JSCE Newsletter No.8, September 2002

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Newsletter
No. 8 September 2002

Interview with President KISHIJSCE President Kiyoshi KISHI
I feel that the reputation of the civilengineering industry is deteriorating in Japan overthe last decade. A mere 20% to 30% of the entire
picture is blown out of proportion to highlightnegative aspects that are extracted and reported
through the media as though they represent thewhole. This serves to ingrain a negative image ofthe civil engineering industry in the minds of theuninformed public, students, and children. I takethis as a challenge which I must overcome, andhope to do so by creating a system that will make itpossible for us to convey the importance ofadequate provision of social capital to the public,
as well as an accurate picture of reality as it stands
for the civil engineering profession.
Although much misguided information ispassed along to the public by the media, we cannot,
on the other hand, deny the fact that efforts on partof the civil engineering community to provide
sufficient explanations were inadequate. Recently,
muchemphasis
isbeingplacedon“accountability,” but the term is not limited to theduty to provide explanations. It represents theresponsibility to provide convincing andsatisfactory explanations. This requires effort, aswell as technique.
Over the last few years, JSCE has
persevered in its efforts to become a more open
society to the public in various ways. It has, in
Also available on web: www.jsce.or.jp

some ways, achieved that goal. Nevertheless, wemust find means to further promote that goal. This
is why an avenue for interactive communication
becomes important.
The idea of the “two-way communicationscheme” is to provide simple, easy-to-understandanswers to the public. For example, JSCE can use
its website to introduce its views and comments tothe public and respond to any opinions or inquiries
received through the website. Explanations using
simple and easy-to-understand terms and logic to
the public require skill. Skilled personnel areindispensable to the success of this scheme, andtherefore may take some time before the scheme
could be realized.
The role of the civil engineeringcommunity is to provide the country with socialcapital, which is crucial to any country. A disdain
or denial of such important factors is simply notplausible. Not all projects are destined to fulfil
their initially anticipated objectives, or measure up
to primary expectations. Nevertheless, there arestill many projects that have dutifully realized theirfunctions, and JSCE must strive to emphasize these
positive aspects, which tend to be taken for granted.
Every project has its functions, and thecivil engineering community must adequately
convey the purpose and the necessity of theseprojects. Disaster measures are much required inthis country, and highways, railroads and airports
are still insufficient. There will always be various
tasks for the civil engineering industry for as longas there are necessities to be taken care of.
Profile:Dr. Kiyoshi KISHI was appointed the 90th JSCE
President on May 31, 2002. Since joining Tokyo
Electric Power Company in 1960, he has longengaged in various research projects regarding
active faults, geological and geotechnicalengineering to study earthquake-resistancemeasures for nuclear power plants. He is now aleading figure in this field.

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JSCE Newsletter No.8, September 2002

New Agreements of Cooperation
The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers(Honorary Secretary), Ir. Kok Hee Poh (ExecutiveSecretary) and Ir. Chee Meng Sang (CouncilMember) from the IEM side, and Mr. Yoshihiro
Kakishita (First Secretary at the Japanese Embassy,JSCE Member) and Dr. Yoshitaka Yoshida (JICA
Expert on Bridge Engineering at Public Works
Department of Malaysia, JSCE Member) fromJSCE.
We are looking forward to joining hands
to tackle issues of common concerns, including
environmental problems, where IEM has a keeninterest.

The Mongolian Association of Civil
Engineers
Profr. Fujino (left) shaking hands withDr.Chow (right)

We concluded our 20th Agreement ofCooperation with The Hong Kong Institution ofEngineers on May 30, 2002. The Signing
Ceremony was held at HKIE Headquarters in Hong
Kong, where Prof. Fujino (University of Tokyo),
Secretary General of the JSCE International
Activities Committee and Mr. Kumagai ofInternational Affairs Section took part as JSCE
representatives, and Mr. Tsutomu Osawa, Acting
Consul General at The Consulate General of Japanin Hong Kong also took part to witness the signing.
Exchanges among engineers in Hong
Kong and Japan are expected to further increase in
the future, and mutual ties shall grow even stronger
not only within the context of the APEC
framework, but in terms of education andqualification systems as well.

The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia

Dr. Ganzorig (left) and Mr. Shimazu (right)

Mr. Akiomi Shimazu (JSCE Fellow) ofCentral Consultant Inc. visited the Headquarters ofMongolian Association of Civil Engineers(MACE) located in Ulaanbaaatar in June to deliverJSCE’s 21st Agreement of Cooperation. MACE
President Dr. Erdene Ganzorig, Executive Director
Mr. Baasankhuu Gantumur, and 6 other membersof the MACE Executive Committee were present at
the signing ceremony held on June 20.
President Ganzorig expressed MACE’sdesire to actively absorb technologies from abroad,especially those related to quake-resistantengineering in Japan. Mr. Shimazu stated that thisAgreement established between MACE and JSCE
would surly be beneficial to both.

2002 JSCE Award Winners

Dr. Yoshida (left) and Ir. Onn (right)

On June 5, representatives of JSCE werereceived at the Headquarters of The Institution ofEngineers, Malaysia (IEM) to deliver theAgreement of Cooperation signed between JSCEand IEM. Participants include Ir. Lee Weng Onn
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The 2002 JSCE Awards were presented at
the 88th JSCE General Assembly held on May 31,
2002. The winners of the following awards arelisted
intheJSCE
Englishwebsite(http://www.jsce.or.jp):- International Awards- Continuing International Contribution Award- Tanaka Award- Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement
Award (includes technical reports)

Also available on web: www.jsce.or.jp

JSCE Newsletter No.8, September 2002Assisting the Reconstruction ofAfghanistan

Map of Afghanistan(Courtesy of The General Libraries,
The University of Texas at Austin)
JSCE began deliberations in the newly
established “deliberative meeting” (Chair: Prof.
NISHINO Fumio, National Graduate Institute for
Policy Studies) on how to shape the reconstructionof Afghanistan. JSCE is an NGO which iscomposed of approximately 35,000 civil engineers
and researchers. It supported Japan’s post war
reconstruction and national land development, anddispatches investigation teams both domesticallyand abroad for such disasters as the Kobe
Earthquake to actively contribute to thedevelopment of restoration and reconstructionplans. Based on these experiences, JSCE will
cooperate with the Afghanistan Academia to workout a reconstruction plan for Afghanistan, aiming
to take part in the formulation of a “Vision for the
Reconstruction of Afghanistan” which is to be put
together through joint efforts by the Afghanistan
Government and the international community.
Although the concept and vision of Afghanistan’sreconstruction ought to be determined by thepeople of Afghanistan themselves, since Japan isone of the few countries to experience post-war
reconstruction, and because Afghanistan and Japanare both part of Asia, Japan’s active participation isanticipated.
JSCE organized a “meeting”
consisting of such experts in national development
planning, regional development and infrastructuredevelopment. In addition to discussing measuresfrom a professional standpoint, these experts will
also dispatch an investigation team to Afghanistan
at the earliest possible to prepare for a wide-ranged
opinion exchange with the Afghanistan
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Government
andrelated
countries
andorganizations. UN-HABITAT Fukuoka Officeprovides various data and will be in charge ofcommunicating and coordinating with those on thescene.
After two decades of conflict, the land of
Afghanistan is left on the brink of devastation.
Recent surveys show that the destruction of bridges
and tunnels, severed road networks, andgroundwater pollution are among the most serious
problems.
The International Conference on
Reconstruction
AssistancetoAfghanistan
confirmed that priority would be placed on
education, health and infrastructure development,
which are the key areas of reconstruction.
Participating countries pledged a total of $4.5
billion for Afghan’s reconstruction, and thecountries and international organizations arecurrently seeking specific assistance measures.
Since it must cover multiple fields and extend overa number of regions, and since the assisting bodies
consist of various countries and organizations,careful consideration must be given so that theoverall aid will not become inconsistent orinefficient. For that purpose, it is essential that abasic concept and vision be drawn up immediately
and be shared by the Afghanistan Government, thepeople of Afghanistan, and by all assisting bodies.
Accordingly, the deliberations of JSCE will not bebased on individual projects, but rather aim toward
establishing a bright vision, one that symbolizes
the reconciliation of the Afghan people, and onethat can serve as an objective for the Afghanpeople in its reconstruction.

”Civil Engineering, JSCE” on theWeb
From October 2002, “Civil Engineering, JSCE”
will become an electronic publication on the JSCE
website! October articles include:
1. Transition of City Planning, by Prof. TSUKIO
Yoshio (Tokyo Univ.)
2. The Government Policy to Centralize Offices
and Residences in the City Center, by Dr.
HATTA Tatsuo (Tokyo Univ.)
3. Town Planning or District Planning under the
Decentralization Policy – Experiencing the PostDisaster Town Planning, by Mr. KATAYAMAYoshihiro (Governor, Tottori Prefecture)
4. Can We Save the World from a Water Crisis?,by Prof. TAKEICHI Kuniyoshi (YamanashiUniv.)
5. Worldwide Water Conflicts, by Prof.
NAKAYAMA Mikihiro (Tokyo Univ. ofAgriculture & Technology)
6. Round-table Discussion on “Actions We MustTake”, Assoc. Prof. OKI Taikan (Tokyo Univ.)
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JSCE Newsletter No.8, September 2002

Momentous Experience inReceiving the JSCE Thesis Award

Dr. Walter O. Oyawa

I attended the 88th JSCE General Meeting on
31 May 2002 in Tokyo to receive the best
Technical Paper (Thesis) Award (StructuralEngineering Division) for year 2001.
MyProfessors and I were awarded medals andcertificates signed by the president of JSCE. The
paper was titled “Effects of Multi-Directional
Displacement Paths on the Cyclic Behaviour of
Rectangular Hollow Steel Columns,” motivated by
the 1995 Hanshin Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake thatkilled about 5,500 people and resulted in
unprecedented severe destruction to infrastructureamounting to an economic loss of about US$ 100billion. By employing state-of-the-art multidirectional testing system, the study simulated thepossible causes of the severe damage, and provided
likely means of assessing and mitigating the effectsof such high intensity earthquakes in the future. It
was a unique and momentous experience to receive
such a prestigious award. I learned that this wasperhaps the first time such an award had been
given to a paper written in English, and first time toan African. I am most grateful to Prof. Eiichi
Watanabe and Assoc. Prof. Kunitomo Sugiura ofKyoto University for their tireless guidance, andfor placing highly advanced equipment/machineryat my disposal to contribute to this success.
My current research is related to thedevelopment of local materials for the constructionof low-cost infrastructure in African countries andis funded by African Institute for Capacity
Development (AICAD) through JICA. I also wish
to express my deep gratitude to the administrationof JKUAT.
Dr. Walter Odhiambo Oyawa,
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture andTechnology (JKUAT)

4Publications
ARTICLES (From February to August 2002)
Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures
2002 (In Japanese)- Structural Performance Verification,
JSCE, March 2002, 257 pages, Price: ¥5,040(US$58.00), ISBN4- 8106-0241-9- Materials and Construction,JSCE, March 2002, 380 pages, Price: ¥5,460(US$62.00), ISBN4- 8106-0242-7- Paving,JSCE, March 2002, 212 pages, Price: ¥5,040(US$58.00), ISBN4- 8106-0245-1- Dam Concrete,
JSCE, March 2002, 65 pages, Price: ¥3,780(US$46.00), ISBN4- 8106-0246-X- Test Methods and Specifications,
JSCE, March 2002, 271+471 pages, Price:¥6,510 (US$80.00), ISBN4- 8106-0249-4
Recommendations for Erection Design andConstruction of Steel Structures 2001 (In Japanese),JSCE, March 2002, 242 pages, Price: ¥5,775(US$65.00), ISBN4-8106-0254-0
Structural Engineering/Earthquake Engineering
Vol.19 No.1,JSCE, May 2002, 638 pages, Price: ¥2,039(US$27.00), ISSN 0289-8063
Journal of Hydroscience and HydraulicEngineering Vol.20 No.1,
JSCE, May 2002, 186 pages, Price: ¥3,150(US$41.00), ISSN 0912-2508
Concrete Library International No.39,
JSCE, June 2002, CD-ROM
Price: ¥3,150 (US$41.00), ISSN 1347-2119
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