2020. 9. 1

Japan Society of Civil Engineers
International Activities Center

IAC News No.95
Plaque Presented to Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of
the Construction of the World’s Oldest Active Road Suspension
Bridge in the U.K.
- Collaboration between the Society of Civil Engineers in Japan, theU.K., and the U.S. regarding Valuing Civil Engineering Heritage The Union Suspension Bridge, which is the world's oldest
active road suspension bridge connecting the borders ofScotland and England in the United Kingdom, celebrated its
200th anniversary on Sunday, July 26, 2020, and an informal
ceremony was held at the bridge to commemorate this fact.
Originally, along with the bridge supervisors and local
officials, it was planned that participants from the civilengineering societies of Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. would
attend, and an International Historical Civil Engineering
Landmark (IHCEL) plaque of the American Society of Civil
Engineers (ASCE) would be presented as well as acommemorative symposium held to mark the anniversary.

The Union Suspension Bridge Marking Its 200thAnniversary (at 8:00 am on July 26, 2020) (photoprovided by Edward Cawthorn)
The banner says, ‘UNION BRIDGE BICENTENARY
1820 26th July 2020 The World’s Oldest RoadSuspension Bridge.

However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the scale of theevent was reduced and it was held with only local people inattendance. At the ceremony, a commemorative plaque waspresented to those in charge at Northumberland County
Council and the Scottish Borders Council by American Societyof Civil Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, and Japan
Socity of Civil Engineers. The ceremony on the day possessed
the meaning of commemorating the 200th anniversary of theconstruction as well as to mark the start of large-scale
restoration work on the bridge. With support from the CivilEngineering Heritage Assessment Committee in collaboration

The Presented International Historical CivilEngineering Landmark (IHCEL) Plaquewith the Society of Civil Engineers of the three countries, and funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund(NLHF), large-scale restoration work of the world's oldest road suspension bridge at a total cost of £10.5 million(about 1.4 billion yen) has started with the aim of completing the work in November 2021. The following articles
were reported about the 200th anniversary of the Union Suspension Bridge.
1www.sundaypost.com/fp/union-chain-bridge-oldest-traffic.
www.highwaycivilengineering.co.uk/200-years-young-union-chain

A Panoramic View from the Upstream Side and the Union Suspension Bridge View of Scotland from England【Reported by Hiroshi Isohata, Dr. Eng., IAC member, Vice Chair of the Committee of Conservation ofEngineering Heritage, JSCE, A former professor of Nihon University】

Japanese Civil Engineers the Global Leaders Symposium Series No.16- Lach Huyen International Port Construction Project in Vietnam On June 30, we held the said symposium in the 2nd floor auditorium of the JSCE Headquarters.
This project was planned and constructed by Japanese companies and it was the first time Official DevelopmentAssistance (ODA) undertook a public–private partnership (PPP) operation in the port sector. The project drewattention as an excellent example of overseas expansion in the port sector in terms of its scale and undertaking.
For these reasons, it received the Japan Society of Civil Engineers’ Technology Award for this fiscal year.
After the symposium was kicked off by Mr. Makio Shichijo, Acting Director of the International Activities
Center, Mr. Yoshimoto Koyanagi (JICA) introduced the background to the project, such as the demand forcontainers in the northern part of Vietnam, and Mr. Ti Ha (Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.) gave a talk on the outline ofthe plan. After a break in proceedings, Mr. Yoshihiro Kuwabara (Penta-Ocean Construction Co., Ltd.), Mr. KanIzawa (Toyo Construction Co., Ltd.), and Mr. Daisuke Matsukuma (TOA Corporation) presented an outline ofthe construction project and issues in implementing the project in Vietnam due to being Japanese companies.
Furthermore, Mr. Takanori Hida (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.) announced the outline of the PPP operations, which
is a feature of this project. Finally, Mr. Masatoki Nakanishi, General Manager of Oriental Consultants GlobalCo., Ltd., presented the challenges of human resource development in overseas projects, and Mr. Yoshiaki
Higuchi, Deputy Director of the International Activities Center, gave a round up of the day’s events.
On this occasion, as part of measures against COVID-19, the symposium was carried out entirely online. Initially,
we had considered holding the symposium on a small scale or even postponing it, but given that the project
received the Japan Society of Civil Engineers’ Technology Award and attracted the attention of many people, wedecided to hold the symposium online in consideration of the well-being of all attendees.
2As a result of holding the symposium online, there were 123 attendees, and I realized that we can expect anincrease in the number of attendees of the event (a maximum of 181 views were recorded on the day) and that it
is possible to participate from a remote location regardless of whether the speakers or audience members are in
Japan or overseas. Mr. Kuwabara of Penta-Ocean Construction Co., Ltd. and Mr. Matsukuma of TOA
Corporation gave a lecture while remaining put in Vietnam because it was difficult for them to return home toJapan.
On the other hand, I could see the challenges of hosting the event online, such as the fact that the speaker had
little sense of it being a live event and it was not possible to see the audience’s reaction, and the Q&A required
some innovation for it to work. That being said, however, on the day, there were no unexpected problems, andeven after looking at the questionnaire after the event, I think that it went quite smoothly.
Before the event, many technical issues such as setting lighting, checking sound, ZOOM-related settings, PCinstallation, etc. were solved by the International Activities Center staff, and the speakers cooperated to carryout two rehearsals. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gave their all to making it possible
to hold the event online without a hitch. I would also like to thank everyone who participated online. As a result,it seems that it was the first sympsium of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, International Activities Center tobe held completely online.
At this current point in time, the number of people infected with COVID-19 is on the rise again following thestate of emergency declaration. In the future, as explained by Executive Officer Dr. Yukihiro Tsukada in theclosing address, there may be more hybrid forms of events that combine both attendance online as well as inperson. While giving consideration to the concept of ‘Coexist with COVID-19’, we would like to inform you allabout what it is like for Japanese civil engineers working across the globe.
【Reported by Masaru Suzuki, Leader, Project Group, IAC】

Earthquake Engineering Committee
Recent Activities and Future Works
The “Seismic Engineering Committee” was first established in 1955 to carry out
investigation and research related to seismic design issues. In 1996, it was reorganized as
the "Earthquake Engineering Committee,” integrated with relevant research fields such as
seismology, structural engineering, and geotechnical engineering. The primary mission of
the committee is to undertake research activities related to earthquake engineering with theaim of realizing a safe society against earthquakes. As of July 2020, five permanent
subcommittees and thirteen research subcommittees are active to carry out the missions, Prof. Kimiro Meguro
including investigation of fundamental earthquake engineering issues and seismicstandards, transmission of information regarding earthquake disasters, collection anddissemination of records and reconnaissance reports on major earthquake events, andsurvey of current research activities in Japan and overseas.
3（The Chair of theEarthquake EngineeringCommittee）

Furthermore, the committee has been disseminating the knowledge gained through the aforementioned activities,
to promote cooperation with academic societies in Japan and overseas. For example, based on continued
information exchange through joint workshop series and other activities in the past years, the committeeorganized a session and invited four experienced engineers and researchers from overseas (Korea, Turkey, USA,Chile) in the 8th Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region "Resilient Infrastructures in Seamless Asia"(CECAR8) held in Tokyo in April 2019. The participants engaged in discussion on the agenda such as ISO
design code/standards and resilience against natural hazard with researchers and engineers from industry,
government and academia in Asia. On the previous day of the organized session, a special workshop was alsoorganized by the committee to have a discussion between the invited researchers and the committee memberson the current seismic standards, inherent problems, and their future directions. Through these activities, thecommittee aims to facilitate to establish international network, thereby promoting the internationalization anddissemination of Japanese seismic design.
In recent years, our community has been exposed to multiple complex hazards including seismic disaster, floods
and so on. In order to overcome such difficulties, cross-cutting efforts that are not confined to conventional
academic and technical fields are indispensable. Based on this vision, the Earthquake Engineering Committee
has taken an initiative to establish a new research division in the Japanese Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) as
a fundamental platform for cooperating with relevant committees. In a near future, this new division shallpromote cross-disciplinary research and education in cooperation with the members to cope with various issues
raised by the society.
The 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (17WCEE), which was postponed due to ongoing
concerns of COVID-19, is scheduled to be held in Sendai, Japan in 2021, welcoming many researchers andengineers from all over the world. The Earthquake Engineering Committee will continue every effort to prepare
toward a successful conference and enhance the presence of the Japanese seismic engineering community.
【Reported by Prof. Kimiro Meguro, The Chair of the Earthquake Engineering Committee】

First Shield Machine Type Underground Tunnel
Connection Work in Taiwan(Taipower: Work on Dalin-Gaogang Cable Tunnel Construction Zone No. 2)
In Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, of the 12 km extension work to construct an electric power trunkline linking the ultra-high voltage/high voltage substations undertaken by Taiwan Power
Company, we will construct a shield tunnel with an extension of 7 km (outer diameter φ6,250mm, 3 shield machines), 2 vertical shafts (caisson press-fitting), 2 intermediate manholes,and a line 12 km in total for auxiliary electrical equipment.
The features of this construction are that it is the first time the (1) equally divided one-pass

Takashi Mitsui

segment and (2) mechanical underground tunnel connection method will be used in Taiwan. (Kajima Corporation）
All three shield machines are of a mud pressure type, and as machines No. 3 and No. 4 are a4

sediment pumping system and machine No. 5 supports complex earth, it was the first time a mud circulation
system (also known as a mud and muddy water system) was adopted in Taiwan.

Geological Profile & Ground Plan Connection with Machines No.
5 & No. 4

Geologically, shield No. 3 was for the layer of fine silty sand, shield No. 4 was for the mudstone layer, and shield
No. 5, with the exception of the excavation of the clay layer in some sections, was for excavation of thecobblestone gravel layer. As the bedrock strength and maximum gravel diameter vary greatly from shield toshield, we had to design and construct a shield machine and various equipment that could meet these conditions.
Especially for machine No. 5, because the shield-passing soil layer contained a large amount of quartz powder,
the screw conveyor was worn and damaged when the excavation reached about 1000 m, and thus the screw andmantle were replaced. For this reason, machine No. 4 was extended by 300 m longer than planned to minimize
process-related losses in excavation. Also, during the underground tunnel connection work, the freezing tubebuilt into the skin plate at the tip of machine No. 5 was damaged due to wear to the skin plate, and so chemicalsolution infusion was also used before successfully completing the first mechanical underground tunnel
connection in Taiwan. Although it had a complex linear shape, the connection was made with an accuracy of 19
mm horizontally and 9 mm vertically. Executives from both Taiwan Power Company and the contractors
attended the Underground Tunnel Connection Penetration Ceremony to mark the first mechanical undergroundconnection in Taiwan.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all organizations and personnel involved in this project,including Taiwan Power Company, for their guidance and support in completing this construction.

Company Executives Observe Tunnel No. 5【Reported by Takashi Mitsui (Kajima Corporation)】
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The “Talking about 'working in the field of civilengineering in Japan' from various perspectives” （1/3）
The “Talking about 'working in the field of civil engineering in Japan' from various perspectives” feature fromthe November 2019 issue of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers Magazine brought together civil engineers andresearchers from overseas that work in Japan to talk about the topic of working in Japan. The feature sees those
involved talk about their own experiences while discussing the Japanese civil engineering industry from each of
their perspectives, initiatives to make it more international, and what is necessary going forward for those taking
on individuals from overseas. The contents of this feature will be introduced over three parts by IAC News.
The first installment will introduce the participants and why they chose to work in Japan. We will then turn ourattention to anecdotes and views from the participants on topics such as their experience and skills gained throughworking in Japan, characteristics of Japanese companies, and education and support for foreign engineers.
【Discussion Members】
Mr. Sanghun Lee
Regular member of Japan Society of Civil Engineers; Professor in the Faculty of Engineeringat Tohoku Gakuin University
Mr. Lee is originally from South Korea. He graduated Kyungpook National University in 1987.
He worked at a civil engineering design company in South Korea until starting his master's
degree at Nagoya University in 1999. Mr. Lee completed his doctoral course at Nagoya
University in 2004 (research on the structure and vibration of concrete), and then worked as
an assistant for one year. In 2005, he transferred to Tohoku Gakuin University as a lecturer, worked as an
associate professor, and assumed his current position in April 2013.
Mr. Van Binh Luong
Toyo Engineering Corporation, Civil Engineering Department
Mr. Luong is originally from Vietnam. He joined Toyo Engineering Corporation in April 2008.
Mr. Luong belongs to the Civil and Architecture Engineering Division of Toyo Engineering
Corporation and is engaged in projects in Japan, the United States, Venezuela, Indonesia,
India and Brazil, and is in charge of civil engineering and architectural design of chemicalplants. Since 2016, he has been lead engineer overseeing Toyo Engineering Corporation’s civil engineering
technology.
Ms. Phuong Ha Nguyen
Regular member of Japan Society of Civil Engineers; Central Nippon Expressway Company
Limited, Fuji Preservation and Service Center (currently Hadano Construction Office)Ms. Nguyen is originally from Vietnam. She joined Central Nippon Expressway Company
Limited in 2017. Since the time Ms. Nguyen joined Central Nippon Expressway Company
Limited to the present day, she has been assigned to the Preservation and Planning Section ofthe Fuji Preservation and Service Center at the Tokyo Branch, and here she is engaged inpreservation management work as a job to ensure the safety of Japan’s main expressway routes in the form ofthe Tomei Expressway and Shin-Tomei Expressway 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
6Mr. Eakarat Witchukreangkrai
Regular member of Japan Society of Civil Engineers; Metropolitan Expressway Company
Limited, Technical Consulting Department, Overseas Business Promotion Section
Mr. Witchukreangkrai is originally from Thailand. He came to Japan in 1998 and has 8 yearsof experience researching bridges at Saitama University and 5 years as a bridge design andconstruction engineer at a major general contractor. Mr. Witchukreangkrai joined MetropolitanExpressway Company Limited in 2011, and is currently engaged in contributing to the international communityand offering domestic and overseas technical consulting services (particularly in Thailand). He is involved inplanning site visits from overseas and local seminars.
■ Reasons for Choosing Japan as a Place to Work
Lee: For me, the main reason for choosing Japan is the high level of civil engineering technology here and thecomfortable living environment due to Japan’s logical social system. When I first came here, Japan's civilengineering technology was the best in the world right up there with the United States, etc.
Binh: I was attracted by the high level of the technology here. Japanese civil engineering technology has always
been a world-leader, and they were able to quickly solve various challenges that they have been facing. It was anatural progression for me to think about working in Japan because I had studied in Japanese up to graduate
school and my network of friends and so on had expanded during the 6 years I had studied abroad.
Ha: Vietnam has a lot of infrastructure built by Japanese companies. I naturally began to hold Japan in highesteem, and so I wanted to find a job in Japan and learn about the country’s advanced technology.
Eakarat: At first I wasn't interested in Japan. When I was in my third year of university, a friend of mineencouraged me to take an examination for studying abroad and I passed it. It was then on the advice of myacademic advisor at the time that I decided to study abroad. After coming to Japan, my values changed.
The main reasons why those engineers and researchers from overseas study abroad in Japan and find employment
here is probably down to the ‘high level of civil engineering in Japan’ and ‘having a strong interest in Japaneseculture’. Since they joined universities and companies, they have been advancing their professional careers aswell as gaining experiences in and outside their schools and companies. It is useful to learn about their views
and opinions which they have gained after they came to Japan. The next installments introduce their furtherdiscussions.

Updates◆2020 JSCE Annual Meeting Online
http://www.jsce.or.jp/taikai2020/◆The 2020 International Conference on Sustainable and Innovative Infrastructure (ICSII 2020)
https://www.icsii.net/◆ASCE Lifelines Conference 2021
https://samueli.ucla.edu/lifelines2021◆The Second International Conference on Press-in Engineering (ICPE) 2021, Kochi: https://icpe-ipa.org/
7◆jhappy - JICA’s Grant Aid Cooperation Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhappy20161110/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jhappy_official◆The International Infrastructure Archives– A Compilation of Japan’s Greatest Projects in Transfer of Civil
Engineering Technology in Service –http://www.jsce.or.jp/e/archive/◆IAC “News Pick Up!!” on the JSCE Japanese website
http://committees.jsce.or.jp/kokusai/iac_dayori_2020◆Summary of featured articles in JSCE Magazine Vol. 105, No.9,
September 2020
http://www.jsce-int.org/pub/magazine

Spanning the Centuries
It is published in commemoration of the 200th
anniversary of Union Chain Bridge.

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Comments and Questions
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