastructure LCA (2011-2012)”, and in orderto improve the usability of LCA, it conducts research on thedissemination of awareness of LCA and the introduction of LCA.
One of the products of its research on dissemination of awarenesswas the preparation of “the Handbook on the Calculation of Carbon
Dioxide Emissions through the Life Cycle of Infrastructure”, which
was intended to make it possible to easily perform LCA calculations.
In addition, on January 29, 2013, a symposium, Infrastructure LCA
Technology to Realize a Sustainable Green Society, was held (seePhoto). Many people attended, and scholars, people representing
industrial groups and administrative officers gave speeches about
initiatives using LCA to reduce carbon emissions.

Greeting byDirector General
KazusaView of the Symposium

As research on the introduction of LCA systems, the Committee
to Study the Integration of Sustainability Indices formed by theJapan Society of Civil Engineers studied present challenges
hampering the introduction of the LCA system in the future andmethods of responding to the challenges.
The use of Green Purchasing Goods designations and the additionof new NETIS application items etc. are considered as ways tointroduce infrastructure LCA while using the existing framework.
The NILIM will continue research in order to realize a low carbon
construction industry by applying infrastructure LCA.
• Infrastructure Life Cycle Assessment web site
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/dcg/lca/top.htm■ The 13th Tokyo Bay Symposium
Coastal, Marine and Disaster Prevention Department, Marine Environment Division
On November 22, 2012, the 13th Tokyo Bay Symposium washeld in the KFC Hall, Ryogoku, Tokyo.
At this symposium, attended by approximately 200 participants,topics on the theme, “Succession to our Wish for the Restoration ofTokyo Bay”, were presented and discussed by the panel. A broad
range of topics were presented from a variety of perspectives: policy
promotion, environmental conservation, fisheries, monitoring,people, and living things.
The panel discussion was a debate on the best way to restore Tokyo
Bay. All present unanimously approved of the following summationof the symposium. “To restore Tokyo Bay, we must joyfully aim tointegrate ancient wisdom backed up by scientific knowledge, andlooking forward to more broadly reflecting achievements, gain anunderstanding of differences between multiple answers and valuesof end users in order that easily understand symbols and approaches
are visible from the perspectives of others, and having done so, led
by members of regional governments, continually, step-by-step, andcomprehensively obtain results not only by creating the new but
without forgetting conservation. And a dynamic place where this canbe experienced to make this visible is necessary.
The report on the symposium is publicly available at thefollowing site.

Photographs Taken at the 13th Tokyo Bay Symposium• Web site of the 13th Tokyo Bay Symposium
http://www.meic.go.jp/tokyo2012/3

● Schedule of Principal Events
Scheduled Dates
February 25
March 07
March 12
March 19

Event Name
7th National Conference on the Restoration of the Sea
River Structure Management Research Seminar
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bbg/kouenkai/index.html

Workshop on Flood Control Policies Adapted to Climate Change
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bbg/kouenkai/index.html

Report on the Great East Japan Earthquake

http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bbg/saigai/h23tohoku/index.html● Publications (Research Achievements) (November 2012 to January 2013)Download from here: * http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bcg/siryou/index.htm
PROJECT RESEARCH REPORT of NILIM
No.
39

Title of Paper
Research on the Conservation of Northwest Pacific Marine Environments

Project Leaders
Director of Water Quality Control
Department(FY2008-2009)
Research Coordinator for Water
Quality Control(FY2010)

TECHNICAL NOTE of NILIM
No.

Title of Paper

Names of Divisions

674 Report on Field Surveys and Subsequent Investigations of Building Damage
Following the 2011 oﬀ the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake

Building Department,
Housing Department,
Urban Planning Department,
Research Center for Land andConstruction Management

693 Annual Report of Basic Data on Road Structures In FY 2011

Bridge and Structures Division

694 An Analysis on the Impact of Low Cost Carriers(LCC) Entry into the Domestic
Aviation Services in Japan: A Simulation Based on Bertrand Nash Equilibrium

Airport Planning Division

695 Case Studies of Crisis Management in the World and Lessons learnt to theJapanese ports

Disaster and Emergency
Management Division

696 A calculation of the parameters for planning of the width of fairway for verylarge vessels

Port Planning Division

697 Analysis of the Withdrawal/Existence of Domestic Air Routes in JapanAirport Planning Division

698 Research of Potential Establishment on the New Air Route by LCC orDownsizing of AircraftInternational Maritime Policy
Analyst699 Report of the Lecture Meeting of NILIM(2012)

Planning Division● We provide you with research information.
・2012 Annual Report of NILIM
This web site introduces NILIM activities throughout the year, including research activities and achievements,
future initiatives, etc.
Go to this web site: * http://www.nilim.go.jp/english/annual/annual2012/ar2012e.html

National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Asahi 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0804, Japan(Tachihara) Tachihara 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0802, Japan(Yokosuka) Nagase 3-1-1, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 239-0826, JapanWinter 2013
TEL:+81-29-864-2754 FAX:+81-29-864-4322
http://www.nilim.go.jp/english/eindex.htm
Edited and Published by National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management

No.43

国 総 研 ニ ューズ レ ター

NILIM News Letter