Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams:
Promoting Innovation in Regional Infrastructure Maintenance

Compiled by:
SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams
Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP)- Infrastructure Maintenance, Renovation and Management -Issued by:
Subcommittee on Promoting Regional Implementation of New Technologies
SIP Infrastructure Program Coordination Committee
Organization for Promotion of Civil Engineering Technology, JSCEReport of SIP Infrastructure Regional
Implementation Support Teams:

Promoting Innovation in Regional Infrastructure
MaintenanceForeword

Yozo FUJINODistinguished Professor, Yokohama National University
SIP Infrastructure Program Director (PD)The Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP),
led by the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI) of the Cabinet Office, was begun in FY
2014 as a five-year plan to address ten challenges.
Infrastructure maintenance, renovation and management technology (referred to below as the SIP Infrastructure Program) was selected as one of these areas,
and I have served as its program director (PD) fromthe start. I am very happy to be able to issue thisreport on the activities of the regional implementation
support teams, which began in FY 2016, the third yearof the SIP Infrastructure Program. I would like toexpress my sincere gratitude to everyone who has participated in the activities of the regional implementation support teams, including the persons who havewritten papers for this repor t. To Dr. Keitetsu
ROKUGO, who has worked very hard on its compilation, I would like to extend special thanks.
A portion of the SIP Infrastructure Program wasdirectly administered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, but for the majorityof the program, R&D topics were submitted in
response to a public invitation and selected after
reviewing presentations. The program was launchedwith a total of 60 topics. Compared to other areas of
SIP, this is a very large number, involving a wide
range of fields, and with participation from manysmall businesses and universities located outside theTokyo metropolitan area. Well over 1,000 researchersand engineers were involved, and nearly half of themcame from fields other than civil engineering, making
interdisciplinary collaboration possible. I believe that
this was the first infrastructure-related project to be
performed on such a large scale with participants fromsuch a wide variety of fields.
I am writing this foreword exactly four years after the
kickoff conference, which was held in December 2014
at the University of Tokyo, in Takeda Hall. At thattime, I called on all of the participants to develop the2

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

kinds of technologies and systems that they would
want to use, combining different fields from the basics
through to implementation in an interdisciplinary
approach, with the goal of achieving innovation. I still
feel the same way today, and I have continued torepeat this appeal.
Soon after the launch, along with the members of the
program promotion council, I began engaging inefforts to ensure results such as providing advice on
individual topics and locating partners to fill any gaps.
Each of the R&D teams has worked with dedication toachieve valuable results. The efforts devoted to thisproject have gradually grown into the form of usefultechnologies that that people will truly want to use.
The governing board of SIP, an organization under theCouncil for Science, Technology and Innovation(CSTI) ), is composed of experts and CSTI legislators.
This governing board (two meetings per year) has theimportant role of providing oversight of SIP, including
rigorous evaluation of all topics under SIP and determination of the annual budget. Ever since its firstmeeting, the governing board has always demanded
input on steps toward implementation and prospects ofimplementation, in addition to the results of R&D.
To be honest, my attitude toward implementation was
initially somewhat lax. I felt that these technologies
could be put to some use by the network of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, as
well as by highway corporations, which have solidgroups of engineers.
However, approximately 70% of road infrastructure ismanaged by local governments, which have institutionalized the use of close-up visual inspection inbridge and tunnel inspections, and I learned about avariety of pressing needs that they are facing. The
conservation of local infrastructure is of great importance in the sustainability of local communities, andthis is an extremely significant issue that will help todetermine the future of Japan. Sub-Program Director
Toshihiro WAKAHARA, along with Dr. Yusaku
OKADA, whom I invited to serve as sub-PD startingin the second year, proposed the concept of regional
implementation support teams as organizations thatwould be necessary to enable the SIP Infrastructure
Program to help ensure the soundness of infrastructure managed by local governments, thereby contributing to regional revitalization.
The actual users of technologies and systems developed under the SIP Infrastructure Program may
include private consultants and construction companies, but the work is generally contracted from government offices as the facility administrators, so it isessential to obtain the understanding of administrators. However, it is a reality that communication
between government and the private sector tends to bedifficult in a context of contractual relationships. We
anticipated that universities and public research institutions could play an important role in the regional
deployment of technologies developed under the SIPInfrastructure Program, because of their ability to act
as intermediaries to connect the public and private
sectors.
Regional implementation team applications were
solicited in FY 2016, and nine regional implementation support teams were adopted, ranging from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, as well as
one regional implementation strategy team. I am gladthat these teams included not only national universities, but also private universities. With the addition ofteams at the University of Tokyo and Kanazawa University, which were already playing a role in regional
representation, there are 12 regional implementation
support teams, forming a system that covers all ofJapan. The teams of Gifu University and Nagasaki
University, which have been involved in regional
infrastructure maintenance for many years, wereasked to play the role of compiling the overall report.
Some teams had no previous experience in such
involvement and needed guidance, including Ehime
University and Tottori University, and this guidingrole was played by Keitetsu ROKUGO (Gifu University) as representative and Hiroshi MATSUDA (Nagasaki University) as deputy representative of theregional implementation collaboration council of the
SIP Infrastructure Program. The newly minted teams
made rapid progress while learning from and exchanging information with the more experienced teams.
A large number of events of various kinds have been
held regionally, starting with seminars to introduce

the SIP Infrastructure Program itself, and including
regional lectures and demonstrations to let people
know about the developed technologies, including
drones to support bridge inspection, and actual applications of the developed technologies in the field. I am
glad that it was possible to involve local consultants
and construction companies, in addition to prefecturaland municipal governments, in holding these events.
Many persons from fields other than civil engineering
have performed R&D under the SIP Infrastructure
Program. We have received many comments fromthese persons to the effect that they were able to learna great deal by hearing from regional implementation
support teams about demonstration sites, trying out
their own technologies, and listening to a variety ofopinions from people who are involved in actual
maintenance operations.
I was born and raised in Tokyo, and I was constantly
surprised and impressed by the activities of theregional implementation support teams. I got the sensethat significant developments have begun in otherparts of the country, which previously found it difficult to make their voices heard by the Cabinet Officein far-off Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. It seems to me that
regional universities have gained a higher profile
through these kinds of activities.
This report covers various aspects of the activities ofregional implementation support teams, and I anticipate that it will provide a useful reference in future
activities for regional revitalization. It is my hope that
this report will be utilized in a variety of situations.
FY 2018 has been a year of numerous occurrences ofdamage in rural regions due to torrential rains, earthquakes, and the like. The question of how to improve
regional resilience is an important challenge for Japan
today. I believe that the approach of regional implementation support teams developed in the SIP Infrastructure Program is also effective with respect toresilience. I anticipate new developments in this regard
as well.
Last, I would like to conclude this foreword by
expressing my sincere appreciation to all those whohave worked with dedication to guide and support theactivities of the regional implementation support
teams in various respects, including the project promotion council members, JST fellows, and those atrelated organizations under the Cabinet Office, JST,and NEDO.
December 2018

Foreword

3

SIP Infrastructure Program Coordination Committee, JSCE
Advisors:Yozo Fujino (SIP Infrastructure Program Director (PD);Yokohama National University)
Taketo Uomoto (The University of Tokyo)
Kenji Sakata (Okayama University)
Chairman:
Tadayuki Tazaki (SIP Infrastructure Sub-Program Director (SPD); Japan Construction Machinery and Construction Association)
Secretaries:
Masato Abe* (Japan Science and Technology Agency)
Mitsuyasu Iwanami (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Yusaku Okada (SIP Infrastructure Sub-Program Director(SPD); Keio University)
Hiroshi Shigeno (Keio University)
Yasushi Nitta (Public Works Research Institute)
Yoshinobu Nobuta* (Japan Science and Technology
Agency)Toshihiro Wakahara (SIP Infrastructure Sub-Program
Director (SPD); Shimizu Corporation)
Yuji Wada* (Japan Science and Technology Agency)* RepresentativeMembers:
Kazumasa Ozawa (The University of Tokyo)
Tamotsu Kuroda (Tottori University)
Kazuyoshi Tateyama (Ritsumeikan University)
Hiroyuki Tezuka (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism)
Hiroshi Dobashi (Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd.)
Hikaru Nakamura (Nagoya University)
Kohei Nagai (The University of Tokyo)
Shinichiro Nozawa (East Japan Railway Company)
Hidenori Hamada (Kyusyu University)
Hiroshi Fukumori (Shimizu Corporation)
Koichi Maekawa (Yokohama National University)
Hiroshi Matsuda (Nagasaki University)
Kazuyuki Mizuguchi (East Nippon Expressway Company
Limited)Koji Miyatake (Cabinet Office)Nobuyoshi Yabuki (Osaka University)
Hiroshi Yokota (Hokkaido University)
Keitetsu Rokugo (Gifu University)
Observers:
Motofumi Watanabe (Cabinet Office)Atsushi Senda (Japan Science and Technology Agency)
Tatsuro Namai (New Energy and Industrial Technology
Development Organization)

Subcommittee on Promoting Regional Implementation of
New Technologies (FY 2018)
Chairman:Keitetsu Rokugo (Gifu University)
Vice chairmen:
Tamotsu Kuroda (Tottori University)
Kazuyuki Torii (Kanazawa University)
Hiroshi Matsuda (Nagasaki University)
Secretary general:
Shinichi Miyazato (Kanazawa Institute of Technology)
Secretaries:
Yusaku Okada (SIP Infrastructure Sub-Program Director(SPD); Keio University)
Hiroshi Shigeno (Keio University)
Yasushi Nitta (Public Works Research Institute)
Yoshinobu Nobuta (Japan Science and Technology
Agency)Toshihiro Wakahara (SIP Infrastructure Sub-Program
Director (SPD); Shimizu Corporation)
Yuji Wada (Japan Science and Technology Agency)

4

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Members:
Yosuke Inoue (Value Management Institute, Inc)
Toshiyuki Ishikawa (Kansai University)
Ken Ushijima (Hokkaido Research Organization)
Atsuomi Obayashi (Keio University)
Ko Kamata (Tohoku University)
Koji Kinoshita (Gifu University)
Tetsuhiro Shimozato (University of the Ryukyus)
Nobuhiro Chijiwa (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Pang-jo Chun (Ehime University)
Chie Nakagawa (Tohoku University)
Koichi Nakamura (Tottori University)
Kenichiro Nakarai (Hiroshima University)
Hideaki Hatano (Gifu University)
Kohei Yamaguchi (Nagasaki University)
Hiroshi Yokota (Hokkaido University)

Table of contents

Page

No.

Foreword

02

Yozo FUJINO (Yokohama National University, SIP Infrastructure Program Director (PD))

04

SIP Infrastructure Program Coordination Committee, JSCE
Subcommittee on Promoting Regional Implementation of New Technologies (FY 2018)05

Table of contents

08

How to find reports containing the information you need

12

A-1

Future vision for infrastructure maintenance: Innovation in inspection, monitoring, anddiagnostic technologies

14

A-2

How regional implementation activities can shape the future: Outlook on infrastructure
maintenanceTsukasa MIZUTANI (The University of Tokyo)
Toshihiro WAKAHARA (Shimizu Corporation)

Pang-jo CHUN (Ehime University)

Introducing technologies

17

A-3

Why is open innovation used in infrastructure maintenance?

Masato ABE (Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Executive Committee, Japanese Congress for Infrastructure
Maintenance)

20

A-4

Obstacles and measures when adopting new technologies for maintenance of infrastructure:
Based on a hearing survey

23

A-5

Scenarios for the introduction of new technologies in infrastructure maintenance by
local governments

Kenji YAJIMA (Dainichi Consultant Inc.)
Rina HASUIKE (Gifu University), Keitetsu ROKUGO (Gifu University)

Yosuke INOUE (Value Management Institute, Inc.)

27

A-6

Development of new technologies from a "seeds and needs" structural perspective:
Promoting innovation and implementation through management
Atsuomi OBAYASHI (Keio University)

30

A-7

Management of technical development from a "seeds and needs" perspective:
Challenges and recommendations

Technologies

Atsuomi OBAYASHI (Keio University)

33

A-8

34

A-9

38

B-1

Survey of the general public concerning SIPTakanori IDA (Kyoto University)
Toshifumi KURODA (Tokyo Keizai University)
Kenji HIRATA (University of Toyama)

Measures to promote adoption of technologies from an institutional and policy perspective
Yasushi TAKAMATSU (Hokkaido University)

Regionally easy-to-use technologies and implementation status

Yosuke INOUE (Value Management Institute, Inc.)

Table of contents

5

Page

No.

42

B-2

44

B-3

Correspondence of SIP development technologies to 26 types of damage under periodic
bridge inspection guidelines

Hiroshi MATSUDA (Nagasaki University)
Kohei YAMAGUCHI (Nagasaki University)

Technologies

Questionnaire result report on SIP technical lectures by the University of the Ryukyus

48

B-4

52

B-5

55

B-6

57

B-7

Kohei SAKIHARA (University of the Ryukyus)
Jun TOMIYAMA (University of the Ryukyus)
Yoshitomo YAMADA (University of the Ryukyus)

Inspection system using flying robots with close-up visual inspection and hammering
test functions

Hiroaki TSURUTA (Kansai University)
Hitoshi FURUTA (Kansai University)

Application of new technologies to damaged reinforced concrete T-beam bridges and cut
girder loading tests

Hiroshi MATSUDA (Nagasaki University)
Kohei YAMAGUCHI (Nagasaki University)

Nondestructive high-sensitivity magnetic detection of corrosion in light pole bases

Toshiyuki ISHIKAWA (Kansai University)
Hitoshi FURUTA (Kansai University)

Observations and thickness measurements to develop repair proposals for low-water
bridge collapse: Iwama Ohashi bridge

Pang-jo CHUN (Ehime University)

Regions59

B-8

Slope monitoring using a wireless sensor network: An example of collaboration between
SIP technologies and university-developed technologies

Satoshi SUGIMOTO (Nagasaki University)
Yoichi ISHIZUKA (Nagasaki University)

Regional implementation of a mobile profilometer for road surface inspection of next
generation

62

B-9

66

B-10

72

C-1

Shinichi MIYAZATO (Kanazawa Institute of Technology), Hajime ITOH (Toyama Prefectural University)
Kazuyuki TORII (Kanazawa University), Keigo SUZUKI (University of Fukui)
Saiji FUKADA (Kanazawa University), Daishin HANAOKA (Kanazawa Institute of Technology)

75

C-2

Minoru KUNIEDA (Gifu University)
Eiji FURUSAWA (Teikoku Inc.)
Toru MAKINO (Dainichi Consultant Inc.)

77

C-3

Kazuya TOMIYAMA (Kitami Institute of Technology)
Shuichi MIKAMI (Kitami Institute of Technology)

Using CalSok to monitor river embankment slopes: Inspection technology improved byregional implementation support

Masataka SHIRAI (Aero Asahi Corporation)
Akinobu SEKI (Aero Asahi Corporation), Hideaki HATANO (Gifu University)

Problems and needs of municipality for maintenance of road bridges in four prefectures in Hokuriku region

Visualization of needs of a local community and interaction of engineers with local needs

Developing an integrated bridge maintenance database through collaboration amongindustry, academia, and government, with support for introduction by local governments

Makoto HISADA (Tohoku University)

81

C-4

85

C-5

Developing asset management systems to suit local government needs

Kazumasa OZAWA (The University of Tokyo)
Nobuhiro CHIJIWA (Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Community-based management of local water supply system: A new technology andstyle of collaboration among local government and community

Ken USHIJIMA (Hokkaido Research Organization)

6

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Regions

Page

No.

88

C-6

92

C-7

96

C-8

Efficiency promotion and sophistication of periodic bridge inspection by robotic
technology with drastically reduced time of traffic restriction

Keitetsu ROKUGO (Gifu University)
Hideaki HATANO (Gifu University)

Approach to use of robotic technologies in periodic inspection of steel bridges

Hideaki HATANO (Gifu University)
Keitetsu ROKUGO (Gifu University)

Infrastructure maintenance system development for local governments and use ofrobotic technology in bridge inspection

Deployment

Tamotsu KURODA (Tottori University)

Efficiency improvement of crack inspection on bridges leading to remote islands using
UAV digital image analysis technology

100

C-9

106

D-1

Development and deployment of the Tohoku Infrastructure Management Platform (TIMP)

108

D-2

Evaluation and utilization of new technologies in collaboration with the Kyushu
Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (KABSE)

110

D-3

114

D-4

116

D-5

119

D-6

121

D-7

Jun TOMIYAMA (University of the Ryukyus)
Yoshitomo YAMADA (University of the Ryukyus)

Makoto HISADA (Tohoku University)

Hiroshi MATSUDA (Nagasaki University)
Kohei YAMAGUCHI (Nagasaki University)

Personnel training for municipality staff in Hokuriku region

Shinichi MIYAZATO (Kanazawa Institute of Technology), Daishin HANAOKA (Kanazawa Institute of Technology)
Kazuyuki TORII (Kanazawa University), Saiji FUKADA (Kanazawa University)

Report on support for regional implementation: "Super Michimori" concept for new
technology implementation
Hiroshi MATSUDA (Nagasaki University)
Kazuo TAKAHASHI (Nagasaki University)

From Okinawa: Bridge inspector training to improve practical bridge inspection skills
Tetsuhiro SHIMOZATO (University of the Ryukyus)
Masayuki TAI (University of the Ryukyus)
Yuya SUDA (University of the Ryukyus)

Collaboration among industry, government, and academia in Okinawa, a harsh salt
damage environment, to train bridge maintenance meisters and verify new technologies
Tetsuhiro SHIMOZATO (University of the Ryukyus), Masayuki TAI (University of the Ryukyus)
Yasunori ARIZUMI (University of the Ryukyus)

Infrastructure Museum provides educational resources for engineers
Minoru KUNIEDA (Gifu University), Keizo KARIYA (Gifu University)
Kazuhide SAWADA (Gifu University), Koji KINOSHITA (Gifu University)

124

D-8

International promotion and human resource development in infrastructure maintenancetechnologies and systems

126

D-9

Overseas implementation of infrastructure maintenance technologies accelerated bycooperation between JICA and the SIP infrastructure program

Hiroshi YOKOTA (Hokkaido University), Kohei NAGAI (The University of Tokyo)
Tomoki KANENAWA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)

Tomoki KANENAWA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)

130

D-10

Toward a future of attractive infrastructure maintenance: Looking back at support
activities for regional implementation of new technology
Keitetsu ROKUGO (Gifu University)

Table of contents

7How to find reports containing the information you need

Introducing technologies

Future outlook
on regional
infrastructure
maintenance

A-1 Infrastructure maintenance, future outlook, innovation
A-2

Main key words in title of report

Infrastructure maintenance, future outlook, regional
implementation

A-3 Infrastructure maintenance, open innovation○

A-4 New technology applications, obstacles, countermeasures
A-5

New technology applications, municipalities, installation
methodWays to introA-6 Seeds and needs, business development, management
duce newtechnologies in
Seeds and needs, management of technical development,
A-7
a region
issues and recommendations○○

A-8 SIP, general public, awareness, questionnaire surveys

Technologies

New technologies of SIP

8SurveysNo.

Comments andreviews

Informationneeded (topic)

Application
cases

Category

When you or a family member are troubled by illness or pain, you'll look for a way to treat it. For example, if you
get a headache, you might go to the drugstore for a bottle of medicine. But how can you choose from among all thedifferent headache medicines on the shelf? It would be very helpful to have some kind of recommendation by pharmacists based on case studies of patients where a medicine was effective, user reviews about effectiveness, or survey results on medicines administered to many people.

A-9

Social science, institutional policy theory, policies to promote
diffusion of technologies

B-1

SIP development technologies, introduction decision, implementation status

B-2

SIP development technologies, guidelines for periodic inspection of bridges, damage types

B-3

New technology applications, technical lecture participants,
countermeasures, obstacles

○
○
○
○

Cases ofbridgeinspection

B-4 Close-up visual inspection, hammering test, flying robots
B-5

Application of new technology to actual bridge, RCT-girder
bridge, bending test of cut girders○

Cases ofcorrosion
measurement

B-6

High-sensitivity magnetic non-destructive inspection, lightpole bases, damage detection○

B-7 Underwater structures, damage, surveys, countermeasures○

Cases of slope
monitoring

B-8

Wireless sensor networks, slope monitoring, collaborative
experiment○

Cases of roadsurface
inspection

B-9

Mobile profilometer, road surface inspection, regional
implementation〇

Cases ofembankment
inspection

B-10

River embankments, monitoring technologies, regional
implementation○

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams○〇

Needs relatedtomaintenance

C-1 Road bridges, maintenance, municipalities, needs○

C-2 Regions, technical needs, engineers, approaches○

Regions

Main key words in title of report

C-3

Collaboration among industry, government, and academia,
bridge maintenance, integrated database systems

Reasonablesystems

C-4

Municipalities, infrastructure, regional characteristics, constructing asset management systems○

C-5

Local community, water infrastructure, maintenance, municipalities, role allocation○

Cases ofadvanced
bridgemaintenance(robotic
technologies
includingdrones)C-6

Robotic technologies, bridges, periodic inspection,
advancement○

C-7

Robotic technologies, steel bridges, periodic inspection,
approaches○

C-8

Robotic technologies, municipalities, infrastructure
maintenance〇

C-9

UAV, photographed images, remote island bridges, crack
inspection○

D-1

Infrastructure management platform, construction anddeployment○

D-2

Kyushu Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering(KABSE), collaboration, evaluation of new technologies○

D-3

Hokuriku, municipality officers, human resource development, technology exhibitions○

D-4

Implementation of new technologies, Super Michimori
concept○

D-5

Bridge inspection personnel, technical skill development,
bridge inspectors○

D-6

Collaboration among industry, government, and academia,
bridge conservation masters, training○

Cases ofbroad-areacollaboration

Cases ofmaintenanceengineertraining

D-7 Engineers, educational materials, infrastructure museum
Cases ofinternational
deployment

D-8

Maintenance technologies and systems, international deployment, human resource development

D-9

JICA, SIP Infrastructure Program, collaboration, international deployment

Afterword

D-10 Infrastructure maintenance, future, regional implementation

SurveysNo.

Comments andreviews

Informationneeded (topic)

Databaseutilization

Deployment

Application
cases

CategoryIn this document, administrators who maintain infrastructure are analogous to people shopping for medicine. We
have prepared the table below to help administrators discover where to find the kinds of information they need. In
addition, we have added circles to identify those reports which also include case studies of maintenance using new
SIP technologies, comments on new technologies or reviews after using new technologies, or survey results on newtechnologies.

○

○

○

○

○

How to find reports containing the information you need

9Introducing technologies

A-1

Technologies

Introducing technologies

Future vision for infrastructure maintenance:
Innovation in inspection, monitoring, and diagnostic
technologies

Tsukasa MIZUTANI

Toshihiro WAKAHARA

Project lecturer, Institute of Industrial Science,
The University of Tokyo

SIP Infrastructure Sub-program Director (SPD);
Chief research engineer, Institute ofTechnology, Shimizu Corporation

Categories of inspection, monitoring,and diagnostic technologies

Regions

Among the R&D topics of the SIP Infrastructure Program, technologies related to inspection, monitoring,and diagnostics are divided into four categories oftechnologies that can replace or support close visualinspection by inspection engineers: inspection support
tools, screening, permanent monitoring, and detailed
inspection technologies. In this paper, we will describe
the changes that these technologies can bring toinspection practices and mention current challenges
which need to be addressed for the diffusion andwidespread adoption of these technologies. It is notpossible to present all of the technologies in this journal, but more information is available on the websiteof the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)1).

Inspection support tools
Tools that support inspection and diagnosis by engineers are technologies that can easily be brought into
the field, are capable of recording inspection data as
well as location information, and can function as
high-precision sketch machines in the field.

Deployment

Optical technologies include the latest image processing technologies for high-sensitivity camera images,
and technologies using AI for high-precision detectionof cracks in concrete surfaces. With technologies thatuse high-sensitivity magnetic sensors (small, portablesuperconducting quantum interference devices(SQUIDs) and magneto-resistive elements (MR)) to
explore corrosion and cracking in steel, it is possible
to inspect not only the top surface of a structure, butalso the interior and back surface. This category also
includes AI hammers, in which acoustic sensors areadded to hammers used in hammering tests, and damage determination based on hammering sounds is supported by deep learning.

12

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Screening
Bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure subject toinspection are scattered far apart, and it is extremely
challenging for inspection engineers to thoroughly
identify every location of damage by close visualinspection. Therefore, it is desirable to have technologies that can reliably discover deterioration and damage at a predetermined level of precision and perform
automatic visualization and mapping with location
information.
Therefore, technologies are being developed that will
use advanced signal processing technologies to detect
deterioration and damage while moving at high speed,using the latest sensors (high-sensitivity cameras,lasers, 3-D radar, synthetic-aperture radar, etc.)
mounted on dedicated vehicles, aircraft, robots, or satellites. Examples include technology to detect surface
properties, cracking, lifting, peeling, etc. in the covering concrete of a tunnel using vehicle mounted sensors(high-sensitivity cameras, radar, and lasers) while
traveling through a tunnel at a speed of 60 km/h, technology to identify damage (crumbling and cracking)in the upper parts of reinforced concrete floor slabs ofexpressways while traveling at a speed of 80 km/h (3-Dground penetrating radar, Fig. 1), technology to measure 3-D data of riverbed topography by airborne laser
bathymetry (ALB) and determine scouring of bridgepiers with high accuracy, and technology to measure
annual changes in the vertical displacement of revetments, dams, river and embankments, bridges, etc.
from images distributed by satellite mounted synthetic-aperture radar (SAR).

Permanent monitoring
In permanent monitoring, large numbers of networked
sensors are installed on the relevant kinds of infrastructure, including infrastructure with a high level ofimportance, large-scale structures (such as long span

When damage has been identified by inspections or
screening, detailed data must be obtained in cases
where an accurate determination is absolutely necessary because the safety of using a structure has beencalled into question, or to determine whether largescale reinforcement and renovation is needed. For purposes such as these, development is underway ontechnology to visualize breakage of steel wire inside
precast concrete bridges with high-precision transmission imaging devices using high-output X-ray sources(Fig. 2), and technology for detailed visualization ofmoisture, voids, crumbling, and other conditions
inside concrete using compact neutron sources. Bothof these are being developed for in-situ use in the field
and will be mounted on dedicated vehicles.

Future image of infrastructure maintenance and current issues
Each of the technologies described above will make itpossible to perform inspections with a high level ofaccuracy and efficiency through the use of cutting-edge technologies that did not exist in the past.
Inspection support tools will help to improve inspection accuracy and reduce variability among the resultsof inspections performed by people. Screening may
improve the efficiency of inspection work by narrowing the scope for close visual inspection. Permanentmonitoring will make it possible to monitor the conditions of structures and provide early damage detection, based on suitable thresholds for sensor data. In

Introducing technologies

Detailed inspection technologies

addition, detailed inspection carries the potential for
identification of deterioration factors and damage in
the interior of structures, which has not been easily
discoverable in the past.
Inspection information (deterioration and damage)obtained through screening and monitoring withadvanced technologies will be mapped onto three-dimensional models of infrastructure with geographicallocation information, and this will be registered andstored in an infrastructure information database. Thisdata will be used to compare past inspection records
with current inspection records in order to determine
the progress of deterioration and damage. In addition,
damage mapping will be incorporated into structural
analysis models by means such as data assimilation,and the performance deterioration curves of structures
will be quantified through coordination with detailed
remaining lifetime analyses. This will provide thebasis for calculating the asset value and life cycle costof infrastructure, facilitating effective infrastructure
asset management.

Technologies

bridges and long length tunnels), and slopes expected
to be at risk in disasters.

However, when using advanced technologies to perform inspection, in many cases, some of the data thatis gathered may not be necessary under the current
inspection procedures and technical standards, etc.
Therefore, at the same time that these technologies arebeing adopted and deployed, it will also be necessary
to consider the handling of such data under these procedures and standards.
[Reference]
1) Infrastructure maintenance, renovation and management technologies under the Strategic Innovation Promotion Program(SIP): website of the Japan Science and Technology Agency(JST), URL: http://www.jst.go.jp/sip/k07.html

Regions

Vehicle-mounted radar

Slab measured by radar

Channel direction (m)High

Damage check byhammering sounds

Level of signal change
Low

Travel direction (m) Results of measurement data signal processing

Deployment

Fig. 1 Example of screening technology (3-D ground penetrating radar)

Measurement inside a box girder

Visualization of internal steel wire and rebar

Fig. 2 Example of detailed inspection technology (high output X-ray)

Introducing technologies A-1

13

Introducing technologies

A-2

How regional implementation activities can shape thefuture: Outlook on infrastructure maintenancePang-jo CHUN

Technologies

Associate Professor, Department of Civil andEnvironmental Engineering, Ehime University

Visualizing the future based on regional
implementation activities

Links to depopulation and compact
cities

SIP regional implementation teams engage in a varietyof activities according to the characteristics and needsof each region. This paper is based on comments
obtained from regional implementation teams concerning areas where improvement is needed for more
appropriate infrastructure maintenance and opinions
on desirable directions for society and infrastructure
maintenance.

Infrastructure maintenance will become more challenging in the future as the population declines inmost regions, as shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, unlessinfrastructure maintenance is considered as part of achanged model, including more compact cities in lightof a grand design for municipalities, communities, andsettlements, it would be easy to worsen the overall
condition even while accomplishing local improvements, or to falsely assume that a benefit for some
portion will necessarily lead to an overall benefit, andthis could actually result in higher overall administrative costs instead of the intended savings. This can beaddressed by means such as active collaboration
between the field of urban engineering and the field ofbuilding construction.

Information disclosure and public
relationsRegions

One major problem at present is that the importance ofinfrastructure maintenance is not being fully communicated to residents and citizens. In order to provide
an understanding of factors including the importanceof maintaining an enormous stock, in addition tobuilding infrastructure, and the concept of infrastructure depreciation, it is necessary to disclose information regarding the current condition of infrastructure,
the results of future predictions, and costs. For example, it is necessary to share objective, scientific facts
with regard to the amount of funding that needs to bebudgeted for infrastructure maintenance, and the levelof risk.

Deployment

One means to this end is to prepare something like ahealth chart detailing the current health status of
infrastructure. For example, the infrastructure healthreports issued by JSCE are useful, but these deal with
infrastructure all over Japan, and it is also necessary
to have health charts limited to specific local governments and health charts limited to specific structures.
It is also necessary to create the kind of platform andenvironment that is needed for appropriate sharing ofsuch health charts.

14

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

A declining population also means a smaller numberof engineers. It is necessary to develop technologies tomake it possible to perform inspection, diagnosis, andrepair work with fewer engineers. Similar to the process in the SIP Infrastructure Program, it can be very
effective for persons who are in a position to understand the relevant needs, such as a regional implementation team, to propose ideas to developers at
companies that could provide potential solutions andtake steps to promote improvements.

Introducing technologies

pursuing a high, uniform level of quality management
nationwide, it is necessary to establish frameworks for
management quality at a level that is suited to thestructure and the region.

Systems

Management frameworks

Raising awarenessIn infrastructure maintenance, an imbalance is considered to exist in the allocation of engineers and mainten a n c e f u n d s , d u e t o s t r u c t u r a l p r o ble m s i nmanagement frameworks. For example, national highways, prefectural roads, municipal roads, farm roads,
forestry roads, and the like are managed separately,
and although this separation is not in itself a bad thing,
it does result in inadequacies when the responsible
management entity lacks the necessary capabilities
and resources. Classification according to the characteristics of a bridge, rather than the management
entity, could be used to resolve this situation. For
example, it would be necessary to develop management standards and inspection guidelines according to
the importance of the route and the class of bridge,
such as large-scale bridges, medium bridges, andsmall bridges.

Persons involved in infrastructure maintenance needto have a better awareness of crisis management. The
attitude of turning a blind eye to potential trouble anddoing no more than is required by the rules is widespread among persons involved in infrastructure
maintenance. It is necessary to correct this attitude
and raise awareness among persons related to infrastructure maintenance so that they will take initiativein their respective positions and take steps to achieve
better infrastructure maintenance. Each one should
proactively do what he or she is able to do; this may
include more thorough description of inspection
guidelines like those recommended by the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, while
ensuring accuracy in new endeavors, along with information disclosure; clarification of organizational policies by local governments, use of new technologies bycontractors in their contracted services, innovations
by technology developers to reduce the burden onordering parties, advice by university personnel as abasis for decisions, and providing opportunities for
introducing new technologies.

Especially in rural areas, it will be necessary todevelop new, low-tech technologies according to the
local situation (inadequate levels of funding, humanresources, and technology). (New, high-tech technologies will be used on expressways and national highways.) In the maintenance of small bridges, it iseffective to involve local residents in cleaning, simple
inspections, and “Michimori” road maintenance programs. It is also important to train and hire in-houseengineers who can determine the condition of local
infrastructure and devise countermeasures. Instead ofTechnologies
RegionsFig. 1 Population decline from 2010 to 2050
(2010 population = 100%)

It is also necessary to promote establishment of anational certification system for engineers who can
implement appropriate measures with regard to thekinds of damage that truly need to be fixed. At thesame time, we should endeavor to foster an environment where this is recognized.

Deployment

Key: Ratio to 2010 population■ Decline of at least 50% (including relocation)■ Decline of less than 50%■ Population increase

Further consideration is needed with regard to mechanisms such as comprehensive consignment systems
for overall maintenance services and introduction of
PFI approaches including concessions. For example, if
maintenance contracts for several decades at a time
are feasible, is preventive maintenance really appropriate? This could provide an opportunity for examining the numbers to seriously consider whether anexcess of preventive measures can actually result inhigher costs. Consideration should also be given to a
directional mechanism for matching between those
who benefit from maintenance and those who bear thecosts of maintenance. In this way, the importance ofinfrastructure maintenance will be keenly felt, andreal moves will be made on abolishing unnecessary
infrastructure, a difficult issue in infrastructure
maintenance.

The widespread attitude of turning a blind eye to trouble leads to the problem that cases of failure, which
are essential to the PDCA cycle, are not recorded andshared due to fear of liability issues. The result is thatthe same failure is repeated in different places, or over
and over at the same place. One means of preventing

Introducing technologies A-2

15

Introducing technologies

this could be for an independent engineer to conduct
diagnosis, establishing a qualification system for suchengineers as described in the preceding paragraph. It
is also urgently necessary to construct a mechanism
for data sharing.
The attitude of turning a blind eye prevents the development of an enterprising spirit. It is necessary tobuild awareness that the region will be improved byhaving an enterprising spirit through efforts toimprove the motivation and awareness of stakeholders.
For example, SIP regional implementation teams areengaged in meaningful efforts such as events to introduce, learn about, and demonstrate new technologies.
ME training courses at Gifu University, Ehime University, Yamaguchi University, and Niigata University,“Michimori” road maintenance courses at Nagasaki
University, and other recurrent education in humanresource training endeavors also contribute to raisingawareness.

Technologies

Desirable directions for society andinfrastructure

Deployment

Regions

Different people have different ideals for society andinfrastructure, depending on their own perspectives.
For example, users of infrastructure value comfort andpeace of mind; administrators value a long life spanand low maintenance costs; local residents value revitalization of the local economy; and people who work

16

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teamsin infrastructure maintenance feel that their job isworthwhile when it improves disaster resilience. People involved in infrastructure maintenance should
work to promote these kinds of ideals.
Considering the cultural factors and origins by which
communities and villages are established, infrastructure should support these communities and settlements in a role similar to the blood vessels of ourbodies, from the standpoint of continuity and reflecting the characteristics of the community. Therefore, itis necessary to break away from conventional ideas,
taking steps such as introducing ICT technologies inappropriate forms.
The matters discussed in this article include both bottom-up factors that require a steady approach of gradual improvement, and top-down factors that requireinnovative change. With the urgency of problems
related to aging infrastructure, neither approach is
sufficient on its own, and changes will need to comein both directions, bottom-up as well as top-down. It
is extremely important to continue the activities ofregional implementation teams led by regional universities as an engine to promote this process.
[References]
1) Japan Society of Civil Engineers: 2017 Infrastructure HealthReport, http://www.cbr.mlit.go.jp/kawatomizu/kousyukai/pdf/4_
sindansyo_kouhyou.pdf, 2017. (Accessed Oct. 14, 2018) (inJapanese)Introducing technologies

A-3

Why is open innovation used in infrastructure
maintenance?

Masato ABE

In conventional research and development (closed
innovation, left side of Fig. 1), the entire process
would be handled by the same organization, fromplanning to implementation and product development.
In this process, R&D is initially conducted to seek awide range of technical seeds, and the assumed needs
are gradually narrowed down as implementation ispursued. Capturing technologies and needs and being
the first to market them results in exclusive benefits,based on the advantage of being first.
In contrast, in open innovation (right side of Fig. 1),even during the R&D process, the aim is to incorporate newly discovered needs and develop new markets
while exchanging technologies and needs beyond theboundaries that separate different organizations andBoundaries between
disciplines
分野の壁

Infrastructure consists of built-to-order structures thatare geographically dispersed and have a wide range ofages, from new to old. Therefore, infrastructure maintenance sites involve a wide range of needs, making it
difficult to standardize operations. In addition, theneeds and markets are fragmented and subdivided
because infrastructure maintenance consists of operations which are individually small in scale, such as
inspection, repair, and reinforcement. Because it is notnecessarily efficient to conduct individually self-contained R&D for each of these aspects, this continues
to be highly labor-intensive. Therefore, there are highexpectations with regard to open innovation which
would incorporate external technical seeds and needs.

Boundaries between
分野の壁
disciplines

Needs
ニーズandmarkets
市場

Research
projects

Research
研究

The difficulty of infrastructure maintenance

Develop開発
ment

Closed innovation

Regions

Interest in open innovation is growing in the field of
infrastructure maintenance, and with the establishment of platforms such as the Japanese Congress for
Infrastructure Maintenance,2) there is increasing activity in this area.

disciplines. Factors contributing to the rise of open
innovation include the fact that advances in information technology have made knowledge universallyavailable, making it more difficult to capture a technology; as well as the fact that it is becoming easier tocommercialize a business model due to diversification
in forms of investment and financing.

Other needs
他のニーズ
and
new
新市場
markets

Research
プロジェクトprojects

Needs and市場
markets

研究
Research

Deployment

What is open innovation?1)

Technologies

Fellow, Department of Innovation Platform, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)Executive Committee, Japanese Congress for Infrastructure Maintenance

Develop開発
ment

Open innovation

Fig. 1 From closed innovation (conventional self-contained R&D and implementation) to open innovation

Introducing technologies A-3

17

Table 1 Examples of needs submitted by local governments to the Kinki Forum of the Japanese Congress for Infrastructure Maintenance

Need

Conditions, situation, etc.

Introducing technologies□ Depending on conditions under the bridge, it may be difficult to use aerial
Close-up visual inspection and work platform vehicles, ladders, or scaffolding.
sounding inspection of bridges, or □ Some roads cannot be closed to traffic (although brief temporary closurestechnologies to support movement are possible).
of inspection staff□ There is not enough space below the bridge to allow close-up visualinspection by inspection staff.
Technologies for cleaning under □ Access to narrow spaces behind side panels and ceiling panels, etc. isside panels and removal and preven- obstructed by obstacles (such as bird nests, bird droppings, or standingtion of standing water
water).
Technologies to support measuring □ It is generally possible to confirm the depth, location, and extent of a cavthe thickness of cavities under road ity using probe vehicles, etc., but boring is needed to determine cavity
surfaces
thickness.
Technologies to support close-up
visual inspection of dedicated sewer □ Workers can only go in and out briefly to place equipment, etc.
line ducts in multipurpose tunnels

Technologies

Technologies to support inspection □ Divers perform this work, but visibility is limited by murkiness and floatof under water por tions of sub- ing objects, and aquatic organisms adhere to structures and must be
merged river and harbor structures
removed.
To actually advance open innovation, it is necessary
to share technologies and needs to some extent. The
needs of administrators are often made public, as
shown in Table 1, because infrastructure is public
property.

Regions

However, simply disclosing the needs is often notenough to obtain a solution, because there is some distance between the “raw” needs as stated and existing
seed technologies. In addition, different disciplinesand different industries having technologies commonly lack the technical capabilities related to infrastructure that would enable the selection of appropriate
fields. Even in the implementation of field tests, consultation and coordination with stakeholders is often
inadequate, or there is a lack of expertise concerning
outdoor work, etc., and this poses a barrier to entry.

For sustainable innovation
Although open innovation is an effective approach ininfrastructure maintenance, many different entities
are involved, and there is a strong tendency to adopt
situation-dependent, ad-hoc measures. Therefore, in
addition to discussion and coordination regarding
technologies, this calls for advanced management anddirection, including the development of trust. For
example, even among technologies that may superficially appear to be in competition with each other,

Deployment

Therefore, for open innovation to work, there has to besome intermediary matching function between needs

and seeds. This matching function needs to offer theability to understand the insights and challenges ofboth the needs side and the seeds side, gain their trust,and make it possible to create new technologies
together. The Japanese Congress for Infrastructure
Maintenance and SIP regional implementation teams
are important platforms for this kind of matching
because of their knowledge and neutral status.

Fig. 2 Similar needs of different local governments: Demonstration of simple inspection scaffolding (left: Kinki Forum, right: Ehime
University)

18

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Introducing technologies

For the advancement of sustainable innovation, it will
be necessary to go beyond merely offering supportand establish functions that will actually promote thedevelopment of new businesses in the area of infrastructure maintenance, such as evaluating businessfeasibility when funding is provided, or establishing
functions for hands-on investment funds. In addition,
it is hoped that technologies originating in the area of
infrastructure maintenance will also be used to meetneeds in other fields by means of open innovation,
resulting in new market development.

Technologies[References]
1) Chesbrough, H.W. (2003): Open Innovation -The new imperative
for creating and profiting from technology-, Boston, Harvard
Business School Press
2) Japanese Congress for Infrastructure Management: Fact book,2017-2018 [in Japanese]

RegionsFig. 2 shows the demonstration of a simple inspection
scaffolding that makes it possible to efficiently inspect
small to medium bridges while minimizing road closure. This illustrates the fact that different regions
often share the same needs. Collaboration based onneeds shared by different regions is also an effectivemeans of market development.

Deployment

there may be mutual advantages in the sharing ofbasic technologies, data, and so on, so it is effective todevelop rules and frameworks for collaboration, basedon an awareness of the areas of competition as well as
the areas of collaboration. Japanese organizations havetypically tended to be highly self-contained, making it
difficult for this sort of capability to develop spontaneously. Therefore, the universities involved with SIP
regional implementation teams can play an importantrole by training human resources such as innovationarchitects, in addition to their ongoing regional
engagement.

Introducing technologies A-3

19

A-4

Introducing technologies

Obstacles and measures when adopting newtechnologies for maintenance of infrastructure:
Based on a hearing survey
Kenji YAJIMA

Technologies

Counselor, Dainichi Consultant Inc.

Rina HASUIKE

Keitetsu ROKUGO

Doctoral course student, Mechanical and Civil
Engineering Division, Gifu University

Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Civil Engineering,
Gifu University

Surveys on obstacles and measureswhen adopting new technologies

Regions

The Gifu University SIP implementation team conducted questionnaire and hearing surveys of the following engineers in order to clarify what are the obstacles
to the application of new technologies to infrastructure
managed by local governments and what measures are
effective in overcoming such obstacles1):- Ordering parties: 16 civil engineers of local governments on the ordering side,- Developers: 8 engineers developing new technologies in the maintenance field,- Contractors: 7 civil engineers of construction companies and construction consulting companies on
the contractor side.

Results of the questionnaire survey
The questionnaire consists of description-type questions No. 1, 2 and 6 and selection-type questions No.
3-5 as shown in Table 1. In the selection-type questions, options were prepared beforehand, and the
respondents made a plurality of selections and themost fitting one. This questionnaire on the applicationof new technologies covers not only maintenance but
also all processes including survey, design, construction, and maintenance of civil engineering projects.
“Conventional technologies” are defined as thosedescribed in the current technical standards and manuals in addition to data for the cost calculation. Technologies other than these are def ined as “newtechnologies”.
(1) Obstacles
Figure 1 shows the results of question No. 3 regarding
the obstacles to the promotion of new technologies foreach position. The numbers in those graphs represent
the number of respondents. “Fairness is not guaranteed” and “Burden over the explanation for accountaudit” were the main obstacles for the engineers fromthe ordering parties. The obstacles for the engineersfrom the developers and contractors were “Insufficient
ascertainment of needs” and “Performance and precision are not assured,” respectively. About 40% of theengineers from the developers and contractors chose“Standards or manuals are not satisfied”, but only 20%of the engineers from the ordering parties made thatchoice. Therefore, we can say that the new technologies that do not satisfy the standards or manuals canTable 1 Contents of questionnaires.

No.

Deployment

1

2

3
4
5
6

20

QuestionsContents- How do you feel about utilizing new technologies for your work?
Image of new technologies- When you hear “new technologies”, what comes to mind?
- Have you ever adopted new technologies in your past work?
Experience in utilizing new - What kind of new technologies did you adopt?
technologies- Was the adoption a success or failure?
- What do you think was the reason for the success or failure?
Obstacles to the utilization of - What are the reasons why you cannot or are averse to using new technologies? (Selecnew technologies
tion-type question)
Measures to promote utiliza- - What are effective the measures to make it easier to utilize new technologies? (Selection of new technologies
tion-type question)
Key points in utilizing new- What are the key points when utilizing new technologies? (Selection-type question)technologies
Others- Free description.

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

(2) Measures
Figure 2 shows the results of question No.4 regarding
measures for the promotion of new technologies.
Many engineers of all positions chose “Encourage
Fairness is not guaranteed

9Effect cannot be confirmed

4

7

2

2

6

4

2

2

3

4

1

3
3

3

1

3

3
2

3

3

3

3
5

1

2

1

3

High cost but low merits ト 2
Occurrence of troubles is of 3
concern
Insufficient ascertainment of needs
Performance and precision
are not assured
Long-term technical support is
not assured
Technical acquisition and adaptation
to changes are a burden
Merits and demerits are unclear(3) Key points
Figure 3 illustrates the results of question No.5 regarding key points to be considered when utilizing newtechnologies. Many engineers from the ordering parties and developers chose “Respect participation of
local companies.” Many engineers from the ordering

4

1

1

1

1

1

4

3

Technologies

Burden over explanation foraccount audit
Adoption means certification to
specific technology
Standards or manuals are notsatisfiedadoption of new technologies in manuals.” Engineersfrom the developers and contractors chose “Provide
application examples of new technology” and “Create
neutral evaluation systems for new technologies.”

Introducing technologies

be accepted by the ordering parties, provided the main
obstacles, “Fairness is not guaranteed” and “Burden
over explanation for account audit,” are removed.
Japan’s account audit system that rigorously checks
appropriate use of tax revenue at local governments
may form the background of these answers

1

Fitting
Most fitting

4
3

1

2

3

1

1

1

16 0
0
8
5
1 0
3
6
Number of respondents Number of respondents Number of respondents(a) Ordering parties(b) Developers(c) Contractors

Fig. 1 Results of questionnaire survey regarding obstacles.
3

3

2

5

3

4

8

1

4

4

2 2
3

1

5

3

1

Fitting2

Most fitting

3

5

2

5

3
4

1

2

2

2

Regions

Register to "New Technology
Information System"
Encourage adoption of newtechnologies in manuals
Create technology evaluation systemsof academic societies etc.
Establish standards and guidelines by
academic societies
Organize a technical association forcompanies related to new technologies
Provide application examples of newtechnology
Create neutral evaluation systems
for new technologies
Accumulate experience of utilizing
new technologies in private projects

3

3
4

1

2

1

0
8
16 0
5
11 0
3
6
Number of respondents Number of respondents Number of respondents(a) Ordering parties(b) Developers(c) Contractors

Fig. 2 Results of questionnaire survey regarding measures.
6

5

1
10

3

3

2
1
9

3
4

4

1

2
5

4

3

8

1
1

1
2

Deployment

Consider interests with existing
industry
Respect participation of local
companies
Distinguish high efficiency fromsophistication
Clarify the effects and utilizing
methods of technologies
Establish reliable inspection/
confirmation methods
Note that many factors including
national standards are involved

2
2

2

1 1

Fitting2

Most fitting

4

1

0
8
16 0
5
11 0
3
6
Number of respondents Number of respondents Number of respondents(a) Ordering parties(b) Developers(c) Contractors

Fig. 3 Results of questionnaire survey regarding key points.

Introducing technologies A-4

21

Table 2 Obstacles viewed from different positions.

Major obstacles
Attitudes of people
in charge widely
vary
Significant energy
Ordering Lack ofand effort are
parties
incentives
required for
introduction
Great risks in theevents of trouble
Investment decision
for development isdifficult
Difficult tobuild aRequired specificaDevelopers
businesstions are unclear
model
Government’s
situation is
unknown
No direct benefit
Great risks in theLack ofContractors
events of defects
incentives
Cost of technicalproposal is highTechnologies

Introducing technologies

Positions

Major causes- The organizational mission is unclear.
- Enthusiasm gap between head and local offices.
- Resistance to changes.
- Fairness should be ensured.
- Basis for external explanation (account audit) is necessary.
- Basis for internal explanation (organizational consensus) is necessary.
- Who takes responsibility is unclear.
- Certainty and continuity of support by developers are not assured.
- First-mover advantage from development is not assured.
- Investment recovery in a short time is difficult.
- It is difficult to grasp the market (scale, continuity).
- Needs for new technologies (required performance/precision) are unclear.
- Appropriate cost for ordering parties is unknown.
- Content and period of technical support required are unknown.
- Each organization or local government is in a different situation.
- Methods of order placing and introduction conditions are difficult to understand.
- Attention to industry officials is required.
- Technical proposals do not lead to increase in orders received.
- Who takes responsibility is unclear.
- Needs should be grasped and seeds should be collected.
- Documents supporting the validity of introduction should be formulated.

Table 3 Examples of measures taken to promote the use of new technologies.

Goal

MeasuresDefine the mission of introducing new technologies
Raise the consciousness ofRaise incentives for individual staff members
order-placing staff
Reduce the labor of order-placing
staff

Orientation of measures- Mandate introduction by law- Agree on the introduction policy within the organization- Exchange personnel with other organizations

Regions- Increase the explainability of necessity for introduction- Increase the explainability of performance, accuracy, and effect- Increase the explainability of cost adequacy
Reduce the risk in case of trouble - Clarify the defect liability- Find areas where introduction in a short time is possible
Support investment decision- Formulate a system to facilitate introduction of new technologies
Support developers- Clarify public needs (required specifications)to create a business Match seeds with needs- Clarify the seeds of developers
model- Make proposals that are easy for order-placing staff to explain
Support ascertaining the admin- Cooperate with appropriate developing partners
istrative situation
Clarify the advantages for- Create a system by which proposals lead to increases in orders
contractors- Show concern for local companies
Raise incentives for
Deal with the risk of defects- Clarify the defect liability
contractors
Raise the awareness of the- Introduce new technologies suitable for the competence levels ofnecessity for introduction
contractors

parties and contractors chose “Note that many factors
including national standards are involved”.

Deployment

Results of interview survey following
the questionnaire survey
The interview survey was carried out in line with thequestionnaire items filled in by the interviewees. Theinterviewers paid attention to extracting possible
causes along with the apparent obstacles. After theinterviews, keywords in the transcripts were extracted
and analyzed. Table 2 gives the items recognized as
major obstacles and their causes.
As seen from this table, engineers from the ordering

22

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teamsparties and contractors feel a lack of incentives to use
new technology for various reasons and perceive thisas an obstacle. On the other hand, those from thedeveloping parties feel it difficult to create a businessmodel when developing a new technology, due to thespecial nature of the public works market, and perceive this as an obstacle.
Table 3 shows examples of promising measures taken
by each position, which were ascertained through theinterviews.
[Reference]
1) Rokugo, K., Kinoshita, K. and Hasuike, R. : Activities of Gifu
Univer sit y SIP Implement ation Team for Utilizing New
Maintenance Technologies, The 2nd Asian Concrete Federation(ACF) Symposium 2017, D015, 2017.

Introducing technologies

A-5

Scenarios for the introduction of new technologies ininfrastructure maintenance by local governments

Yosuke INOUE

Although local governments call for the use of newtechnologies in their repair plans for extending thelifespan of infrastructure, the introduction of newtechnologies in infrastructure maintenance involves
the following three issues, in addition to shortages ofhuman resources and finances.
First, inspection work is conducted on the basis of various periodic inspection guidelines including periodic
bridge inspection procedures, and local governments
do not necessarily have much need to consider making
the work more efficient and more advanced from atechnical standpoint.
Second, inspection work is often entrusted to private
operators who are not in a position to make choices
and decisions concerning the introduction of newtechnologies or equipment. Although a local government can indicate new technologies in special notes on
specifications or as design integration standards, decisions on the use of such technologies are ultimately up
to the operator performing the work.
Third, local governments not only need to pursue
solutions for technical issues and cost savings, but also
must seek to avoid raising the bar too high for local
companies to receive orders and improve their technical capabilities.

Based on the issues described above, I will present six
scenarios of approaches that local governments cantake when seeking to actively utilize new technologies.
Five of these approaches can be taken when the use of
new technologies is being promoted as part of the normal work of the local government’s civil engineering
department: (1) Top-down, (2) External committee, (3)Local management and human resource development,(4) Construction technology center led, and (5) Widearea cooperation. (The fourth and fifth approaches are
possible in the case of prefectural governments or
small-scale local governments.) A sixth approach canbe taken if the use of new technologies is being promoted in cooperation with other departments besides
the civil engineering department: (6) Industrial
promotion.

Regions

Issues related to the introduction of
new technologies by local governments

Scenarios for introducing new technologies(1) Top-down approachThis approach promotes infrastructure maintenanceand the use of new technologies as a focus area, basedon policy decisions by the heads of local governments
or directors of civil engineering departments.
For example, in the top-down approach, a local government could conclude an agreement with a local
university to pursue collaboration in infrastructure
maintenance. Even if university faculty members are
already involved as experts, it is meaningful to specify that the local government and the university will
be working on infrastructure maintenance in an interorganizational manner. According to Asaoka et al.,1)
920 out of 1,914 organizations have concluded comprehensive collaboration agreements with universities
as of 2016, and this is a scenario that could be applied
by many local governments.

Deployment

In this paper, I will describe the issues faced by local
governments when introducing new technologies
developed by the SIP Infrastructure Maintenance,
Renovation and Management Program (SIP Infrast r uct u re Prog ram), etc. and present potential
approaches that they can take regarding the introduction of new technologies in the form of scenarios.

Technologies

Senior Fellow and Corporate Officer, Public Consulting Business Section 2,
Value Management Institute, Inc.

As shown in Fig. 1, local governments obtain knowledge

Introducing technologies A-5

23

Introducing technologies

LicenseComprehensive
collaborationagreement

Local government

Head of local
government

Technology developer
Universities and research
institutions

Internal organizationor project scheme
based on thesituation

Joint researchTechnology developer

Fig. 1 Example of a scheme for introducing new technologies under the top-down approachand advice concerning new technologies by way of
universities with which they have agreements, and theuniversities serve as hubs with the general public andcompanies. The universities are to make use of theirown research findings, findings from joint researchwith companies, licenses obtained from companies,
and so on for deployment in the region.

Technologies

Examples of agreements focusing on infrastructure
maintenance include the agreements on cooperationand collaboration for effective and efficient infrastructure maintenance that have been concluded by thecivil engineering department of Miyagi Prefecture andthe city of Sendai, respectively, with the infrastructure
management research center of the Tohoku University
Graduate School of Engineering; as well as a collaborative agreement on cooperation in research and investigation toward the utilization of drones and otherconstruction robots that has been concluded by thecity of Kakamigahara with the Center for Infrastructure Asset Management Technology and Research of
Gifu University’s faculty of engineering.
(2) External committee approach

Regions

In this approach, expert committees on new technologies and techniques are established in order to promote the introduction of new technologies, and thesecommittees provide guidelines and conduct reviews of
new tech nologies as a stamp of approval. The
approach of committee-based decision-making has
also been used in other fields besides civil engineering, and this scenario is easily applied in cases where
the issue under study and the new technology to be
introduced are clear, because the points for discussion
are clearly defined.

One example in the SIP Infrastructure Program is a
study at Gifu University on proposed guidelines for
local governments regarding the use of robotic technologies in bridge inspection.
(3) Local management and human resource
development approach
In this approach, infrastructure is maintained locallywith the participation of local residents and companies, etc. while training human resources. This scenario is applicable to small-scale infrastructure thatcan be maintained adequately through daily patrols
and relatively simple repairs.
As shown in Fig. 2, local governments provide thetechnologies and tools that local human resources who
reside in the area can use to handle maintenance. Universities are to promote introduction by developing
human resources for regional infrastructure maintenance and offering advice on the scope of work thatcan be handled by local human resources.
Examples include the program for small-scale bridge
inspection and repair by infrastructure maintenanceexperts (ME) in Gifu Prefecture, and the Kamigoto
council on general management of local infrastructure
in Kamigoto-cho, Nagasaki Prefecture. In addition,
Nagasaki University (Michimori program), Gifu University (ME program), universities and technical colleges in the Hokuriku region, Kansai University,
Hiroshima University, Tottori University, Ehime University, Yamaguchi University, the University of the
Ryukyus, and other institutions are engaged in humanresource development in their respective regions.

Advice and selection of technologies
Joint research
Providingtechnologies

Deployment

Providing technologies

Contracting, etc.

Local government

Technology provider

Cooperation

Human resource
development andtraining, etc.

Universities

Providing technologies Local human resources,
local companies, etc.
and venues

Fig. 2 Example of a scheme for introducing new technologies under the local management and humanresource development approach

24

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Comprehensive
agreements
Joint researchContracting, etc.

Universities

Local government (prefecture)

Local government (municipality)

Introducing technologies

Database operation
Engineer secondment
Comprehensive
agreement
Database utilization
fees, etc.

Construction
technology center

Licenses
Providingequipment, etc.
Contracting,procurement, andleasing

Contracting and regional general orders

Technology developer

Joint research
Licenses, etc.

Business operators(4) Construction technology center led approach(5) Wide-area cooperation approach

In this approach, construction technology centers (orsimilar external organizations) play a leading role inproviding technologies and placing orders based on
the introduction of new technologies for prefectural
governments and the municipalities whose infrastructure they manage. Construction technology centersdiffer from place to place with regard to their corporate status and content of operations, but they offer
support to prefectural municipalities in areas such as
database operation, combined regional order placement, technical certification, and comprehensive evaluation systems. The aim in this scenario is to makeuse of existing systems and frameworks to reduce theburden on prefectural municipalities in various ways.

In this approach, councils are established for certain
regions or to address specific technologies and issues,
sharing information and seeking solutions to problems. Maintenance councils, liaison conferences withprefectural and municipal governments, and the likealready exist in the area of regional cooperation, andunder the Japanese Congress for Infrastructure Maintenance, local gover nment suppor t for ums andregional forums, etc. have been established and are
beginning to function.

One example is database operation by Tohoku University and the Yamagata Prefecture Construction Technology Center.

(6) Industrial promotion approachThis approach makes use of support measures forindustry and business, such as promotion of regional
industry, enhancement of technical capabilities, andtechnology transfers from universities, to promote
capital investment and the introduction of technologies
at regional companies. According to the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, most of
the funding for infrastructure maintenance by regional
governments is based on the use of government grants
for infrastructure maintenance; and while prefectural
governments are increasingly using multi-year implementation and making use of private sector funding,these trends are not being seen among small-scale
local governments.2) Therefore, this could include scenarios making use of industrial support measures forsmall and medium enterprises,venture businesses, andt he li ke, pu rsui ng cooperat ion w it h pla n n i ng

Regions

As shown in Fig. 3, local governments assume costs
and promote the introduction of technologies by wayof a construction technology center. The construction
technology center obtains licenses from the technology developers, procures the equipment, and deploys
these technologies to local governments. Universities
are to address the needs of local governments andconstruction technology centers through joint research
and advice from a professional standpoint based onagreements with respect to construction technology
centers, as well as joint research with companies.

Technologies

Fig. 3 Example of a scheme for introducing new technologies based on the construction technology
center led approach

Advice concerning placement of orders for new technology trials, etc.

Internal collaboration study
organization

Company

Civil engineeringand construction

Industrial
promotion

Local government

Deployment

Universities and research
institutions

Licenses, technology
transfer, joint research,
contracting, andentrepreneurship

Ordering trials of new technologies
Capital investment assistance
Venture support policies
Using special zone systems, etc.
Local companies anduniversity-led ventures

Technology developer

Fig. 4 Example of a scheme for introducing new technologies based on the industrial promotion approach

Introducing technologies A-5

25

Introducing technologies

departments and industrial promotion departments inaddition to obtaining funding for the civil engineering
sector.

ordering program in Saga Prefecture.

As shown in Fig. 4, local governments support business activities in conjunction with measures by thenational government targeting small and medium
enterprises and venture businesses, such as the Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, ordering trials of new technologies, and providing special
zones and demonstration venues under sandbox programs. In addition to giving advice to the recipients of
new technology trial orders, universities pass along
the results of joint research with technology developers and other research findings. Universities could also
take the role of promoting the introduction of newtechnologies through technology transfers and by
establishing venture businesses and engaging in business development themselves.

The introduction of new technologies in infrastructure
maintenance is not an end but a means. In cases wherea local government wishes to introduce and use newtechnologies for a certain purpose, it will be necessary
to use new approaches from the standpoints describedin this paper, in addition to conventional approaches.
The industrial promotion approach, in which infrastructure maintenance is advanced in conjunction with
regional industrial promotion measures, and the construction technology center led approach, which identifies technologies to be promoted for small-scale local
governments, are expected to be especially helpful inopening paths for introduction of new technologies in
the future.

Deployment

Regions

Technologies

Examples in the SIP Infrastructure Program include
the RIKEN Venture system which has been established by the Institute of Physical and Chemical
Research (RIKEN), and the identification of damage
locations on bridges with drones based on a trial

26

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Introducing new technologies in the future[References]
1) Yukihiko Asaoka, Shinich Sawada: Regional strategies of local
governments collaborating with universities -Current status ofcollaboration between local governments and universities-,
January 2017 issue, Jichitai Mondai Kenkyusho [in Japanese]
2) 20 th meeting of the subcommittee on maintenance strategies:
Current status of maintenance and efforts to address issues,
March 28, 2018 [in Japanese]

A-6

Introducing technologies

Development of new technologies from a "seeds andneeds" structural perspective: Promoting innovationand implementation through management

Atsuomi OBAYASHI“Seeds and needs” structure (businessstructure model)
Fig. 1 depicts the basic structure by which the needsof society are satisfied by seeds, which include technologies, services, and goods. In this figure, each S isa seed, and N is a need. The seeds on the left-handside of the arrow are combined to meet the need on theright-hand side. For example, the transportation needsof a region are met through a combination of seeds
such as road infrastructure, vehicles, and driverS:S

manpower. Fig. 2 shows this example in terms of thebasic structure.
Looking at it in more detail, road infrastructure, as
one of the seeds of Fig. 2, includes roads, bridges, tunnels, and so on. Bridges need components and maintenance services, etc. in order to be usable. This meansthat a structure in which seeds are combined to meetneeds is hierarchical, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The
structure shown in Fig. 3 is made of multiple connected instances of the basic form shown in Fig. 1.
In Fig. 3, the notation “N/S” indicates that the samething can be a need when seen from the left side, anda seed when seen from the right side. Taking theexample of a bridge, when seen from the left-handperspective of components and maintenance, thebridge represents the need for the functions requiredof a bridge. However, when seen from farther to theright, the bridge is one of the seeds that serve as infrastructure. In other words, both seeds and needs are
relative concepts, indicating the same things from two
different perspectives.

Regions

In this paper, I will propose a structural model of“seeds and needs” and discuss ways that management
can promote the implementation of new technologies.
Initiatives for the implementation of new technologies
are generally driven by either “needs” (unmet demand)or “seeds” (potential solutions). Although both typesof initiatives are necessary for the implementation of
new technologies, the management approaches best
suited to each type are not the same. It is important todistinguish between these different management
approaches and ensure that both are promoted, without overemphasizing either the needs type or the seeds
type.

Technologies

Professor, Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University

N

Deployment

Fig. 1 Basic form of the business structure model(Ex.) Four-lane highway

Infrastructure
VehiclesDriver manpower

S
SS

Needs of society
N(Ex.) Reducing travel time to no morethan about ___ minutes for traffic
volume between Region A andRegion B

Fig. 2 Example of a basic form of the business structure model

Introducing technologies A-627

Material
Introducing technologies

Technology
Equipment
Technology

S
:
S
S
:
S

Element
N/S:
N/S
Maintenance(Ex.) Road bridgeover _____ River

BridgeN/S

N/S
Tunnels(Ex.) Road

Infrastructure
N/S
VehiclesNeeds of society
NS

Fig. 3 Example of the business structure model

Innovation and implementation
Expressed in terms of this business structure model,
innovation means creating or changing several
instances of the basic form. This definition makes it
easy to express the concept of new combinations
which was proposed by Joseph Schumpeter. The
implementation of a technology can be expressed as
adoption of a technology within a business structure
to fulfill some need of society.

Technologies

For a new technology to be implemented, it is necessary to put not only that technology into practical use,
but also a whole set of other seeds to satisfy a need ofsociety. In other words, the technology is implemented
only when that entire set of seeds is complete. Until
the other seeds are put into practical use, the newtechnology cannot be implemented. In general, a newtechnology is implemented sometime after it becomespracticable. In addition, the person who performs
development to make the technology practicable isoften not the same as the person who implements thetechnology.

Regions

Next, we will express the process of technical development using the business structure model. The process of implementation of a single technology often
involves multiple innovations of different types, bothneeds-driven and seeds-driven. We will consider theprocess for each type and appropriate management
approaches.

Needs-driven development
Needs-driven development, which is conducted tomeet a specific need of society, can be generally
expressed as shown in Fig. 4. Its purpose is to seek
combinations of seeds that can satisfy a specific need.
?

N

Deployment

Fig. 4 Needs-driven development

In some cases, it is possible to find a way to meet theneed through some combination of existing seeds. In
other cases, new seeds are developed and then combined with existing seeds to meet the need. In thosecases, the performance required of the newly developed seeds constitutes a new need.
The development of a large system involves designing

28

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teamsa set of components that will serve as the seeds formeeting needs of society, and determining the functions that each of these components should have. Thisis needs-driven development on a large scale. The next
step is to design combinations of seeds such as technologies, goods, services, and data to provide thefunctions that each of the components should have. In
other words, large-scale needs-driven development is
structured in a way that incorporates needs-driven
development on a smaller scale. The overall structure
may be as shown in Fig. 3, for example.
The problem-solving approach to development is one
example of needs-driven development. This includes
the development of machines for the automation of
specific tasks and the development of information systems. The construction of infrastructure and the development of maintenance technologies are also typicalcategories of needs-driven development.

Management suited to needs-driven
development
In needs-driven development, it is important to appropriately select the needs to be met and determine
appropriate development goals on that basis. The more
appropriate the development goals that are set, themore likely it becomes that the results of development
will actually be used once these goals have been met.
When new infrastructure is to be constructed, theneeds to be met are often spelled out in specifications
indicated by the administrator, along with various regulations and standards. In this sense, it is easy to set
development goals and implement needs-driven development. However, in infrastructure maintenance, theneeds will not be expressed appropriately unless theadministrator has adequate knowledge. If the administrator is unable to express the needs appropriately, it
is necessary for developers or third parties to analyze
the needs.
In needs-driven development, the more significant theneeds, the more urgent it is to surely meet those needs.
Therefore, it is more effective to make use of existing
seeds. If the seeds have been proven effective, aretechnically stable, have been used by many people,
and are widely understood, this makes it much easier
to complete development reliably and without delay.
The amount of work and the uncertainty of development can be reduced by relying on existing seeds as
far as possible, and developing new seeds only whenno existing solution is adequate.

Materials and technologies

S

(N)

?
Fig. 5 Basic R&D on seeds

Fig. 5 shows a business structure model representationof basic seeds-driven R&D. In this figure, (N) in
parentheses indicates a need that is assumed in a general way but has not been specified in detail. For
example, standards exist for evaluating the results ofacademic research, but these are general in nature, andmay not necessarily have a direct bearing on specificneeds of society.
The development of applications for new technologies
and new materials, etc. is also seeds-driven. Needs are
explored on the basis of a specific seed. Fig. 6 shows abusiness structure model representation of the development of applications for seeds. Other seeds forpotential combinations are explored, in addition toneeds. When relevant needs are identified, the natureof development changes to needs-driven. The lower
diagram in Fig. 6 shows the stage of final coordinationof seeds in needs-driven development.
Materials and technologies

S

(N)

?
↓
S

N

S
Materials and technologies

Introducing technologies

Development is not always driven by needs; there isalso seeds-driven development. A great deal of basic
R&D is seeds-driven in nature. Some basic R&D isconducted with the idea of meeting needs of society,but even so, the purpose of development is often notvery well defined. In other cases, R&D is performed
with the aim of obtaining some “interesting” result,instead of a specific purpose.

TunnelN

S?

N
Pipeline

Fig. 7 Example of utilizing seeds for different purposesManagement suited to seeds-driven
development
Seeds-driven development changes to become needsdriven after the needs to be met have been identified.
However, in the stage of seeds-driven development up
to that point, there is no development goal directly
connected to a specified need, so there may be frequent changes in the assumed needs and development
goals. This generally requires persistence and repeatedtrial and error.

Technologies

Seeds-driven development

The diversion of existing seeds for use in meetingother needs is also seeds-driven development. Fig. 7
shows a business structure model representation of thediversion of seeds. In Fig. 7, a seed, represented as S ,is diverted for use in a pipeline. Diversion is a type ofseeds-driven application development, but after a needhas been identified for diversion, the nature of development changes to needs-driven.

Seeds that have high quality and versatility can bediverted to many needs and used to support a great
deal of needs-driven development. To suit a variety ofneeds, a seed may be standardized in its design orinterface, or it may have the nature of a platform.
Research areas with a high proportion of seeds-driven
development include databases, in addition to newmaterials and innovative technologies. A good example in technical development under SIP Infrastructure
Maintenance is the development of a consolidated
database and dissemination to local governments by
the Tohoku University team.

Regions

A good example in technical development under SIPInfrastructure Maintenance is the combination of
three SIP robotic technologies and two non-SIP
robotic technologies by the Gifu University team tomeet the need of reducing the costs of periodic bridge
inspections.

Challenges and recommendations
The following article presents challenges and recommendations regarding management for promoting theimplementation of new technologies, based on a structural analysis of seeds and needs.

?
Deployment

Fig. 6 Developing applications for seeds

Introducing technologies A-6

29

A-7

Introducing technologies

Management of technical development from a "seeds
and needs" perspective:
Challenges and recommendations

Atsuomi OBAYASHITechnologies

Professor, Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University

From the preceding paper, “Development of new technologies from a ‘seeds and needs’ structural perspective,” it is understood that both seeds-driven andneeds-driven development are involved in the processes whereby new technologies are implemented,
and it is important to promote both of these types ofdevelopment, rather than relying on only one or theother. However, different management approaches are
suited to each of these types of development, as shownin Table 1. In this paper, I will present challenges andrecommendations concerning management for promoting the implementation of new technologies.

development, which makes new technologies usable,
and needs-driven development, in which new technologies are implemented. Also, in many cases, different
people handle seeds-driven and needs-driven development in their respective fields.
Therefore, R&D programs such as SIP may separately
handle proposals of seeds-driven and needs-driven
topics.
In the needs-driven category, the topics are intended
to solve specific problems (such as devices to reducethe costs of periodic bridge inspection). The seeds tobe combined may consist of previously existing seeds.
Fig. 1 is a business structure model representation ofthis approach.

Separate seeds-driven and needs-driven
development
Regions

The implementation of new technologies is accomplished by needs-driven development to satisfy theneeds of society. However, a great deal of seeds-driven
development is needed prior to that in order to makemany seeds usable. In general, it often happens that
there a re several yea rs bet ween seeds- d r iven?

N

Fig. 1 Needs-driven development

Table 1 Comparison of seeds-driven and needs-driven development

Deployment

Seeds-driven

30

Needs-driven

Example: Innovative research

Example: Development close to implementation

Characteristics:
The requirements of needs are unclear
The goal may change
Results will not emerge for quite some time

Characteristics:
The requirements of needs are clear

Criteria:
Versatility rather than problem specificity
Separate efforts in individual fields
Deep cultivation of seeds
Evaluation of novelty and difficulty
Evaluation within a specialized field

Criteria:
Solving a specific problem
Multidisciplinary efforts
Wide range of seeds
Use of existing seeds is more convenient
Multidisciplinary, multidimensional evaluation

Remarks:
Problem solutions that are currently impossible

Remarks:—

Relatively short-term

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support TeamsExample: New type of concrete
N /S:Infrastructure
N/S

Introducing technologies?

Needs of society:N

In another approach, requirements are defined for theseeds that are missing to solve a problem, and proposals are sought for forming those seeds (such as concrete that has at least a certain level of durability andcan be installed at no more than a certain cost) as aneed. A business structure model representation isshown in Fig. 2. The new concrete which is the missing piece in the overall structure is developed as aneed, N .

It should be noted that shifts between seeds-driven
and needs-driven phases may occur until a technology
is implemented. Distinctions need to be made in management and developer criteria depending on whether
development is in a seeds-driven or needs-driven
phase. If it is difficult to draw those distinctions within
a single organization, it is possible to collaborate witha partner having experience in each phase, or to divideup the development work to some extent.

In the seeds-driven category, R&D is conducted forseeds that will make it possible to solve problems thatcurrently lack solutions, and implementation does notnecessarily have to happen within a short period oftime. (An example is AI to estimate and predict structural deterioration based on crack patterns andchanges over time.) A business structure model representation is shown in Fig. 3.

Developer evaluation and incentives(N)

Fig. 3 Seeds-driven development

Different management approaches andcriteria
Management for seeds-driven and needs-driven development differs in the following points. On the needsdriven side, the purpose is to solve specific problems,
not necessarily to develop new seeds. It is actually
preferable to solve problems through combinations ofexisting seeds, because this makes it possible to solve
problems faster and more reliably. In contrast, on theseeds-driven side, technical novelty and versatility of
application are among the criteria for evaluation. If aseed is new, this may make it possible to solve problems that previously lacked solutions. If a seed is versatile instead of being specific to a certain application,
it can be used to solve many problems.
Overcoming these differences in criteria for evaluation poses a challenge for innovation where bothseeds-driven and needs-driven development are
required. If only one of these types is emphasized, theother type of development will not be promoted. Withneeds-driven development alone, refinement of existing results tends to be overemphasized, and radical
breakthroughs are unlikely. With seeds-driven development alone, new technologies may be created but
not implemented.

The scope of seeds that are mobilized to address needsof society is wider than the scope involved for development of individual seeds. A business structure
model representation is shown in Fig. 4.
Discipline 1

S

Discipline 2

S

Discipline 3

S

Regions?

Differences in criteria have an impact on the motivation and career paths of developers. Seeds-driven
development is generally similar to academic research.
That is, evaluation is conducted separately for eachfield of specialization, and the emphasis is placed on
novelty, technical difficulty, and addressing the problems recognized within that field. Meanwhile, needsdriven development is multidisciplinary in nature,
coordinating and combining seeds from different
fields of specialization according to the individual
problems to be solved. Evaluation is based on theextent of contribution to solving specific problems.

Multidisciplinary
N

Fig. 4 Scope of evaluation

It takes work and creativity to coordinate and combine
seeds across multiple fields of specialization, but due
to the specificity of individual problems, the results
may not have versatile applicability. Frequently, in
multidisciplinary development, technologies that are
simple and already popular are more practical than
new technologies having a high level of difficulty.
Therefore, for people who wish to pursue careers inspecialized fields, working in needs-driven development may offer a low potential for recognition within
their area of specialization, in comparison to theamount of effort required.

Deployment

S

Technologies

Fig. 2 Development of specified seeds (needs-driven)

It is easier to pursue a career as an expert by working
in seeds-driven development and building a reputation

Introducing technologies A-7

31

Introducing technologies

within an area of specialization. Therefore, developers
have an incentive to prioritize seeds-driven workwithin their area of specialization, rather than working
in needs-driven development.

Technologies

For people having knowledge in specialized fields toactively engage in needs-driven development, there
must be systems in place whereby contributions tosolving individual problems can also result in recognition within specialized fields. A typical project ofneeds-driven, problem-solving development lasts for a
few years, not as long as career of developers. Therefore, it should be possible to obtain recognition andcareer advancement in academia and research institutions based on contributions in needs-driven development. Along with such systems, it is also important tohave evaluators who are able to appropriately assess
contributions in needs-driven development. If no suitable evaluators are available, record of being selected
as a member of needs-driven development teams
could be taken as a form of evaluation. Contribution
in needs-driven development may result in repeatedinvitation of the developer to needs-driven development teams.

Characteristics of needs in infrastructure maintenanceDeployment

Regions

Needs in infrastructure maintenance are characterized
by a high degree of specificity for each project. However, even when maintenance needs are highly individu al, it may be possible to ident if y pa r t ial
commonalities. A business structure model representation is shown in Fig. 5. As partial common needs are
identified, seeds are developed for them, and these are

32

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

used for many specific needs. This is a promising
approach to innovation in the area of infrastructure
maintenance.
Common needs

Specific needs
N

N/S

N
N

N/S

Ｎ
N

Fig. 5 Identification of common needs N

However, in the present situation, the local governments that manage small and medium-scale infrastructure do not have adequate experts, and because
each local government handles only a small quantity,
it is difficult for them to identify standard types ofneeds. Local contractors who receive orders for maintenance work also tend to be small or medium enterpr ises, lack i ng the capabilit y to develop newtechnologies. Therefore, the kinds of maintenanceneeds that emerge tend to be biased toward large-scale
infrastructure managed by the national government or
major operators. Japan has a great deal of small andmedium-scale infrastructure, and in order to advancethe maintenance of this kind of infrastructure, itwould be effective to obtain the cooperation of academic societies, specialized conferences, and otherexpert groups to compile maintenance needs on anationwide scale and identify typical development
goals.

Introducing technologies

A-8

Survey of the general public concerning SIPTakanori IDA

Toshifumi KURODA

Kenji HIRATA

Associate Professor, Tokyo Keizai University

Professor, University of Toyama

Concerning the fields that should be particularly targeted for contributions from science and technology,
the field of resource energy was specified by the greatest number of respondents (41%), followed by life andmedical care (40.6%), the global environment (39%),
food (35%), and disaster and crime prevention (32%).
Regarding the key question of awareness of SIP
among the general public, as shown in Table 1, 66%
stated that they did not know of any specific sourcesof research funding, and only 22% were even aware of
grants-in-aid for scientific research. However, SIP wastied with AMED for first place in awareness of largescale competitive R&D programs, as both of thesewere recognized by 8.2% of respondents, far morethan those recognizing PRISM, ImPACT, and FIRST,
wh ich a re also la rge -scale compet it ive R&D
programs.
For further details concerning opinions about SIP, we
asked respondents whether they feel that SIP is making contributions to science. We found generally positive perceptions, with answers of “yes” (22%),

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research Project

21.9%

NEDO

14.5%

AMED

8.2%

SIP

8.2%

Security Technology Research Promotion
7.7%
Program
Health Labour Sciences Research Grant

7.6%

JST Basic Research Program

7.0%

Funds for Promotion of Environmental
5.4%
Research
Strategic Basic Technology Upgrading Sup5.4%
port Program
PRISM

5.2%

ImPACT

4.7%

R&D Promotion Program for National Task

2.6%

FIRST

2.5%

Nothing to Know

66.4%

Regions

We confirmed that the majority of respondents wereinterested in science and technology, with 20%
describing themselves as “interested” and 48% statingthat they were “somewhat interested.” Survey respondents showed an unexpectedly high level of trust inscientists, with 10% stating that scientists are “verytrustworthy” and 76% describing scientists as “somewhat trustworthy.”

Table 1 General public recognition of research funding“somewhat” (37%), “not sure” (37%), “not very” (2%),
and “no” (2%). Similarly positive perceptions wereexpressed with regard to the industrial competitiveness of SIP and its degree of contribution to resolving
problems of the general public. Respondents generallyindicated a higher opinion of SIP than of ImPACT or
FIRST, although the differences were slight. The
above results indicate that there is generally highawareness and a positive perception of SIP among thegeneral public. In the future, we plan to conductdetailed quantitative analyses including individual
attributes and news/publicity.

Introducing technologies A-8

Deployment

In November 2018, with the cooperation of MyVoice,an online survey company, we conducted a scienceand technology related questionnaire survey of 3,520
persons in order to assess understanding and awareness among the general public concerning the pros
and cons of selection and concentration with regard tolarge-scale competitive R&D projects, which havegiven rise to controversy in recent years.

Technologies

Professor, Kyoto University

33

Introducing technologies

A-9

Measures to promote adoption of technologies from an
institutional and policy perspective

Yasushi TAKAMATSU

Technologies

Visiting Professor,
Hokkaido University Public Policy School

In this paper, I will take a social sciences approach to
examine measures for promoting the regional implementation of SIP technologies from an institutional
and policy perspective.

Current status and challenges of infrastructure stock in Hokkaido(1) Infrastructure stock by region

Regions

The communities of Hokkaido are dispersed over the
prefecture’s very large land area. Among the prefectures of Japan, Hokkaido has a high level of infrastructure stock as well as per capita infrastructure
stock. Fig. 1 shows the relationship between the landcoefficient (square root of the product of a region’sarea and its population) and share of national infrastructure stock. The level of infrastructure stock iscorrelated not only with population, but also with land
area.

Deployment

Shareof national infrastructure stock
社会資本ストックの全国シェア

Infrastructure stock can be classified into four categories: urban infrastructure (housing, water and sewer,
urban parks, waste, education, etc.), land conservation
infrastructure (f lood control, afforestation, and30%

Land coefficient vs. infrastructure
国土係数と社会資本ストックシェア
stock

25%

Kanto
関東

20%
近畿
Kinki

15%

Chubu
中部
10%

Hokuriku
北陸
5% Okinawa
沖縄
四国
Shikoku

Kyushu九州
Tohoku東北
Hokkaido
北海道
Chugoku
中国

0%
0

5

10

15

(地域)

(by region)Land
coefficient
国土係数シェア=
share

(全国)

(nationwide)

20

25

%

Fig. 1 Land coefficient vs. infrastructure stock

34

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

coastline), transportation infrastructure (roads, harbors, and airports), and agricultural infrastructure(farming, forestry, and fisheries). Hokkaido has a highproportion of agricultural infrastructure stock, but alow proportion of urban infrastructure stock. Hokkaido also has a high proportion of transportation
infrastructure stock, as its harbors and airports serve
an important role in connecting Hokkaido with themain island of Japan and its large land area requires alarge network of roads.
(2) Regional economy
The economy of Hokkaido is currently driven byindustries related to tourism and food, backed by primary industries. Infrastructure supports trade andinterchange among the geographical areas and industries of Hokkaido, which have thriving activity and an
active economic structure. Eastern Hokkaido has a
trade surplus with regions outside Hokkaido and contributes to the rest of the country as a food supply
base.
(3) Population trends
Population decline is more advanced in Hokkaido than
the rest of Japan. The birthrate continues to decline,
and increasingly, the population is becoming (relatively) more concentrated in Sapporo for reasons suchas higher education and finding employment. In rural
regions, competitiveness is improving as farms
become larger in scale; and no serious problems suchas abandonment of villages have occurred, although
the amount of farmland per farming family has
increased. In the 2015 national census, Hokkaido’s
population was approximately 5.38 million persons,distributed over an area of 20,230 square kilometers.
Fig. 2 shows the population distribution per square
kilometer of land area over the past 20 years. As thisgraph indicates, urban populations have become increasingly dense, at the same time that sparsely populated
regions of farming villages have expanded in area.

120%

Trends in population per square kilometer in Hokkaido
北海道における人口規模別1kmメッシュ数の推移（伸び率）(growth rate)

Area of increasing
population

Introducing technologies

140%

100%
80%
60%
40%

2010

At least
10,00110001人～persons

1001 to 10000
1001～10000人
persons2015

Fig. 3 Population trends in Hakodate (per 500 m)

2015/2010

Fig. 2 Population trends in Hokkaido (population per square
kilometer)(4) Regional finances
Municipalities face severe financial challenges, andfiscal adjustment measures including distribution oftax revenues to local governments are indispensablefor the sake of infrastructure maintenance. Some of
the infrastructure managed by municipalities as alocal public asset does not only benefit a limited geographical area, but also provides noncompetitive spillover benefits to other regions. This effect is called thespillover of benefits.1) It is reasonable to allocate financial assistance and subsidies as a means of adjusting
the financial burden commensurately.
In towns and villages with small populations andsparsely populated areas, total per capita expenditures
are high, and expenditures related to civil engineering
are also higher than those of large cities.

Infrastructure stock management in cities
and rural areas
In the preceding section, I gave an overview of Hokkaido as a whole. Next, it is necessary to take a moredetailed look at the situations of individual areas.
Fig. 3 shows changes in the Hakodate metropolitan area
in population density per 500 meters compared to five
years ago, according to the national census. The city of
Hakodate is engaged in urban development aimed at
keeping the city compact and revitalizing the city center,but there is a pattern of urban sprawl as residents moveinto the suburbs. The convenience of road transportation
is improving in areas near junctions of national andregional high-grade arterial highways, and commercial
facilities are increasingly located in areas that offer highlevels of convenience. Basically the same tendency isalso seen in the cities of Hokkaido other than Sapporo.
Key regional cities such as Hakodate are bases of economic activity and life for their surrounding areas.
Because of underdeveloped public transportation,

many residents of the areas surrounding these cities
arrive by car, and it is difficult to realize the ideal of acompact, walkable city. Snowfall in wintertime is alsoa factor, and the Hokkaido standard for a compact cityneeds to include cars as well as walking. This diminishes the feasibility of measures to reduce the amountof road infrastructure. For basic infrastructure that
supports the regional economy and livelihoods, infrastructure management must be performed in effective
ways by using options other than consolidation.

Technologies

2005

As the population is rapidly declining, there will be
increasingly severe problems of vacant lots and vacantbuildings in city centers and other urban areas unlessthe sprawl of residential districts is halted. Therefore,
it is important to hold discussions including directions
for urban structures in the future.
Fortunately, much of Hokkaido’s infrastructure is still
relatively new because it was constructed at latertimes. Fig. 4 shows the age distribution of bridges.
Hokkaido’s bridges are newer than those of the rest ofJapan by nearly 10 years, and this margin of time
before infrastructure deterioration becomes more
severe should be used for high-quality discussions.

Regions

2000

Central urban
area

I will also mention housing, because public housing
can be included as part of the infrastructure stock.
■ Age distribution of bridges in Hokkaido and nationwide(Bridges)(Bridges)

90 years older
85-89
80-84
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64

Bridges 50 years old orolder: 6% (now)Bridges 50 years old orolder: 18% (now)Deployment

1995

101 to 1000
101～1000人
persons

Up to 10 persons
～10人

0%

11 to 100
11～100人
persons

20%

55-59
50-54

43% in 10 years

45-49

27% (in 10 years)

40-44
35-39

53% (in 20 years)

30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9

Bridges of
Hokkaido

0-4

Bridges of
Nationwide

Fig. 4 Age distribution of bridges in Hokkaido and nationwide

Introducing technologies A-935

Renovation (individual or
overall)

Discontinuing use

Plannedrepairs

Rebuilding

New construction

Introducing technologies

MaintenanceFig. 5 Plans for extending the lifespan of public housing, etc.
(selecting an approach)Expanded local autonomy and independent discretion based on the actual usage environment,
etc. (conceptual diagram)
Local discretion and responsibility
VerticalHorizontal

Legally mandated
inspections

Partial omissions;
reduced frequency

Technologies
RegionsFig. 6 Local independent decision-making based on theactual usage environment

Fig. 7 Joint lecture by SIP and Hokkaido Forum (group
discussion)

The management of aging infrastructure is a serious
problem, especially among local governments in areas
with small populations or sparsely populated areas.

mandated inspections as well, it is possible for interpretations such as partial substitution to be handledwith independent discretion and responsibility, andthis kind of independence in decision-making could
become an incentive for the use of new technologies.
(This approach is depicted in Fig. 6.)

I would like to propose expansion of local autonomy
and discretion as one such measure. The current handling of standards of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is as follows.
[Laws and regulations] Applicable to all[MLIT Standards]
National application:
Those applicable to facilities managed
by the national government
Local government
Those known as technical advice foradvice:local public organizations, etc.
Local government
Those provided as reference informareference:tion for local public organizations, etc.
Business application:
Those applicable to facilities managedby businesses, etc.
Business advice:
Those known as technical advice forbusinesses, etc.
Business reference:
Those provided as reference information for businesses, etc.

Deployment

The public facility generalmanagement plan mentions
abolishing 20% of local government
infrastructure in Hokkaido.

Promoting local engagement in technology implementation

Local government officials are interested in hearing
about new technologies that can help to solve theirproblems. However, it is difficult for them to move
forward with implementation because of issues suchas budget problems, technical certification, and equipment transportation costs. This can result in missing
good opportunities for resolving problems, so it isnecessary to develop an environment that will minimize these kinds of hurdles.

The relevant organizations are permitted to makeindependent decisions with regard to those standards
that are handled as advice or reference. Decisions concerning facility reorganization or abolition are subject
to independent decision-making. In relation to legally

36

Facility
reorganization
and abolition

Using new technologies tosubstitute for a portion ofclose-up visual inspection

Extending infrastructure lifespanLocal governments are to develop plans for extending
the lifespan of public housing. As a preliminary step
before establishing plans for extending the lifespan ofsuch infrastructure, local governments are to determine the situation of their stock as a basis for plandevelopment. To determine the stock situation, they
are to select approaches for all public housing, etc. asshown in Fig. 5 and conduct inspections in residentialbuildings as needed. One of the approaches that canbe selected is to discontinue use of a building as housing, reducing the stock. This plan development method
combines technical and policy perspectives.

Incentive for use of
new technologies

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Many local governments are facing problems such as
declining populations, and efforts are underway for
problem resolution and regional revitalization. It is
important to consider the relationship between infrastructure management and the future of local communities in discussions.
SIP research groups have undertaken various initiatives
in collaboration with the Hokkaido Forum, a national
council, in FY 2018 in Hokkaido. Even after SIP ends,
the Hokkaido Forum will continue to promote theregional implementation of technologies. At a second
group discussion (Fig. 7) that was held on August 22,
2018 as part of a commemorative lecture on establishment of the Hokkaido Forum, information was shared
among multiple local government organizations that arefacing similar problems as they are beginning toactively confront issues of infrastructure management,
including lively exchanges involving both local government officials and members of private companies.
Some indicated that they would like to try using amobile profilometer (MPM) which is currently being
developed at the Kitami Institute of Technology under
SIP. This venue is expected to help to develop momentum for the introduction of new technologies.
[References]
1) Takero DOI: Introductory public economics, second edition,
p. 202, Nippon Hyoron Sha [in Japanese]Technologies

Introducing technologies

B-1

Regionally easy-to-use technologies and implementation
statusYosuke INOUE

In this paper, I will give examples of technologies thatare easily accessible for regional implementation,
along with determination of the information needed
for selection of SIP technologies by local governments, which are users, and key universities, etc.
which deploy SIP technologies regionally. For specificendeavors by regional implementation support teams,
please refer to Regions Category in this report.

Trends in technical development in the
SIP Infrastructure Program

Criteria for regionally easy-to- use
technologies

Based on this survey, in general trends concerningtechnologies that are applicable to bridges and tunnels,
most respondents expect that the introduction of thesetechnologies will lead to improvements in quality,
accuracy, and efficiency (Fig. 1). When asked about
constraints that would limit the introduction ofRegions

For the future implementation of SIP technologies,
based on interviews with local governments and private business operators, etc., we have identified criteria for introducing the use of “regionally easy-to-use
technologies,” which are defined as technologies that
could easily be introduced in a region, or technologies
that could be selected for introduction. Specifically,
we have determined criteria in four areas: the targeted
scope and processes, constraints on introduction, benefits of introduction, and cost savings (Table 1). This
does not include operability, such as user interfaces ofequipment or systems.

To enable local governments to select the technologies
they wish to introduce from among the SIP technologies, we performed a questionnaire survey of technical development teams on matters related to thecriteria for introduction.

Improved safety (n=35)

Bridges

Technologies

Senior Fellow and Corporate officer
Value Management Institute, Inc.

Item

Improved safety (n=16)[Applicable scope and processes]○ Applicable structures and components○ Applicable inspection and repair processes[Cost savings]○ At time of introduction and during ongoing utilization

38

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Improved simplicity(n=16)
Tunnels

Deployment[Benefits of introduction]○ Safety, simplicity, efficiency, quality and accuracy

Improved quality andaccuracy (n=39)

Improved efficiency(n=38)

Table 1 Criteria for introduction[Constraints on introduction]○ Limited applicability based on infrastructure size, structure, etc.
○ Limited equipment usability based on weather or other conditions○ Limited quantity of equipment, costs of transporting equipment, etc.
○ Need for technical expertise (qualification or license) to operate equipment, etc.
○ Need for procedures such as permit applications to use equipment, etc.
○ Difficulty in determining the acceptability of using equipment that is
not covered in periodic inspection guidelines

Improved simplicity(n=35)

Improved quality andaccuracy (n=17)
Improved efficiency(n=16)■ I expect significant improvement.
■ No change expected, or not applicable.

■ I expect improvement.
■ I do not expect improvement.

Fig. 1 Benefits of introducing bridge and tunnel related
technologies

With regard to costs, respondents tended not to expect
any cost savings at the time of introduction of new
Applicability is limited based on
infrastructure size, structure, etc.

Equipment usability is limited by weather orother conditions (such as less accurate
measurement above certain wind levels).

technologies (Fig. 3).

Cases of implementation of easy-touse technologies

Introducing technologies

technologies, many respondents cited “limited applicability based on infrastructure size, structure, etc.,”“limited equipment usability based on weather orother conditions,” and “need for technical expertise tooperate equipment, etc.” (Fig. 2).

For the implementation of SIP technologies, it is necessary to clarify the criteria for introducing the use ofsuch technologies, and to provide opportunities forusers to actually see and experience the technologies
for themselves through field demonstrations and thelike. Therefore, regional implementation teams holdtechnology information sessions and field demonstrations and offer explanations and advice concerning
SIP technologies.

The quantities of equipment, etc. arelimited (time and labor needed to obtainand transport equipment).
Skill and expertise are needed to operate
the equipment, etc. (need for licenses,
qualifications, or acquisition of skills).

Procedures such as permit applications touse equipment, etc. must be completed.

Tunnels

It is difficult to determine the acceptabilityof using equipment that is not covered inperiodic inspection guidelines, etc.

Anticipated cost savings after utilization
for some period of time (n=36)

Technologies

Bridges

Anticipated cost savings starting in thefirst year after introduction (n=38)

Anticipated cost savings starting in thefirst year after introduction (n=16)
Anticipated cost savings after utilization
for some period of time (n=15)

Other■ Tunnels■ I expect cost savings.
■ I do not expect cost savings.
■ I do not know.
■ Costs could decline, depending on the conditions.
■ Costs would stay the same as current levels.

■ Bridges

Fig. 2 Constraints for bridge and tunnel related technologies

Fig. 3 Cost savings from bridge and tunnel related technologies

Table 2 Bridges: Examples of technologies implemented by regional implementation support teams

Robotic camera and monitor- Gifu University
ing system
Kansai University

◎

◎

◎

〇

Image analysis technology
University of theand remote monitoring system Ryukyus

○

○

○

〇

R&D on a flying robotic system to replace sounding
and close-up visual inspection of bridges

Drone and sounding
mechanism

Tohoku University
Gifu University
Nagasaki University

〇

〇

〇

〇

R&D on a flying robotic inspection system that uses
close-up visual inspection and sounding, etc.

Drone, image analysis,sounding mechanism, andsounding test analysis

Tottori University
Nagasaki University〇〇

Region of
implementation

Gifu University
R&D on a robotic system to support bridge inspection
Drone, image analysis, andTottori Universitythat is capable of acquiring close-up images with
3D-CAD modeling
Nagasaki University
geo-tagging, using a two-wheeled multi-copter
R&D on a flying robotic system for sounding tests of Drone (sounding mechanism) Gifu University
bridges and tunnels
and pole sounding device
Nagasaki University
R&D and implementation of road surface and bridge
Infrastructure sensing data
Tottori University
screening technology based on large-scale sensor data
management
integration for preventive maintenance of infrastructure
Kansai University
Nondestructive ultrasensitive magnetic inspection for
Nondestructive ultrasensitive
Ehime University
assessment of infrastructure deterioration and maintemagnetic inspection
University of the Ryukyus
nance planning
Nondestructive rebar magnetism
Development of a device to inspect for rebar corrosion
evaluation by acoustically
Ehime University
inside concrete
stimulated electromagnetic method

◎

○
○

○

〇

〇

○

○

〇

◎

◎

◎

〇

●

●

●

〇

●

●

●

〇

Deployment

Technical characteristics

Regions

Foundation

Creating a monitoring system that uses robotic
cameras and other devices for bridge inspection
Constructing a system that uses image analysis
technology for quantitative evaluation of deck slab
cracks from a distanceName of R&D project

Other

Substructure

Close-up visualinspection
Nondestructive
inspection

Inspection
processes

Superstructure

Portion targeted

Applicable locations:◎: Concrete members and steel members ○: Concrete members ●: Steel members
Source: Value Management Institute, Inc.

Technologies B-1

39

Table 3 Tunnels: Examples of technologies implemented by regional implementation support teams

Region of
implementation

Frequency-shifted feedback laser;Kansai University
diagnostic (sounding) technology
Nagasaki University
using laser-induced vibration waves
Image analysis technology;
Development of an integrated diagnostic system that uses
Gifu University
high-speed moving noncontact
high-speed moving noncontact radar technology to detect
Nagasaki University
radar and lasersinternal defects in tunnel lining
Constructing a system that uses image analysis technology
Image analysis technology andUniversity of thefor quantitative evaluation of deck slab cracks from a distance remote monitoring system
Ryukyus
R&D on a full-surface inspection and diagnosis system for
System for full-surface inspection
Nagasaki University
tunnels
and diagnosis of tunnels
R&D on a flying robotic system for sounding tests of bridges Drone (sounding mechanism) and Gifu University
and tunnels
pole sounding device
Nagasaki University

R&D on high-performance, nondestructive technology todiagnose infrastructure deterioration using lasers

Close-up visualinspection
Nondestructive
inspection(sounding)Technical characteristics

Ancillary

Name of R&D project

Inspection
processes

Main work

Introducing technologies

Portiontargeted

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

〇

〇

Technologies

Source: Value Management Institute, Inc.

Fig. 4 UAV and robotic technologies developed under the SIP Program (Source: Examples of outcomesunder the SIP Infrastructure Maintenance, Renovation and Management Program, JST/Gifu University)

Regions

Below, I will present examples of technologies that are
regionally easy-to-use for future introduction in areas
such as bridges, tunnels, and road pavement, based on
information related to these criteria for introduction
and field demonstrations, etc.

Bridges: Technologies for locations
where close-up visual inspection is difficult and technologies for preliminary
investigation
Technology information sessions and field demonstrations have been held by regional implementation support teams for many bridge-related SIP technologies,
as shown in Table 2.

Deployment

Although these SIP technologies are unable to substitute for close-up visual inspection and sounding tests
at present, robots and UAV are expected to be used to
identify damage in hard-to-see locations and perform
preliminary investigation (screening) prior to close-up
visual inspection (Fig. 4).
For example, robotic cameras for bridge inspection
provides equipment portability and versatility, alongwith simplicity and efficiency for inspection workers.
In addition, cost savings are anticipated because theuse of bridge inspection vehicles can be omitted.

40

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Fig. 5 Demonstration of laser sounding (Source:
Photon-Labo Co., Ltd.)

Next, UAV technologies differ in factors such as flight
operation methods, scope of applicability, and processing methods for captured images, depending on
the equipment that has been developed. In addition, it
is necessary to select and combine technologies for
introduction, such as equipment that is capable ofsounding tests, based on the locations to be inspected.

Tunnels: Technologies for inspection
without lane closure or scaffolding
Technology information sessions and field demonstrations have been held by regional implementation support teams for the tunnel-related technologies shownin Table 3.

JIP Techno Science

Cloud
IRI
calculation
Acceleration informationand video recorded while
in motion

Introducing technologies

A smartphone is affixed byplacing it into a special case.

Reports

Everydaymanagement by
online accessVideo isrecorded by its
camera.
Fig. 6 Mechanism for road surface inspection using smartphones (Source: JIP Techno Science Corporation)

In the latter, or laser sounding tests (Fig. 5), measurement cannot be performed during high-speed motion,
but no scaffolding is needed for work in high places,and sounding can be performed at 20 times the speedof a human worker, so practical use of this technology
is anticipated.

Road pavement: Technology for simple,
inexpensive IRI evaluation
In the area of technologies related to road pavement, atechnology that uses smartphones to evaluate roadsurface conditions is expected to be utilized.
With this technology (Fig. 6), a smartphone is simply
affixed to a service vehicle, etc. and held in a specialcase, making it possible to verify locations of damage
and to calculate the International Roughness Index(IRI) of the road surface based on acceleration, angle,
image data, etc. This can be accomplished at 1/20 of
the cost of a conventional maintenance control index(MCI) evaluation. This technology involves a low
level of capital investment because it only requires
equipment on the order of smartphones and Wi-Fi
routers, resulting in considerable cost savings.

Technologies

This is a system in which the results of bridge inspections
and other types of data are jointly used and managed
by prefectural and municipal governments. It has beenreported that the time needed to prepare a bridge diagnosis (health report) is reduced to 1/60 by database
introduction.
Operational frameworks are formed to improve usability so that the accumulated information can be better
utilized as data, instead of merely improving the efficiency of record-keeping for inspections; for example,a university can provide support in the area of data
analysis, as in the case of Yamagata Prefecture andTohoku University. (See No. C-3 in this report)

Regions

In the former, a special vehicle is capable of simultaneously measuring cracking, deformation, lifting, rearface cavities, and so on in a tunnel while moving athigh speed. Because road closures are not needed, thismethod has a high level of safety and efficiency incontrast to conventional aerial work vehicles, and it isalso highly versatile, being applicable in practically all
tunnels.

Database management and utilizationfor operational efficiency

Also, asset information on locally managed water supply systems in Hokkaido is managed using tablet computers and GIS, etc., and this has had the effect ofimproving simplicity, making it more easily handled
by local residents, students, and other users. (See No.
C-8)Developing easy-to-use technologies
In the future, the criteria for easy-to-use technologies
will become more clearly defined if constraints(acceptability of use) are indicated for the implementation of SIP technologies and the use of new technolog ie s i n p e r io d ic i n s p e ct ion pro ce du r e s a nd
guidelines, etc.

Deployment

These SIP technologies are not capable of substituting
for close-up visual inspection and sounding tests atpresent, but technologies capable of measuring cracks,etc. in tunnel walls from vehicles moving at highspeeds and technologies using lasers for sounding
tests are promising.

Local governments and universities can play animportant role in providing demonstration venues,
determining the needs of users, and obtaining evaluation by developers of technology, in order to help
make new technologies more accessible for use. Networks such as regional implementation support teams
and regional forums of the Japanese Congress for
Infrastructure Maintenance are important.

Technologies B-1

41

B-2

Technologies

Introducing technologies

Correspondence of SIP development technologies to 26
types of damage under periodic bridge inspection
guidelines

Hiroshi MATSUDA

Kohei YAMAGUCHI

Professor, Faculty of Engineering,Nagasaki University

Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering,Nagasaki University

Comments during SIP technology information sessions and demonstration
tests

Regions

The main pillars of the activities of the regional implementation support team at Nagasaki University havebeen as follows: (1) to familiarize a wide range ofinfrastructure maintenance engineers with SIP development technologies; (2) to determine the current
needs in maintenance overall from local government
infrastructure administrators and private maintenanceengineers; and (3) to provide developers with feedback
concerning those needs. The comments shared byinfrastructure administrators and private maintenanceengineers generally correspond to the following two
types of questions: “Which technologies are immediately usable in inspections?” and “How can these technologies be introduced into our current maintenance
operations?”

Periodic inspection of bridges by national
government and local governments

Deployment

At present, the methods for inspection and diagnosisof bridges directly managed by the national government and those managed by local governments are
separately specified by the respective periodic inspection guidelines. There are some differences regarding
the types of damage, criteria for countermeasure classifications, and so on, but both are the same in thesense that national or local government administrators
are to perform appropriate maintenance work. For
example, the periodic inspection guidelines for bridges
directly managed by the national government include
the 26 types of damage shown in Table 1, while theguidelines for use by local governments only indicate
the 7 types of damage indicated with asterisks. For
each of these types of damage, inspections can identify up to five stages (a – e) of damage, based on
close-up visual inspection, sounding tests, etc.

42

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

However, especially in the case of inspection anddiagnosis of bridges by local governments, the fact isthat merely confirming the types of damage indicatedin these guidelines is not enough to enable effective
use of the results. Also, many areas are not accessible
to visual inspection, including narrow portions at theends of girders; and in reinforced concrete deck slabs,
multiple types of damage such as leakage and freelime are frequently present in addition to cracking.

Correspondence of SIP development
technologies to 26 types of damage
under the national government’s inspection guidelines
Table 1 shows the specific types targeted by SIP development technologies out of these 26 types of damage.1) As the table indicates, the technologies underdevelopment are focused on specific types of damage
such as cracking, deck slab cracks, lifting, etc., but notechnologies are being developed for damage categories such as water leaks and free lime, damage inrepair and reinforcement materials, or water leaks andstanding water. Meanwhile, the 7 types of damage
included in the road and bridge periodic inspection
guidelines for local governments are all covered,
except for the “other” category.

Trends in critical damage to major
members
Table 2 shows an example of the top three types ofhigh-frequency damage in major members having ahealth diagnosis of Class II (stage of damage requiring
preventive maintenance) and Class III (stage of criticaldamage requiring urgent measures), which are C1 andC2 in an administrative organization’s countermeasure categories.
For example, with steel main girders, members inclasses C1 and C2 made up 5% of all members, andTable 1 Correspondence of SIP development technologies to 26 types of damage

Corrosion*
Fissures*

Breakage*
Degraded anticorrosion(5)
protection(6) Cracking*(7) Peeling and rebar exposure(8) Leakage and free lime(9) Falling out
Damaged repair or reinforce(10)ment materials(11) Deck slab cracking*

1, 7(14) Uneven road surface(15) Pavement abnormalities
Functional impairment of(16)
supports*(17) Other*(3)

Loosening and falling

1, 12(18) Fixation abnormalities(12) Lifting

11, 48, 50, 51(4)

22, 44, 45, 47, 50, 51, 52 (19) Discoloration and deterioration
12(20) Water leaks and standing water(21) Abnormal noise or vibrations(22) Abnormal flexure

39
39
54

8, 21, 24
25, 33(23) Deformation and deficits
7, 12, 22, 23, 33(24) Dirt and sand clogging
Settlement, movement, or(25)
inclination(26) Scouring(13) Expansion gap abnormalities

21

Technologies

(1)
(2)

Development issue
numbers

Type of damage

Introducing technologies

Development issue
numbers
1, 7, 122, 3, 36

Type of damage* Included in the road and bridge periodic inspection guidelines

Table 2 Critical damage tendencies in major members

Steel main
girders,((1)-(26), see the5%
type of damage
in Table 1)

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)

Concretemaingirders,2%

Type of
Steel main
ConcretedamageSubstrucgirders,deck slabs,((1)-(26), see theture, 2%5%
5%type of damage
in Table 1)

No. 1
No. 3

No. 2
No. 2
No. 1

No. 2
No. 3

No. 1
No. 2

No. 3

(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)
(24)
(25)
(26)

Concretemaingirders,2%

No. 3

Concrete
Substrucdeck slabs,
ture, 2%
5%

No. 1

Regions

Type ofdamage* Included in the road and bridge periodic inspection guidelines

As an example, although reinforced concrete deckslabs show a high frequency of peeling and rebar

exposure, as well as leakage and free lime, not muchdevelopment is aimed at detection of these types ofdamage, as shown in Table 1.

Expectations for new technologies

Deployment

the most frequent type of damage was corrosion, followed by degraded anti-corrosion protection in second
place, and fissures in third place. With concrete main
girders, the most frequent type of damage was peelingand rebar exposure, followed by cracking in second
place, and “other” in third place. With concrete deckslabs, the most frequent type of damage was “other,”followed by peeling and rebar exposure in second
place, and leakage and free lime in third place. With
substructures, the most frequent type of damage wascracking, followed by peeling and rebar exposure insecond place, and lifting in third place.

The technologies most desired by maintenance engineers are maintenance technologies that would contribute to accuracy in diagnosis and final countermeasures.
There is high demand for new technologies that would
handle preliminary screening or complement humansenses (close-up visual inspection) for the sake of reliable inspection and diagnosis without missing criticaldamage, and we expect that these could be implemented immediately.

Technologies B-2

43Introducing technologies

B-3

Questionnaire result report on SIP technical lectures by
the University of the Ryukyus

Kohei SAKIHARA

Technologies

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Eng., University of the Ryukyus

Jun TOMIYAMA

Yoshitomo YAMADA

Associate Professor, Faculty of Eng., University of the Ryukyus

Professor, Faculty of Eng., University of the Ryukyus

1.Summary of SIP technical lectures• Familiarity with SIP
Fig. 3 shows the proportion of participants in the SIP
technical lectures who knew about SIP. Fewer than
40% were familiar with SIP at the second lecture,but over 50% knew about it at the third lecture, indicating that the level of familiarity with SIP increased
with repeated lectures.

SIP technical lectures were held at the University of
the Ryukyus on February 21, June 16, and October 16,
2018. We performed a questionnaire survey during
this program to assess familiarity with SIP and determine needs related to bridge inspection and maintenance technologies.

• New technologies that participants want to use

2.Questionnaire results and discussion

Table 1 shows the new technologies that participants
said they would like to use. The results indicate ahigh level of interest concerning the use of UAV anda new technology for detecting cracks from images,
which were used in verification testing.

• Ages of SIP lecture participants

Regions

The ages of participants in the SIP technical lecturesare shown in Fig. 1. About 20% of participants were
29 or younger, but more than half were between theages of 40 and 59.

• Obstacles seen by participants concerning theuse of new technologies• Occupations of SIP lecture participants

Table 2 shows comments by participants on obstacles concerning the use of new technologies. Participants cited several types of obstacles to the use of
new technologies, including costs, personnel, a lackof standards or guidelines for new technologies,
track record, and level of awareness of new technologies among ordering parties.

Occupations are shown in Fig. 2, with 7–9% working in government agencies, and 2–8% working atconstruction companies. Consultants accounted forover 70% of participants at every lecture.

0

Deployment

14

1

0

6
7

22

6

13

14

3

8

10-19
20-29
30-39

10
21
58 persons total
February 21, 201734

27

102 persons total
June 16, 201716

54 persons total
October 16, 2017

Fig. 1 Ages of SIP lecture participants

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Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

12

40-49
50-59
60 and up

4

9
3

0

2 9

1
0

4

1

3

7

00

2

Introducing technologies

1

0

8

39

77

56 persons total

102 persons total

53 persons total

February 21, 2017

June 16, 2017

October 16, 2017

Government agency

41

Association or foundation

Construction company

Consultant

Private road administration
University

Other

Technologies

Fig. 2 Occupations of SIP lecture participants

70%
60%
50%

Total participants: 54
Aware of SIP: 29

Total participants: 58
Aware of SIP: 26
Total participants: 102
Aware of SIP: 35

40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

February 21, 2017

June 16, 2017

Regions

Proportion of participants who knew
about SIP

80%

October 16, 2017

Fig. 3 Familiarity with SIP

Table 1 New technologies that participants want to use• If it becomes possible to use crack image analysis
technology with general-purpose programs soon, I
think this will improve the efficiency of work.
• Crack image analysis technology• Crack analysis technology seems to be at a practicallevel. I hope this technology will be made available tothe public soon.
• Crack analysis technology is promising. I think thiswill be ver y useful as the number of engineers
declines.
• Remote diagnostic technology• Technology related to diagnostic standardization• I want to study and propose countermeasures against
salt damage by using additives such as fly ash for concrete used in coastal structures.

• Using omnidirectional video to produce images ofbridge aging• Drones, robots, and AE• Innovations in construction of cast-in-place floor slabs• I think image analysis technology would be effective
for structural inspections with limited working time.
It would be ideal if my company could use this.
• Development of inspection and diagnostic technologies for harbor structures• Underwater drones• Inspection using drone technology in cavities below
girders, such as in bridges• Technology for diagnosing the state of corrosion ofrebar in concrete in a completely nondestructive manner. In the case of visual inspection, the internal condition can only be inferred by hammer sounding andthe like, so it would be enough for the technology toTechnologies B-3

Deployment[February 21, 2017 survey results:]

45

Technologies

Introducing technologies

provide a simple deter mination of the inter nal
condition.
• Crack image analysis technology for structures• Te ch nolog y t o pr e pa r e c r a ck d r aw i ngs f rom
photographs• Analysis of 3D point groups and crack images• Crack image analysis technology• Crack images for structures• Shorter working period• Image analysis technology using wavelet transform• Diagnostic technology for structures such as bridges
using UAV
• None at present• Traditionally, if a technology has been fine-tuned bysomeone who is an authority in that field of infrastructure, it can be introduced into the workplace withconfidence.
• I am interested in the re-use of materials including
concrete.
• Technologies that would make up for the disadvantages in work that tends to be costly, such as diving
work, or places that are difficult for people to investigate and inspect, as discussed in this lecture (distantand narrow locations)• Technology to measure corrosion in steel[June 16, 2017 survey results:]

Deployment

Regions• Constructing a system for quantitative evaluation offloor slab cracks from a distance, using image analysis
technology• Alternative methods to close-up visual inspection ofbridges• R&D on flying robotic systems for hammer sounding
tests in bridge and tunnel inspection• R&D on infrastructure structures and inspection
devices that are suited to more sophisticated inspection of infrastructure• Development of technologies for automating theinspection and diagnosis of pavement and embankment structures• Inspection of pavement and embankment structure,d evelo p me nt of a ut om at io n t e ch nolog ie s fordiagnostic• Technology for highly precise and efficient monitoringof manmade structures for displacement over time
• Demonstration testing of a surface collapse prediction
and detection method based on driven-in water level
gauges with inclination sensors• R&D on monitoring system technologies for detecting
river embankment deformation, etc.
• Using satellite observation for more efficient riverembankment monitoring• A system for monitoring the internal state of embankments using geophysical exploration and groundwaterobservation technologies• R&D on a wide variety of data storage, management,
and utilization technologies related to infrastructure
maintenance and updating• Development of an infrastructure maintenance system
for local governments based on multi-tiered diagnosis• Development of models for extending the lifespan of
infrastructure through collaboration among businessscience, science and engineering, and economics• R&D on special GPR devices such as chirp radar in46

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

cavity and backfill subsidence surveying• Development of devices to determine rebar corrosion
inside concrete• R&D on product development for precast members
using ultra-durable concrete• Various inspection technologies to compensate for the
many problems that exist in ongoing surveys based on
close-up visual inspection due to differences amongindividual engineers• Maintenance of structures using drones and AI
technologies• Technical development on inspection, diagnosis, andperformance evaluation for more sophisticated life
cycle management of harbor structures• Curing methods and methods to eliminate fogging
error• If any technologies exist that make it easy to check forburied objects and the like, I would be interested inseeing them.
• Use of fly ash concrete• Technologies to supplement maintenance based on
ICT technologies (because it should be possible to prioritize maintenance tasks through visualization offloor slab soundness on urban expressways)[October 16, 2017 survey results:]• I learned about new endeavors based on the remarkable progress that has taken place in drone technology
in recent years. I hope to make use of drone technology in the future.
• Technology for checking deterioration in gaps between
the ends of girders and abutment parapets• Development of devices to determine corrosion ofrebar inside of concrete• It would be useful to be able to discover corrosion ofinternal rebar by nondestructive means at an earlystage.
• Promoting the use of fly ash and using it in operations• Drone inspection technologies• Development of back scattering X-ray devices forvisualizing the interior of concrete• I hope to be able to perform inspections using newtechnologies.
• Deterioration, maintenance, etc. of river structures• Diagnostic technologies for inspection and monitoring• Exploratory methods for buried objects (water pipes,
sewer pipes, etc.)• It’s good to learn about the use of drones for detecting
flaws at minimal cost.
• I would like to make use of fly ash concrete technology in certain cases.
• Bridge maintenance• Bridge inspection technologies• Regional implementation of FA concrete• Ways to utilize ETC 2.0 in the future (“soft” aspects)• Technologies for the reuse of industrial waste[June 16, 2017 survey results:]• Costs• Lack of public awareness; description in standards andguidelines, etc.
• Based on the need for productivity measures, higher-level institutions should take the lead in using newtechnologies and establishing qualifications.
• It seems to be difficult to construct a business model
related to maintenance.
• Administrators need to have better awareness. Thereis resistance to adopting new technologies with notrack record. Okinawa Prefecture has announced key
achievements of senior officials in the Department ofCivil Engineering and Construction.
• The cost is high.
• High costs, guarantees (including the number of yearsof usability), and inadequate examination by planning
agencies• Research findings and expense budgets• Costs and volume of construction• When the party ordering a project has a low level ofawareness, it is difficult for me to propose the use of
new technologies. I need more actual examples showing how much more accuracy can be achieved, compared to conventional methods and technologies.
• Costs and lack of technical guidelines. I would like tobe able to use new technologies without hesitation.
• Use of new technologies in fields where relevant standards and guidelines, etc. have not yet been developed• As far as bridge inspection is concerned, close-up
visual inspection is mandatory. As this kind of technology advances in the future, I expect that it will also
be necessary to relax the guidelines so that close-up
visual inspection can be omitted.
• It is costly. I am not familiar with how to use it.
• The cost is high.
• Lack of familiarity on the government side, and lackof a proven track record (SIP technologies)• The periodic inspection guidelines are based on visualinspection. Mechanical means are merely supplementary. I don’t know whether the mechanical means are
truly trustworthy.
• It is not easy to obtain the necessary budget andengineers.
• Ordering parties tend to depend on established precedents in their attitudes toward technology, and it ishard for them to accept new technologies. They do notstudy these matters adequately.
• More clarity is needed concerning the costs and thelevel of accuracy.
• Even if a technology is excellent, it’s difficult to use it
at a work site if it has not been fully anticipated, or if
there are issues in terms of cost or safety.
• Not many people are able to use these kinds of newtechnologies.
• There are not many opportunities to experience thelatest technologies.
• There needs to be a proven track record, a budget forpurchasing, and institutional changes.

• Get t i ng f u nd s budgeted for i n f r ast r uct u remaintenance• Constraints based on the existing systems; budgetary
constraints• Financial aspects such as cost, education, and humanresources in relation to the introduction of new technologies, and the lack of human resources who canhandle such technologies• Whether the technologies are registered in NETIS• Local governments cannot easily introduce new technologies without precedent cases and a track record.
• Expensive• Not e noug h i n for mat ion is avai lable on newtechnologies.
• The prefectural government has not established relevant specifications.
• The track record of new technologies does not haveenough credibility. The explanatory materials are notadequate to overcome doubts.
• There is a lack of familiarity with new technologies.
• Complicated regulations• In the design process, one is always asked for references and examples of previous use.
• Not yet widely known• No clear advantages to be seen; costly• Lack of skills, lack of human resources, aging workforce, etc.
• It will not be easy to use high-priced technologies
until the prices come down.
• Even if a technology is effective, the fact is that it cannot be adopted easily unless it has a proven trackrecord.
• From my perspective as a consultant, I believe that
registration in NETIS is indispensable.

Technologies[February 21, 2017 survey results:]

Introducing technologies

Table 2 Obstacles to use of new technologies[October 16, 2017 survey results:]

Technologies B-3

Deployment

Regions• Reliability and price of technology• Ordinary, commercially available drones cannot be
used (for surveying) in drone inspection on the underside of a floor slab.
• Providing information about future development, dissemination, etc.
• There are problems of economical costs.
• In some cases, it is difficult to demonstrate whether atechnology meets the standards set by the national
government.
• Can you give an explanation concerning proof that it
can be reliably used in business, confirming that it isacceptable for use at each respective worksite? (Questions are raised about its track record, etc.)• Response of administrators• In public works projects, a proven track record isemphasized.
• I think the rules about close-up visual inspection andhammering in the periodic inspection guidelines posean obstacle to the introduction of new technologies.
• It is difficult to use new software programs and equipment because both are expensive.
• Many of them are still under development (technologies using GPS, radar, soundwaves, etc.).
• Lack of flexibility in the existing standards; versatilityof new technologies

47

Introducing technologies

B-4

Technologies

Inspection system using flying robots with close-up
visual inspection and hammering test functions

Hiroaki TSURUTA

Hitoshi FURUTA

Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban
Engineering, Kansai University

Professor, Faculty of Informatics,
Kansai University

Background and summary
The local government level that manages the close-up
visual inspection of a large number of diverse bridges
to be performed once every five years suffers due tolimited budget and lack of technicians. Therefore,
there is a dire need for a cost-effective and efficient
inspection system. The SIP group’s “Development ofFramework and New Technologies for Infrastructure
Maintenance Management in Kansai-Hiroshima
Region,” which was supervised by Hitoshi FURUTA,
Kansai University, conducted an experiment with aninspection system that used flying robots equippedwith close-up visual inspection and hammering test
devices in the Nara Prefecture.

The flying robot for a horizontal surface, as shown in
Fig. 1, comprises a movement mechanism for flying
and traveling with the attached inspection device. The
combination of the components constitutes an inspection system with a visualized inspection signal and ananalytical system that supports evaluation. The decks
Close-up visualinspection

Regions

Outline of the technology demonstrated

Deployment

In this experiment, a drone was used to conduct surface observations of areas under girders, deck surfaces, and the sides of piers of bridges using a camera,
conduct the proximity confirmation of bearing, andperform hammering tests. This process was proposedby a group led by Shin-Nippon Nondestructive Inspection Co., Ltd.
Demonstration date: February 20, 2018, Tuesday
Weather: Sunny with a wind speed of 1–2 m/s
Location: Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, Miwa viaduct (multi-span post-tensioned composit e b r id ge , t h r e e - s p a n c o nt i nu o u s
non-composite plate girders, bridge
length: 784 m, bridge width: 16.10 m,
24-spans, construction date: December
2008, height from the ground to the undersurface of girder: approximately 5 m)
Equipment: A flying robot for horizontal surface, i.e.,under the surface of girder and deck, asshown in Fig. 1, and a flying robot for a
vertical surface, as shown in Fig. 2, wereused.

Protective
guard

Power
unit

Travelingmechanism

Hammering
test

Laser
rangefinder
Cable
Electric
powersourceFig. 1 Flying robot for horizontal surface.

Omnidirectional
wheelsClose-up visualinspection
mechanism

Auxiliary
propellers

Fig.2 2Flying
Flyingrobot
robot forFigureforverticalverticalsurface.
surface.

48

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Hammering

Hammeringmechanizm

Microphone

Introducing technologies

verified in the following manner. For inspection performance, verification items included the following: (1)close-up visual inspection and hammering testing of
the areas under the post-tensioned composite plate
girder (horizontal robot), (2) close-up visual inspection
and hammering testing of the decks (horizontal robot),and (3) close visual inspection of the sides of piers andbearings. For functionality, verification items included
the following: (1) close-up visual inspection (undergirders, decks, side of piers, and bearings), (2) hammer
testing (under girder and decks), (3) inspection sites(beam and decks) and shape measurements of inspection sites, and (4) vertical surface inspection (sides ofpiers).

Results of the demonstration experimentTechnologies

Inspection performance, such as conducting a close-up
visual inspection and the hammering test of post-tensioned composite girder surfaces and deck, was sufficiently performed through image observation andevaluation of hammering test results (Figs. 5-7). There
were no limitations associated with functionality, suchas close-up visual inspection, hammer testing, inspection positions, and the measurement of shapes ofinspection sites. However, since no abnormalities were
found in the inspected bridge, we were unable to confirm whether this inspection method can detect
abnormalities.
Next, we used the vertical flying robot, as shown in
Fig. 8. Initially, it took time for the robot to climb theside of a pier, but upon starting, it traveled smoothly.
There were no problems with close-up visual inspection of the bearing.
The results of our demonstration experiment are summarized in Tables 1–4, including the advantages andchallenges faced.

Regionsand beams on the backside of a bridge can be examined using a multicopter. Wheels are pressed against
the surfaces that are to be inspected using a lift, andthen the robot travels along the surface using wheels.
The direction in which the robot travels can be controlled by changing the rotational speed of the left andright wheels. The inspection device operates based on
the hammering test mechanism comprising four percussion instruments placed at equal intervals and a
microphone, as shown in Fig. 3, and an observational
mechanism that obtains images with proximity datausing two cameras, as shown in Fig. 4. The robot performs efficient inspections by linking the inspection
mechanism with the movement mechanism. Power is
supplied to the robot using a cable and hammering
signals are transmitted to the computer for data analysis using a designated cable. Positional data andimages captured by the camera for close-up visualinspection are transmitted using a LAN cable. The
robot employed for vertical surfaces has the samef light mechanism as that of the horizontal robot,
though it is equipped with omnidirectional wheels fortraveling. Auxiliary propellers arranged in the rightand left sides are used to exert a horizontal pressure
force against the vertical surfaces. The close-up visualinspection mechanism is installed in the upper part of
the flight mechanism.

Fig. 3 Hammering test mechanism.

The inspection
robot
A certain
distance

CamerasFig. 4 Observation mechanism.

Datacollection

In the demonstration experiment, the horizontal robot
was used and the area under girder was covered twice,whereas that under the deck was covered thrice. We
considered the entire surface as the target area toensure that no part of the surface was overlooked
during the inspection. The vertical robot was used toinspect the side of the piers and observe bearings.
Inspection performance and functionality were

Deployment

Demonstration experimentWorkers
Fig. 5 The demonstration experiment.

Technologies B-4

49

Introducing technologies
Technologies

Fig. 6 Inspection of the area
under girder.

Fig. 7 Inspection of the deck.

Table 1 Advantages of the inspection performance

Table 3 Challenges (part 1)• Arriving and traveling on the girder surface anddeck surface using the flying robot was smooth.
• The robot was able to record a video of the inspection site, from which still images could be captured. It was easy to confirm the surface conditionof members, and it was particularly useful when
the inspection area was wide.
• Analysis of the audio signals from the hammering
tests allowed the evaluation of the bridge.

• It requires training to operate the robot.
• An expert team must be formed, which includes anoperator, guide, data analyst, data evaluator, andsupervisor, among others.
• There is a protective guard around the f lying
robots, which makes it impossible to inspect theedge of beams, and at some instances, there is alimited space between beams; thus, a smaller
model may be necessary to properly inspect certain
areas.
• Protection protocol for falling concrete pieces fromthe hammering test must be developed.

Table 2 Advantages of the functionality

Deployment

Regions• From the video of the inspection sites, images of
the hammering test sites can be confirmed, andcracks can be delineated by an automatic detection
process.
• Areas that cannot be easily accessed by human
workers can be safely and economically inspected.
• There was a minor difficulty when climbing theside of a pier was initiated, but it traveled smoothly
thereafter, and bearing could be examined withoutbuilding a scaffold for human workers.
• It is more efficient for performing the hammering
test in comparison with human workers.
• With the laser rangefinder installed on the robot,
the position of the robot can be calculated and thetraveling path can be confirmed. Since the current
position of the robot can be confirmed, inspection
oversight can be reduced or prevented entirely.
• By providing electricity using a cable, inspection
can be performed continuously, making the task
efficient. In comparison with the wireless flying
robots, it is more stable and reliable in performing
tasks.

50

Fig. 8 Inspection of the side of a pier.

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Introducing technologies
Technologies

However, technologists in the Nara Prefecture, who
attended the demonstration experiment, stated that “It
is a better option for inspecting locations where a scaffold cannot be constructed. By appropriately classifying the locations suited for this technology, for human
workers and for other inspection methods, I hope moreareas that are difficult to inspect will be inspected in
the future.” Therefore, this technology would be superior for inspecting certain locations as long as the conditions are stipulated. Though it may not be applied topractical use immediately, the existing limitations
should be solved and improvements should be made sothat it can be applied to practical use in the near
future. To that end, a significant amount of work is
required, but it is difficult to use one technology toinspect all bridges, and it is important to integrate
conventional methods with new technologies to optimize the inspection process. We hope to see this strategy realized, along with continuous improvement in
the future so that bridges can be inspected efficiently,
safely, and reliably.

Regions• When the surface of the concrete member has aparticularly smooth finish, an improvement is necessary to prevent wheels slipping on the side ofpiers.
• Measurements done using a simple noise meter
showed that the maximum sound was approximately 85 dB around the robots (similar to a subway train), which is similar to the sound of anengine generator. The noise level of about 65 dB
was measured in the adjacent residential area (about
10 m from the site). To reduce the noise level, thewings or blades of f lying robots should be
improved.
• It is advantageous that the robot with a cable canconduct the inspection for a longer time period ascompared to a wireless type robot, but long continuous inspection with a robot is exhausting for theoperator, and 30–40 min is the reasonable limit. In
the future, development of automatic operation
with programming, among others, will be necessary to reduce the burden on the operator.
• It must be confirmed whether a stable inspection ispossible if the operator cannot enter the area undergirder (over the sea or in a deep canyon).
• In the present demonstration experiment, theinspected structure did not appear to have any
signs of problems, and thus, its performance could
not be absolutely confirmed. However, during thedetection or screening of areas with abnormalities,
its utility should be carefully and closely comparedwith an inspection conducted by a human worker.
• For its practical use, a business model needs to be
examined, including rental of equipment, operation, and training.

As shown, these robots are useful and advantageous,
but there are still some challenges that restrict theiruse in the inspection of various types of bridges(depending on the topographic condition of thebridges). This technology has been tested with bridges
over a river by other teams (a team from Gifu University), where an operator could not enter the area under
the f lying robots; thus, these studies reported that
improvements are necessary for the practical applications of this technology.

Deployment

Table 4 Challenges (part 2)

Technologies B-4

51

Introducing technologies

B-5

Technologies

Application of new technologies to damaged reinforced
concrete T-beam bridges and cut girder loading tests

Hiroshi MATSUDA

Kohei YAMAGUCHI

Professor, Nagasaki University
Graduate School of Engineering

Associate Professor, Nagasaki University
Graduate School of Engineering

Cut girder loading tests

Regions

Two of the main activity areas of the Nagasaki University team, which is one of the regional implementation teams, are technology information sessions andfield demonstration testing. In technology information
sessions, explanations on development endeavors areprovided by multiple developers to local government
officials, inspection personnel, and others. In demonstration testing, the development endeavors of developers who participated in technology information
sessions are applied to actual bridges in public tests.
The Nagasaki University team holds both types ofactivity several times per year. Following the removalof a reinforced concrete T-beam bridge (RCT bridge)
in Nagasaki Prefecture in December 2017, demonstration tests for inspection and investigation were conducted, and loading tests were performed on two main
girders which were cut after removal and used to
study the applicability of new technologies.

Description of bridge

According to the most recent periodic inspection
records, the bridge’s health index was II, but the main
girders showed peeling and rebar exposure with agreat deal of leakage and free lime, and peeling andrebar exposure (countermeasure classification C2) andlifting (C1) were especially serious in the outside girders G1 and G7, which were added later (Fig. 2). Outside girders tend to be more affected by rain, and thisis a possible factor in the damage, but the concrete in
the added girders showed significantly more deterioration than girders G2 to G6, implying that their materials and construction were inferior.

Verification items
For verification of SIP development technologies, etc.
with regard to inspection and diagnosis, a comparison
was conducted concerning the extent of damage anddiagnostic results of bridges inspected and diagnosed
according to the bridge periodic inspection guidelines.

Deployment

The RCT bridge in question (Fig. 1) is a reinforced
concrete T-beam bridge in one direction, and a single
span bridge of approximately 8 m consisting of areinforced concrete (RC) deck slab in the other direction. The RCT bridge is about 60 years old. Its current
girders G2 to G6 were built in 1954, and girders G1
and G7 were added five years later in 1959, for a totalof seven main girders.

(a) From the side(b) From under the girderFig. 1 The inspected bridge

52

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

(b) G1

Introducing technologies(a) G7(c) G1

Fig. 2 Damage seen under the main girder

SIP development technologies, etc.
used in actual bridge inspection
Here, we will summarize the results of demonstrationof a flying robot based inspection system that performs close-up visual inspection and sounding tests(No. 51, R&D led by Hideki WADA of Shin-Nippon
Nondestructive Inspection Co.).

Technologies

In the analytical results shown in Fig. 4, the X-axis
shows the position of hammering of lower flange from
A2 to A1, and the Y-axis shows frequency. In thisgraph, point [1] indicates a place where there is a largechange in signal strength, and point [2] indicates aplace where a strong signal of 1.5 kHz is generated,clearly differing from the frequency distribution of thespectrum up to that time. Figure 5 shows an image
from the camera mounted on the mechanism at theplace where a spectrum change occurred, as well as
an image taken by another camera to show a wider
view. Images from the mounted camera and inspection
records confirm that there is lifting in the area aroundpoint [2], and the possibility of spalling can beinferred. Point [1] is close to a portion where spalling
has already occurred and rebar is exposed, andalthough the images do not confirm lifting, the presence of an internal cavity can be inferred.
Based on this demonstration test and results with asimulated test specimen, it was confirmed that there isa tendency for broad spectrum distribution in soundportions, while portions with cavities show a tendency
for a specific frequency to be dominant. Therefore, a
new analytical method has been found in which anindicator for determination of soundness is obtainedby normalization processing of spectrum distribution,root-mean-square processing, and so on.
Variations such as lifting and spalling are present in
portions where changes in the hammering sound spectrum are clearly observed in the results of sounding

0

2

4

Frequency (kHz)

Deployment

68

In this technology, a sounding test mechanism ismounted on a flying robot; however, the space under
the girder was about 1.5 m, large enough to allow
manual access. Therefore, this mechanism wasremoved from the robot and moved by a person whilepressing it against the underside of the girder, as
shown in Fig. 3. The sounding test mechanism wasused to strike the concrete surface, and these hammering sounds were picked up by a microphone fordetailed acoustic analysis. Based on the results ofanalysis, several signals were detected that appeared
to show a variation. One example is described below.

Regions

For optical measurement, another SIP development
technology, we verified measurement accuracy andthe potential for structure identification. The verification items were displacement measurements using a
conventional contact type displacement gauge and asampling moire camera, which is a new technology,
and vibration measurements using a conventional contact type accelerometer and a laser Doppler accelerometer, which is a new technology. Another was thepossibility of application in CAD drawing of generalbridge drawings and automated finite element method(FEM) modeling and analysis based on three-dimensional data obtained through Structure from Motion(SfM) and laser scanning.

A2

Fig. 3 Conducting inspection

Position of hammering of lower flange

A1

Fig. 4 Analytical results

Technologies B-5

53

Introducing technologies(a) Taken by the mounted camera(b) Taken by another camera at a distanceFig. 5 Images of areas of lifting

Technologies

SIP development technologies, etc.
used in cut girder loading tests
Here, we will summarize the results of demonstrationof a project to construct a research base on the structural materials of infrastructure for structural deterioration mechanism elucidation and efficient maintenancetechnology (No. 35, R&D by Koichi TSUCHIYA of the
National Institute for Materials Science).

Regions(a) Conducting a loading test(b) Installation of the measurement device

Fig. 6 shows a view of loading test implementation,strain visualization sheet installation, occurrence ofcolor changes, and measurement results. There are
two types of cut girders: G1, showing significant deterioration, and G3, showing almost no deterioration
although it was constructed earlier. The loading test
was two-point bending, and strain on the underside of
the girder was measured by a strain visualization sheetof the present technology and a strain gauge. Here, theresults of demonstration of the strain visualization
sheet are summarized below.
As the figure shows, a color change occurs in thestrain visualization sheet at locations having wider
crack widths. Increasing crack width was associatedwith larger areas of color change. Although this system was not capable of detecting strain regions of several dozen µm, we determined that it is capable ofdetection above approximately 100 µm, which is thelevel of strain that produces cracks in general concrete.

Deployment

Having completed demonstration testing(c) Color change
Fig. 6 Loading test of cut girder

test analysis, and this system is considered to provide
a means of detecting variations such as lifting andpeeling.

54

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

We performed verification with regard to lifting andstrain detection. For periodic inspection, the new technology is required to be completely consistent withclose-up visual inspection; however, with regard to
lifting, we have determined that it may provide resultsof even greater accuracy than close-up visual inspection in some situations. With regard to strain, we haveexpectations for future implementation because thistechnology does not require a power supply and iscapable of detecting the maximum strain history experienced in the past.

Introducing technologies

B-6

Toshiyuki ISHIKAWA

Hitoshi FURUTA

Associate Professor, Faculty of Environmentaland Urban Engineering, Kansai University

Professor, Faculty of Informatics, Kansai
University

As shown in Fig. 1, many light poles and signposts areembedded in asphalt or concrete, and because thebases of poles set in asphalt or concrete are susceptible
to corrosion below ground level, there is a need forinspection techniques to evaluate corrosion in theunderground portions of pole bases.

Matching with SIP technologies
A n o n d e s t r u c t ive h ig h - s e n sit iv it y m a g n e t ic

Regions

On February 14, 2016, a light pole collapsed on the
Suita elevated bridge on Route 479, a general national
highway, in Osaka Prefecture. The reason is believed
to be that the base of the light pole, which was embedded in concrete, had been exposed to wet conditions
for a long period of time, and the plate thickness of thepole was reduced by macrocell corrosion to the pointthat it collapsed. In response to this incident, emergency inspections based on visual inspection and plate
thickness investigation were performed on the lightpoles and signposts (approximately 36,000 units) managed by the Osaka Prefectural Government, and thoselight poles and signposts classified as decision class IV(emergency measures stage) have been removed orrenovated.

measurement technology under a SIP project of “nondestructive high-sensitivity magnetic inspection forassessment of infrastructure deterioration and maintenance planning” (Prof. Keiji Tsukada, research anddevelopment officer, Okayama University) was amatching technology for nondestructive measurementof the amount of corrosion in a steel plate. Matching
was performed with regard to corrosion inspection ofunderground portions of the bases of signposts andlight poles using this device. The conventional probes
for nondestructive high-sensitivity magnetic measurement is structured so as to contact the structure to bemeasured in a perpendicular orientation, as shown in
Fig. 2(a). However, Tsukada et al.1) developed a probe
device equipped with two probes set at a downward
angle of 30° in order to evaluate corrosion below
ground level, and we decided to conduct assessment
using this device. (Fig. 2(b)) The two probes are provided to estimate the amount of reduction in plate
thickness due to corrosion and the location of suchcorrosion.
A preliminary survey was performed using the downward-angled probes on an already-removed light polebase that showed pitting, and it was capable of measuring the reduction in plate thickness due to corrosion from a position about 40 mm above the corroded
section, as shown in Table 1.

Survey for corrosion in actual light polebases

Deployment

Case of light pole collapse in Osaka
Prefecture

Technologies

Nondestructive high-sensitivity magnetic detection of
corrosion in light pole bases

Using the probe developed for use at ground level, weinvestigated the base of a light pole (decision class II)
embedded in asphalt on a sidewalk by Suita City Hall,
Osaka Prefecture.

Fig. 1 Embedded portions of the bases of light poles andsignposts

Fig. 3 shows photos and measurement results fromthis investigation. When performing measurement
above ground level with a perpendicular magnetic
p r ob e , t h e r e d u c t io n i n pl a t e t h ick n e s s wa s

Technologies B-6

55

Overcurrent
渦電流Introducing technologies

Overcurrent
渦電流MR
sensor 2
磁気センサ230°

Induction
coil
印加コイル

Induction
coil
印加コイル

Probe
プローブ

Probe
プローブ

MR
sensor磁気センサ

Overcurrent
渦電流MR
sensor 1
磁気センサ130°

Induction
coil
印加コイル
Damage損傷

Damage
損傷(a) Perpendicular magneticprobe(b) Magnetic probe developed forground-contacting portions

Fig. 2 Magnetic probe for nondestructive high-sensitivity magnetic inspection

Technologies

Table 1 Preliminary evaluation of corrosion in a downward angled direction

PittedsectionMeasurement
location

Perpendicular
direction (%)

Downward angled
direction (%)

4 (standard)

100

100

3

103

111

2

99

99

1

95

40 (60% loss ofthickness)(a) Vertical magnetic probe

Plate
thickness(mm)

Ratio (%)

Thickness
reduction
(%)

4.2

100

0

#1

3.5

83.3

17

#2

3.7

88.1

12

#3

3.6

85.7

14

#4

3.3

78.6

21

Measurement
location
Undamaged
portionRegions

Perpendicularmagnetic
probe

3
2

Measurement
locations onlight pole

41(b) Angled magnetic probe for underground portions

Measurement
locationAngledmagnetic
probe forportions below
ground level

Magnetic sensor 1 (ground-contacting portion) Magnetic sensor 2(4 cm above sensor 1)
Plate
thickness(mm)

Ratio (%)

Thickness
reduction
(%)

Plate
thickness(mm)

Ratio (%)

Thickness
reduction
(%)

4.2

100

0

4.2

100

0

#1

2.7

63.2

37

3.4

79.9

20

#2

2.8

67.2

33

4.9

117.2

-17

#3

3.2

76.4

24

5

119.2

-19

#4

3.1

73.9

26

4.5

105.8

-6

Undamaged
portion

Deployment

Fig. 3 Nondestructive high-sensitivity magnetic inspection of light poles: Photos and measurement results

quantitatively shown to be approximately 10-20%.
Furthermore, performing measurement with an angled
magnetic probe for portions below ground level, theextent of corrosion was judged to be approximately
20-30%.
Nondestructive high-sensitivity magnetic inspection iscapable of performing measurement in just a few seconds per point, and this investigation has demonstrated

56

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

that it can be used in screening for corrosion in portions of steel members that are embedded in concrete.
[Reference]
1) Tsukada, K., Tomioka, T., Wakabayashi, S., Sakai, K. and Kiwa,
T.: Magnetic Detection of Steel Corrosion at a Buried Position
Near the Ground Level Using a Magnetic Resistance Sensor,
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, pp.1-4, 2018.5

B-7

Introducing technologies

Observations and thickness measurements to develop
repair proposals for low-water bridge collapse:
Iwama Ohashi bridge

Pang-jo CHUN

Technologies

Associate Professor, Department of Civil andEnvironmental Engineering, Ehime University

Iwama Ohashi bridge
This research examines the accidental collapse of the
Iwama Ohashi bridge over Shimanto River in Japan.
Iwama Ohashi bridge was designed to be underwater
during a f lood. The low-water bridge can be built
cheaply and quickly because it is constructed without
raised piers and the bridge can be shorter than that ofan elevated design.

Fig. 2 Collapse of the Iwama Ohashi bridge at its center

An ultrasonic device is generally used for such measurement. To use this device, the surface of the target
material must be smooth. However, the piers of the
Iwama Ohashi bridge were corroded with rust. Therefore, surface preparation (i.e., scraping the submerged
surface) would be necessary. Unfortunately, this process is highly complex, presents a risk of the corrosion
products removed from the surface contaminating theriver environment, and can only be done on one sideof the target material because it is impossible to accessinside the steel piers. Thus, ultrasonic measurements
are not suitable for this application.

Regions

Here, we aim to investigate the collapse of one such
low-water bridge across the Simanto River: the Iwama
Ohashi bridge. Fig. 1 shows the bridge before the incident; it does not have parapets, as is the characteristicof low-water bridges. On November 11, 2017, the steel
bridge pier near the center of the Iwama Ohashi bridge
buckled, and its central span collapsed, as shown in
Fig. 2. Owing to its importance, the bridge must be
repaired promptly. In addition to replacing the buckled
pier, it must be decided whether countermeasures
should be taken on the other piers. Herein, we evaluate
the cause of the damage and present a potential repair
strategy by measuring the thickness.

Fig. 1 Iwama Ohashi bridge before collapse

Deployment

Matching between seeds developed in
SIP and needs of a local government
As conventional means such as using an ultrasonicdevice are not suitable to accurately measure the steel
thickness in this case, we propose to use techniquecalled extremely low-frequency eddy current testing(ELECT) developed by Prof. Tsukada in Okayama
University in SIP project. ELECT can be used to measure plate thickness on the basis of magnetism and candetermine the thickness of the undamaged portion
buried inside the corroded portion of a material.

Technologies B-757

We conducted measurements as in Fig.3 on June 1,
2018, and results are shown in Fig. 4. Pier P6 wasmore damaged than pier P1, implying that the damage
was more severe near the center of the river, where thecurrent was stronger than near the riverside.

Regions

Technologies

Introducing technologies

ELECT addresses the limitations of the conventional
instruments: this approach does not require surface
preparation or scraping on both sides of the materialas the surface need not be smooth. In addition, magnetism does not require a medium as an ultrasonicwave does; thus, non-contact and underwater measurements are possible. Moreover, the measurement
time is short (about 10 s per point), which enables
thorough measurements of the target material.

Fig. 3 Measurement performed using the ELECT system

UU

10

UD

DU

Recommended repair planDD

Deployment

Minimum thickness(mm)

8
6
4
2
0

1

2

3

Pier

4

5

6

Fig. 4 Measurement results and naming convention of the piers

58

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

On the basis of the findings, we propose a plan torepair the damage and counter future incidents. In
addition to replacing the buckled pier, P7, the otherseverely damaged piers P4–P6 require reinforcement
work. First, create dead-water regions around eachpier by placing large sandbags. Next, fill the insidespace of each pier with the underwater inseparable
mortar to prevent them from buckling. Finally, fix thereinforcing pipes to the outer surfaces of the existingpiers by underwater welding. By this approach, thestrength of the pier can be restored without spoilingthe surrounding scenery, and similar buckling incidents can be prevented in the future.

B-8

Yoichi ISHIZUKAAssociate Professor, Nagasaki University
Graduate School of Engineering

Associate Professor, Nagasaki University
Graduate School of Engineering

SIP technology used in this case
The SIP technology proposed by Chuo Kaihatsu Corp.
(research representative: Lin WANG) is a multi-point
measurement system that uses inexpensive inclination
sensors for efficient and accurate determination ofpredictive phenomena prior to slope collapse (Fig. 1).
The purpose of this technology is to realize inexpensive multi-point measurement using inclination sensors, which can be easily installed at a lower cost, andto develop a stable, highly accurate slope failure early
warning system by using multi-point measurement todetermine the planar deformation distribution of aslope. The sensor modules installed in the surface ofthe slope are equipped with a biaxial inclinometer(X-Y), and wireless modules installed above groundare equipped with a triaxial inclinometer, enabling
immediate detection of a fall. The former is a modulethat constantly measures the angle of inclination in abiaxial orientation, while the latter is a module that isWirelessmoduleSoil moisturegauge(optional)

Regions

In this paper, with regard to a former stabilization
waste disposal site in Sasebo City where mechanicalstability has been a concern, we will discuss researchand development for a slope failure early warning system based on constant monitoring of multi-point inclination change and soil moisture (Chuo Kaihatsu
Corp.), a SIP technology, combined with a monitoring
system for groundwater level and soil moisture whichis under development by a group led by Nagasaki
University.

only activated for immediate detection when a largechange in inclination occurs suddenly. This can beconnected with an alarm device to provide early warnings for evacuation. The system was constructed on
this slope in June 2017 (Figs. 2, 3) as described below,
and monitoring has continued for one year and threemonths as of September 2018, with no particular problems encountered so far.

Sensormodule(buriedunderground)Fig. 1 System installation diagram

Deployment

In slope disaster prevention, there is an increasingneed for constant wide-area monitoring of remotelocations in outdoor environments, and there are
expectations for multi-point monitoring through the
installation of multiple terminals, combining measurement sensors and wireless modules. This will require
reduced power consumption, independent power supply based on solar energy and the like, and stablewireless communications.

Technologies

Satoshi SUGIMOTO

Introducing technologies

Slope monitoring using a wireless sensor network:
An example of collaboration between SIP technologies
and university-developed technologies

Fig. 2 Installation at the site

Technologies B-8

59

Introducing technologies

Carrying
signals
End device (terminal)

Transmission
Router (relay device)

LTE line

Connection
A browser can beused to confirm
communication
status anddownload data.

Soil moisture gauge, piezometer, and tipping bucket rain gauge

Fig. 3 Sensor locations and inclinometer orientations

Past 6 months

Past 1 day

Fig. 4 Components of the system developed by Nagasaki University

Pass 3 days

Past 1 week

Regions

Technologies

Nagasaki SIP (1) Kantaro precipitation (2)Past 1 month

Past 3 months

June 26, 2018 - September 25, 2018

Angle
[°
]

Total angle - Kantaro (X axis)

Angle
[°
]

Total angle - Kantaro (Y axis)

Change[°/5h]

5 hours changes - Kantaro (X axis)

Change[°/5h]

5 hours changes - Kantaro (Y axis)

Precipitation[mm/h]

Rain fall by hour

Rain fall by hour

Precipitation[mm]

Continuous rain fall (reset on 3 hours no rain fall)

Rain fall by hour

Date

Coordinator (base unit)Day

25 Update date and time

Month
Year

Deployment

Fig. 5 Example of data displayed by the automatic remote monitoring system

Technology developed by Nagasaki
University
For about two years, Nagasaki University has beenmonitoring groundwater levels and changes in soil
moisture content on a slope that is a former stabilization waste disposal site. This slope is composed ofindustrial waste consisting mainly of soil and sand60

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teamsnear the surface, with talus deposits and bedrockunderneath. The slope was deformed about three years
ago due to heavy rains. Therefore, the slope was mademore gradual by ground crosscutting, and water permeability was reduced by soil covering; however,there were concerns about further deformation.

Soil moisture content (%)

Introducing technologies

Water level (m)Date■ Precipitation (mm/h) ■ Soil moisture content (%) ■ Water level (m)The monitoring system developed by the group consists of three devices, as shown in Fig. 4: an end
device, router, and coordinator. A soil moisture gauge,
piezometer, and tipping bucket rain gauge are connected to the end device, and this system measureschanges in the soil moisture content of the slope surface, changes in groundwater level in the monitoring
hole, and rainfall at the site. These output values aresent to the coordinator by way of a wireless network
via the router. The collected data is stored in the coordinator, and a browser can be used by way of the LTE
line to confirm communication status and download
the data. This makes it possible to perform remotemonitoring and evaluate the mechanical stability ofthe slope based on the sensing data. Each terminal isconnected to a solar panel and rechargeable batteries
for autonomous operation.

and warning levels concerning angles of inclination
can be determined using three stages of the respective
threshold values.

Monitoring records

Stability evaluation for individual slopes is expected
to become more sophisticated in the future, as monitoring data is collected on changes in water levels as acontributing factor to slope inclination, in addition to
the physical quantities of ground as a predisposing
factor in the modeling of ground for the evaluation ofslope stability, with the performance of numericalsimulation in which this is incorporated as feedback.
We believe that this will also be useful in a SIP technology for the determination of deformation thresholdvalues.

Regions

In monitoring using the technology developed by
Nagasaki University, data was collected and analyzed
from September to October 2017, when total rainfall
was relatively high. Fig. 6 shows the relationshipbetween the amount of rainfall and the groundwaterlevel and soil moisture content at the lower part of theslope. The soil moisture content was 23% or 24% insunny weather, but was found to rise by approximately
5% with rainfall. The groundwater level rose by 3m or
more with rainfall of more than 10 mm/h, and similarrises in the groundwater level were observed evenwith low-intensity rainfall when the rain continued fora long period of time.

Deployment

In monitoring by the SIP technology since 2018, slight
deformation of the slope surface has been confirmed
at the time of rainfall, on the level of about 30 to 50
mm. The monitoring data is stored by a two-way automatic remote monitoring system that was developed
separately, and this is always available for online
viewing, as shown in Fig. 5. It displays the cumulative
inclination angle in a biaxial orientation obtained fromacceleration sensors, the angle of inclination per 1 to 5
hours, and the amount of rainfall observed at the site;

Technologies

Fig. 6 Example of rainfall, soil moisture, and groundwater level measurements

Technologies B-8

61

Introducing technologies

B-9

Technologies

Regional implementation of a mobile profilometer forroad surface inspection of next generation

Kazuya TOMIYAMA

Shuichi MIKAMI

Associate Professor,
School of Regional Innovation and Social Design
Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology

Professor,
School of Regional Innovation and Social Design
Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology

Demand for Pavement Roughness
Inspection

Muroran Institute of Technology, and Kitami Instituteof Technology introduces a Mobile Profilometer(MPM) to overcome the difficulties of surface inspection on local roads.

In today’s socio-economic situations, as road infrastructures have aged, the demand to implement effective pavement maintenance and rehabilitation rises inconsideration of the welfare of road users. Surface
roughness is one of the most important indicators
associated with the functional performance of a pavement. Smooth paved surface provides positive ride
experience for road users travelling on the road.

Regions

The Road Bureau of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism (MLIT) issued a pavement
inspection guide in 2016. The guide provides the standard procedures for inspection, diagnosis, treatment,
and data recording during the service period of apavement. In the procedure, the International Roughness Index (IRI) has been introduced as the index of
surface roughness instead of the traditional index
which is a standard deviation of profile elevation
obtained with a 3 m-profilometer.

Deployment

Although a lot of devices measuring the IRI has so far
been developed in response to the inspection purposes, these technologies have mainly focused oncomparatively major roads such as expressways andnational highways. In local governments administering over 90% roads in Japan, the surface inspection
has so far relied on visual and/or subjective ride quality evaluation rather than objective measurements.
In particular, since a major transportation of passengers and freight in Hokkaido depends on road trafficwith the severe snow and cold climatic environment,
development of an easy and efficient method of a surface inspection are strongly required in this region.
Against this background, Kitami Institute of Technology as a part of the Hokkaido regional implementationgroup which consists of Hok kaido Universit y,62

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

This report includes the following contents:• overview of the MPM,
• summary of hearing surveys regarding pavement
management sit uations for municipalities on
Okhotsk area in Hokkaido,• regional implementation and trial runs of the MPM
on local roads, and• reports of the regional seminar of surface inspection
using the MPM.

Overview of the MPM
The MPM consists of two small accelerometers, which
can be simply attached to a suspension system for any
passenger and commercial vehicles. Two accelerometers achieves the measurement principle which isfaithful to the standard quarter-car (QC) model used
for the IRI calculation. It enables us to measure IRI
data on a wheel-path by the sensors right above a tire
for arbitrary intervals with survey locations measured
by a global positioning system (GPS). Fig. 1 shows theoverview of the MPM. The following ten features areintended to develop the MPM:
• Collecting IRI faithfully• Real-time measurement• Compact component• At cruising speed• Unaffected by weather condition• Simple• For any vehicles• Light memory• Economical• Mount easily

Introducing technologies
Fig. 1 Overview of the MPM

Table 1 Contents for hearing survey

Aim

General issue

Current situation and concerns of pavement management

Serious distress type

Serious distress type(s) and the reason from the standpoint of pavement management

Inspection activity

Inspection system of pavement surfaces and its operation including road patrol

MotivePlans and issues for managing pavement

Technologies

Content

Fig. 2 Trial in Kitami

Deployment

We conducted hearing survey regarding pavement
management situations listed in Table 1 for two
municipalities in April, 2017. As a result, high motives
toward pavement management were confirmed forboth cities from the fact that they frequently inspect
their pavements as a part of road patrol. However, thepavement surface evaluation relies on the qualitativevisual inspection. A city claimed that “inconsistencyof the inspection results due to individuals and thelack of expert engineers have become critical mattersfor managing pavement”. Under these situations, theboth cities desires to measure surface properties easily
and economically for the evidence of maintenance andrehabilitation activities. In particular, they regard not
only cracks and potholes, but also surface roughness
with respect to ride quality and ground vibration asserious distress types. The results of the hearing survey has proved the technical contribution of the MPM
for the pavement management of local roads. In contrast, renovation of an administrative framework has
p o t e n t i a l ly b e e n r e q u i r e d t o i nt r o d u c e n e w
technologies.

Regions

Hearing Surveys for Municipalities

Regional Implementation and Trial Runs
During the project period (FY 2017-2018), surface
inspection activities using the MPM were implemented in cooperation with road administrators and acivil engineering consultant as shown in Fig. 2 andFig. 3.

Fig. 3 Trial in Chitose

Technologies B-963

The MPM is available not only on dry surfaces but
also on wet and snow-covered surfaces unlike laserbased measurement devices. This functional feature
contributes to the local needs for road control such as
snow removal operation. Fig. 5 shows an example ofthe MPM implementation on a snow-covered road.

Technologies

Introducing technologies

Fig. 4 shows a visualization example of inspection
result aided with GIS (Geographic Information System) in a city. The data indicated were obtained withjust one day surveying. The markers are colored inaccordance with the diagnostic categories of the pavement inspection guide.

Deployment

RegionsFig. 4 Inspection result of GIS

Fig. 5 Implementation on snow-covered road64

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Introducing technologies(b) Demonstration in Kitami(c) Seminar in Chitose(d) Demonstration in Chitose

Technologies(a) Seminar in Kitami

Fig. 6 Regional seminars

Regions

In order to spread the technical knowledge of reasonable surface inspection, we held regional seminars
regarding the MPM technology in Sapporo, Kitami,
and Chitose in Hokkaido (Fig. 6). In the seminars,
opportunities of the demonstration of MPM and theexchange of ideas were provided as well as lectures
about pavement inspection. In the seminars, we had a
lot of feedback from the participants as an example asfollows:• There are difficulties on visual inspection for hugeamount of road stocks in respect of the limitation ofhuman resources and the judgement consistency.

• The MPM is useful to carry out the accountability ofroad control on road users.
• The ability to store the data for comprehending the
progress of deterioration will be appreciated as anadvantage. It would be better if the MPM could distinguish the measured location with lane by lane.
• The seminar was helpful for gathering new measuring technologies.
• The MPM will be effective to collect the surface
conditions in daily road patrol.
• Municipalities could easily introduce such a newtechnologies, if the ministry and/or prefectures
would implement ahead.

Deployment

Regional Seminar of Surface Inspection

Technologies B-9

65

B-10

Introducing technologies

Using CalSok to monitor river embankment slopes:
Inspection technology improved by regional
implementation support
Masataka SHIRAITechnologies

Aero Asahi Corporation
Project Leader

Akinobu SEKI

Hideaki HATANO

Aero Asahi Corporation
Assistant Producer

Gifu University
Project Visiting Professor

Situation Surrounding Infrastructure
MaintenanceIn maintenance methods for dealing with aging infrastructure, it is expected that new technologies will be
introduced and used, including robots and sensors. In
2014, MLIT, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism publicly sought applications ontechnical R&D to promote the use of infrastructure
monitoring technologies, calling for development ofmonitoring techniques in combined processes frommeasurement to analysis.

Regions

A technology for efficient riverbank monitoring wasselected in the area of river embankments, one of the
fields covered; and in response, a system for area mole
hole detection by a large weeding machine (referred to
below as “CalSok”) was developed from 2014 to 2016,
with funding from the Strategic Innovation Promotion
Program (SIP) of the Cabinet Office.
Meanwhile, a regional implementation support teamwas formed for the sake of regional implementation of
the developed technologies, and institutes wereselected from eight blocks nationwide to serve asbases.

Deployment

Aero Asahi, in collaboration with Gifu University,
which is one of those bases (Gifu University’s SIP
project), and the Kisogawa Joryu River Office of
MLIT, has evaluated the effectiveness of CalSok in
Ibigawa River for the purpose of implementation in
Gifu Prefecture. The results are reported below.

About CalSok
CalSok, a measuring system that can be easily attachedto the back of a large weeding machine, was developed for the purpose of collecting ground data measurements on sloped surface at the same time as weed
cutting and collection. The measurement system

66

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teamsconsists of a power supply unit, data collection unit,
laser scanners (two scanners), digital camera, and
GNSS/IMU unit. An important feature is its ability tocollect high density point cloud data by laser-scanning
embankment slopes at very close range immediately
after weed cutting and collection. This system isdesigned to detect a wide variety of deformations,from micro-level deformations such as holes made bymoles (or other small animals) and erosion (gullies), tomacro-level deformities such as slope convexities andconcavities.* Fig. 1 shows a photo of CalSok mounted
on the back of a large weeding machine. Table 1 shows
sensor performance, and Table 2 shows overall
performance.
* Slope convexity and concavity: This refers to slope deformation
due to consolidation settlement of an embankment under its own
weight or deformation due to high levels of saturation in theembankment. A concave area forms above a bulging area, orconvexity.

GNSS antenna

Collection unit, IMU, and power supply unit

GNSS antenna

Laser scanner

Digital camera

Laser unit installed at a heightof 1.1 m

Fig. 1 CalSok

Sensor

Laser scanners

Item

Specifications

Number of irradiation
points * 2 units

57,000 points per
second total

Measurable distance

0.7 to 80 m

Irradiation angle

Right bank, 43.4 to 43.6 KP,
land side

Introducing technologies

Table 1 Sensor Performance

190°

Reflection intensity data Can be acquired
Number of units

2 units

Position accuracy

2 to 5 cm

Roll and pitch accuracy

0.025°

Heading accuracy

0.08°

Table 2 Overall Performance

Specifications

Item

45 kg (measurement equipment: 35 kg,
mount: 10 kg)

Total weight
Power consumption
Point density

120 W
Approximately 10,000 points per m 2

Ortho resolution

1 mmPosition accuracy

Horizontal: 8 cm, Height: 15 cm

Data capacity

Approximately 15 GB/hour

Past Timeline of CalSok
Table 3 shows the points of the past timeline of CalSok, from R&D to trial utilization and contracting ofservices.
At Ibigawa River, the area from 43.4 to 43.6 KP (rightbank, land side only; referred to below as the “monitored area”) was selected for June and November 2017as an area having a large amount of deformation.
Again in October 2018, measurement was performedin the same area as 2017 for the sake of comparison
Table 3 Past timeline

Fiscal year

Event2014 - 2016

R&D (Agagawa River) with funding from SIPof the Cabinet Office
Trial introduction at two times (June andOctober) at Ibigawa River in collaboration with
SIP regional implementation teamSeamless aerial photography
by GSI of Japan

Fig. 2 Areas measured in trial introductionand evaluation at two times; and measurement was
performed in a total of two areas for the purpose ofevaluating effectiveness at flood warning area (from42.2 to 42.6 KP, right bank, land side only). The measurement locations are indicated in Fig. 2.

Measurements at Ibigawa River
The first step toward implementation of CalSok wasmeasurement at Ibigawa River in 2017. However, there
was unanticipated failure of measuring instruments.
Measurement was performed in conjunction withdaily weed cutting and collection, unlike the usage
environment in the evaluation field; and this failure
was clearly caused by effects on the measuring instruments due to vibration in the weeding machine itself,
which could not be determined in advance. To solve
this problem, measures were implemented to reduce
vibration in the frame and the measurement system.
As a result, stable measurement was achieved at
Maruyamagawa River in June 2018 as well as Ibigawa
River in October 2018, with practically no malfunctions.
In 2018, when measurement was only performed at atime subsequent to water effluence, measurement was
performed during weed cutting and collection for thesake of comparison and evaluation of ground data by

Trial introduction at two times (June andNovember) at Maruyamagawa River

Deployment

2017

Right bank, 42.2 to 42.6 KP,
land side

Technologies

GNSS / IMU

1.9MP x 1 camera

Regions

Digital camera Number of pixels

Service contracted by the National Institute forLand and Infrastructure Management, MLIT
NETIS registration (July; NETIS No.
KT-180041-A)
2018

Trial introduction at Ibigawa River for a second
year (October) in collaboration with SIP
regional implementation team
Trial introduction at Maruyamagawa River fora second year (June and November)

Fig. 3 Measurement during weed cutting

Technologies B-10

67

Introducing technologies

m (the weeding machine passing through a range ofapproximately 1.85 m) and the mesh interval is 5 cm.
Therefore, the data collected after weed cutting andafter weed collection were respectively filtered withthese parameters.

Comparison with Shaded Relief Map

Fig. 4 Measurement during weed collection

measurements at the time of weed cutting and collection, in addition to the above purpose (Figs. 3 and 4).

Technologies

During weed cutting, measurement is performed
while the just-mowed weed clippings remain on theslope surface (Fig. 3); and during weed collection,measurement is perfor med while clippings are
removed on both sides using a front attachment (Fig.
4). This makes it possible to minimize the effects ofweed clippings on measurements.

Filtering Process

Regions

After measurement, data analysis is performed according
to the sequence shown in Fig. 5. Specifically, after creating 3-D data from the measurement data, we eliminate the effects of points having much lower elevation
than their surroundings and the effects of surrounding
vegetation, etc., and the original data is prepared.
Next, automatic filtering of the original data is performed at a fixed mesh interval, the effects of weed
clippings are minimized, and the ground data isprepared.
The width of measurement data in a single run(referred to below as “cut width”) and the mesh interval are important parameters in automatic filtering.
With regard to the optimal parameter values at present, we have learned from the results of trial measurement data processing thus far that the effects of weed
clippings are best minimized when the cut width is 5

To compare the data collected after weed cutting andafter weed collection, shaded relief maps were prepared
to clearly indicate unevenness in the data. Figs. 6 and
7 are shaded relief maps after weed cutting and after
weed collection, respectively.
The effects of weed clippings are still present in themeasurement data from the time of weed cutting (Fig.
6), but these effects are minimized in the measurement data from the time of weed collection (Fig. 7).
Fig. 8 is a comparison of the cross sectional data prepared along the transverse lines of Figs. 6 and 7. The
data after weed cutting clearly shows unevenness dueto the weed clippings, and this also affects the final
data quality.
Shaded relief map is widely used, and because shading
provides an easily understandable visual representation of the results of measurement by CalSok, Shaded
relief map is to be included as a standard type ofimage data.
As an example of the detailed depiction of deformation provided by Shaded relief map, Fig. 9 shows a

Transverseline
Top ofslope

Foot of
slope

Fig. 6 Shaded relief map based on measurement data after
weed cutting

Measurement run
Physical filtering(weed cutting and collection)

Transverseline
Top ofslope

Deployment

Three-dimensional data
Filtering (extracting outliers)
Original data
Filtering(extracting minimum values)

Foot ofslope

Ground data

Fig. 5 Sequence of filtering process

68

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Fig. 7 Shaded relief map based on measurement data after
weed collection

Cross-sectional view after weed cutting

Introducing technologies

Cross-sectional view after weed removal

Fig. 8 Comparison of cross-sectional data after weed cutting and after weed
collection

Top ofslope
Top ofslope

Technologies

Foot ofslope

Foot ofslope

Shaded relief map based on the June 2017 measurement data. As Fig. 9 illustrates, the mole hills confirmed during measurement can be clearly observed.
Shaded relief map is a suitable type of image data to
depict micro-level deformations such as slope erosion(gullies) and holes made by small animals.

This makes it easy to use data to determine macro-level changes (such as convexities and concavities)
that are not easily confirmed even by on-site visualobservation.

Use of Iterative Color Contour Map to
Determine Deformation Locations

We have heard many comments at times such as the
public test field testing of CalSok at Ibigawa River
where concerning of future directions, including recommendations to conduct measurements at f lood
warning area, retain the data as an archive, and conduct analyses as needed, especially in view of datathat could contribute to future disaster prevention andmitigation. We will continue to promote wide usage ofthis technology so that it can be used by many people.

Iterative color contour map is another form of representation that can be effectively used to determine thelocations of deformation. Fig. 10 is part of an iterative
color contour map prepared from data at flood warning area, from measurements taken after weed collection in October 2018.
Fig. 10 shows a deformation that appears to be an areaof convexity. Although this kind of deformity may notnecessarily need to be recorded in a river chart, it does
seem to be necessary to monitor the progress of deformation through periodic measurements in future.

RegionsFig. 10 Iterative color contour map for determining
embankment deformation

Future Outlook

Deployment

Fig. 9 Mole hills clearly visualized in a Shaded relief map

Approximately 5–6 m(horizontal distance)[References]
1) River Engineering Education Council: Textbook for river maintenance technical training course (basic), p. 50, June 2018 [inJapanese]

Technologies B-10

69

RegionsIntroducing technologies

C-1

Technologies

Problems and needs of municipality for maintenance ofroad bridges in four prefectures in Hokuriku region
Shinichi MIYAZATO

Kazuyuki TORII

Saiji FUKADA

Professor, Dept. of Civil &Environmental Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Kanazawa
Institute of Technology

Specially Appointed Professor, Dept. ofEnvironmental Design, Faculty of Geosciences
and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science andEngineering, Kanazawa University

Professor, Faculty of Geosciences
and Civil Engineering, Institute of
Science and Engineering,
Kanazawa University

Hajime ITOH

Keigo SUZUKI

Daishin HANAOKA

Professor, Dept. of Environmental
Engineering, Toyama Prefectural
University

Associate Professor, Architecture
and Civil Engineering, Faculty ofEngineering, University of Fukui

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil& Environmental Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering,
Kanazawa Institute of Technology

Procedure of Investigation
Table 1 lists the results of an investigation of themunicipalities visited thus far, while Table 2 lists thecontents of the interview. Issues concerning the maintenance of road bridges were recorded for 32 cities andtowns in four prefectures (Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa,and Fukui) in Hokuriku. In this study, the inspection
situation and repair were considered based on a“life-extending plan for road bridge”. Here, the plan isthat each manager relies on all road bridges in a bid toattempt a systematic repair. Moreover, since FY2014,a visual and feel inspection of all road bridges with alength of 2 m or greater has been made mandatory
every five years.

Regions

The procedure of the interview is explained as follows. First, authors sent a letter and E-mail to the person-in-charge of the Cont rol Division of eachmunicipality, and an appointment for a meeting wasscheduled. Then, several faculties of the university
and technical colleges visited the municipality. The
outline of this activity was explained, and the firstinterview was conducted for 1 h 30 min. The questions asked during the interview are listed in Table 3.
After an interview at a public office building, thebridge abutment that held uncertainty due to the effectof repairing the Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) was
partly discussed in the field. Moreover, the rope access
was inspected on a separate day.

Deployment

In the second visit, discussions were held on the problems from each municipality. In addition, discussions
were held on the system that the specialists used tosupport the municipality and the standard maintenance procedure draft (inspection, judgement, repair,and update) during the third visit.

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Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Arrangement of problems and countermeasure plans
The results of the investigation revealed a number ofoverlapping problems, regardless of the municipality.
Moreover, to solve the problems, we designed a suitable system and procedure for the rationalization of
the inspection and repair. Table 4 lists the consolidated
results. Herein, preventive maintenance implies anaction after which the deterioration rate decreased
before it can be visually confirmed.
Herein, the general order for an inspection is shown in
Figure 1. A way to improve this system was noted
through the interview. For instance, the consignmentof the inspection to the consultant was controlled toreduce spending and the municipality staff wasinspected by oneself without using the scaffold. There
was a case where the staff who had been moved toanother section through job rotation assisted too. To
improve upon this, we proposed using a tablet developed by Prof Ibayashi of the National Institute ofTechnology, Nagaoka College, who is one of our teammembers, to conduct the inspection. Figure 2 shows
the inspection undertaken using the tablet. Such an
inspection form utilized not only in Japan but also in
Cambodia and Kirgiz (http://www.globalnewsasia.
com/article.php?id=4897&country= 6&p=2; https://www.facebook.com/jicap r/posts/1420460767990066).
The municipality staff noted the following merits ofusing the tablet. (1) As the inspection can be conducted in the field while comparing the results withthose obtained previously, this decreased uncertainty.
(2) As the inspection results could be easily converted
to a report by connecting the tablet to a PC in the public office, the time taken to achieve the same task if
done in the office reduced. In addition, during thedemonstration, we installed at some municipalities.

Population

Area (km 2)

Number of bridges

NiigataJyoetsu city

193,939

973.8

1,146

Itoigawa city

43,897746.2

525

Toyama city

417,760

1,241.7

2,222

Himi city

48,671230.6

360Asahi town

11,936

227.4

122

Takaoka city

172,535

209.6

1,200

Imizu city

93,289109.4

492

Oyabe city

30,162

134.1

449

Nanto city

51,171

668.6

923

Nyuzen town

24,894

71.6

450

Kanazawa city

466,183

468.6

1,388

Kahoku city

34,293

64.4

90

Wajima city

26,312426.3

446

Nomi city

48,93484.1

252

Hakusan city

109,581

754.9

369

Uchinada town

26,943

20.3

7

Houdatsushimizu town

12,805111.5

132

Nonoichi city

55,297

13.5

220

Komatsu city

106,905

371.0

473

Tsubata town

37,618110.6

174

Suzu city

14,573

246.9

171

Kaga city

67,357305.9

356

Nakanoto town

18,102

89.5

257

Fukui city

264,344

536.4

1,771

Echizen town

21,021

153.2

225

Sabae city

68,397

84.6

399

Obama city

29,534233.1

402

Katsuyama city

23,392253.9

349

Tsuruga city

66,060251.4

307

Ikeda town

2,604

194.7

99

Mihama town

9,609

152.4

130

Echizen city

83,184230.7

675

ToyamaIshikawa

Fukui

Technologies

Municipality

Regions

Prefecture

Introducing technologies

Table 1 Results of the interview (classified as per municipality)

Table 2 Contents of interview investigation

1st

Explanation of activity aim and interview regarding problems at each municipality

2nd

Inquiry about the result of arranging problems at each municipality

3rd

Proposal of standard procedure and system to maintain road bridges for affected municipalities in
Hokuriku region

Regions C-1

Deployment

Content73

Table 3 Questions in the first interview

No

Question

Introducing technologies

1 Feature and problems of inspection and judgment for bridge by municipality staff
2 Feature and problems of inspection and judgment for bridge by consultant (for example, difference etc.)
3 Influence on finance of visual and feel inspection every five years
About visual and feel inspection at second cycle for monitoring the health of bridges whose length is less than 5 m
and traffic is little

4

5 Feature and problem concerning repair
6 Is “life-extending plan for road bridge” effectively promoted and improved if necessary?
For shift from corrective maintenance to preventive maintenance (When do you think shifts? What isproblem?)7

8 Worry about maintenance for road bridge in the future
Table 4 Municipality problems and proposed countermeasures

ReasonTechnologies

SupportsystemNo.

Problem (Needs)[1] Technical findings cannot be obtained easily.

Countermeasure planA center that can confer is established.

Contributing feedback to the rationalization of An effective database is designed and operated.
maintenance is inexpensive, though the regis[2]try fee required to update the road bridge database by a prefecture is high.
Plan

[3]

When the repair plan to prolong bridge life is Ideas are introduced.
revised, the model is not find.

[4]

Asset management is optimized based on thelife cycle cost, including the cost of renewal.

[5]

It is not possible to plan though the shift to preventive maintenance is hoped.

Regions

The necessity of preventive maintenance could A fact embarrassed due to the early deterioranot be understood because bridges are safe tion in the adjoining municipality is explained.
[6]even though no countermeasures were taken
until now.
Inspection

The inspection process was similar for all Factors such as importance and type of bridge[7] bridges.
change the inspection process. The inspectionof a short bridge is made simple.

RepairAs it is necessary to keep the inspection cost, When it is judged that repair is necessary as a[8] the budget for the repair does not have to be result of the inspection, a simple repair method
executed.
is designed and executed simultaneously.

Deployment[9]

Appropr iate re pai r i ng met hod s a re not An effective repair method corresponding tounderstood.
the management level is introduced.

Municipality

Consultant

Fig. 1 System of general order for inspection

74

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Fig. 2 Inspection using tablet

Introducing technologies

C-2

Visualization of needs of a local community andinteraction of engineers with local needs
Minoru KUNIEDA

Eiji FURUSAWA

Toru MAKINO

Assistant General Manager,
Teikoku Inc.

Assistant General Manager,
Dainichi Consultant Inc.

Interaction between local needs andtechnology

community, such as safety/security and comfort, in theform of performance requirements for the infrastructure.

This paper intends to clarify the way infrastructural
engineers should interact with the problems of a local
community and local infrastructure.

The level of the needs for the right technology to be
used is a level where the above-mentioned needs areanalyzed to select infrastructural technology, dealing
with specific techniques and systems.

The level of the needs for the right infrastructure to bebuilt is a level to express the vague wish of theCommunity desires (needs):
Comfortable (convenient) use
Phase 1:
Phase connecting community to engineers
The needs for the infrastructure:
Safety, security and comfort
Phase 2:Phase connecting engineers to engineers
The needs for the technology:
High functionality, accuracy, convenience, cost …
Fig. 1 Phases connecting community needs to technology

What is important in this process is that technicaldevelopment that is satisfactory for both the communityand civil engineers involved is possible when all theseneeds are organically connected, instead of being isolated from one another.

Regions

At the level of ascertaining what the community
desires (the needs of the community), the wish of acommunity is generally characterized by its vagueness. Even when asked, they usually cannot express
their needs in concrete terms. At the very least it iscomprehended as their needs that they want engineers
to provide comfortable and useful social infrastructure.

Human resources to connect the needsof each level and proneness to self-satisfied technology

Figure 2 shows a case where the community wants a
number of overpasses while the desired number isquestioned from the aspect of the right infrastructure,causing conf lict. This is an example in which theneeds of the community are not connected well with
the infrastructure.
Communication between the community and engineers is essential when matching the needs of thecommunity and the needs for the infrastructure. As
stated above, however, the community can only
express their needs vaguely. For this reason, the needsof the community are generally embodied by engineers (the owner, supervisor, etc.).

Deployment

Infrastructure is constructed for the sake of the local
community. From this perspective, it is necessary toappropriately ascertain and meet the local needs. Figure 1 shows a conceptual drawing of the process ofanalyzing local needs into technology. It is convenient
to conceive three levels of needs and two phases connecting these needs.

Technologies

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
Gifu University

Communication between engineers concerned isessential in Phase 2, where the needs for the rightinfrastructure are connected with the needs for theright technology. At this phase, the performancerequirements of the structures are considered, and theway technology should be to meet the requirements ispresented. Engineers may often consider technology
within the limitations of their thinking, without

Regions C-2

75

Introducing technologies

construction, users are less likely to directly receive(recognize) the benefit of new technology. This may
have led to the current tendency toward technicaldevelopment in the infrastructural field often seen to
be based on engineers’ self-satisfaction.
With devastating natural disasters occurring in recent
years, aerial photography using drones to ascertain thestate of damage has been spreading at a remarkablepace. This is a result of technology being connected tothe desire of the community to know the current state.
Drainage pavement is another example of accelerated
dissemination due to the fact that users can directly
experience the effect of new technology.

Fig. 2 Example of a number of overpasses
built on community needs

Technologies

providing the exactly required technical development.
In other words, technical development is prone to be
based on the engineers’ self-satisfaction.

Deployment

Regions

Back when new construction prevailed, the technology to build structures was materialized in the form ofstructures in most cases. It was therefore easy forusers to realize the benefit of technology, encouraging
technical development. However, in the current environment where maintenance prevails over new76

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Importance of human resource development of engineers
Accordingly, technical development useful for theworld can be achieved by appropriately connecting thedesire of a community, the right infrastructure to bebuilt, and the right technology to be used. In view ofthe fact that it is engineers who make this connection
as stated above, it is understood that fostering the
growth of engineers is crucial. Not only professional
skills in a specific field but also knowledge of surrounding fields and communication skills are particularly required. The Maintenance Expert (ME) Training
Courses of Gifu University are therefore considered toplay a significant role in this regard.

C-3

Introducing technologies

Developing an integrated bridge maintenance database throughcollaboration among industry, academia, and government, withsupport for introduction by local governments

Makoto HISADATaking the example of Yamagata Prefecture, about
8,200 bridges are managed by local public organizations, namely the prefectural government and 35
municipalities in Yamagata Prefecture. The prefectural government and these 35 municipalities havealready recorded 10,000 instances of bridge inspection
data, and this data is expected to continue to increaseby about 1,600 instances per year. Although this past
management data is in electronic form, it is not uniform due to differences in the file formats, levels of
resolution, and other aspects. No information platform
had been established to enable the effective use of thisdata for purposes such as lifespan prediction andrepair decisions, and there was no system in place toutilize existing data for more efficient infrastructure
maintenance.
Faced with the need to respond to frequent natural
disasters in various locations in recent years, local
gover nments have had a tendency to post pone
countermeasures for existing infrastructure, and atpresent, local governments face many challenges interms of time, funding, staff ing, and technicalcapabilities.

Involvement of Tohoku University
In December 2013, Tohoku University signed anagreement on cooperation regarding infrastructure
maintenance with the Tohoku Regional Development
Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, as a way to support local governments facing various challenges related to infrastructure

Tohoku University IMC has also concluded cooperative agreements with NEXCO EAST, the Yamagata
Prefecture Land Development Department, the Miyagi
Prefecture Construction Center, the city of Sendai,and other local government organizations, and isstrengthening and advancing activities related toinfrastructure maintenance in the region.

Regions

After the Sasago Tunnel collapse of December 2012,aging infrastructure has been recognized as an urgent
challenge. Local governments have an enormous stockof infrastructure to manage, and inevitably, they havebeen fallen behind with the necessary measures.

maintenance. Based on that agreement, the university
established the Center for Infrastructure Management
Research (referred to below as “Tohoku University
IMC”) in January 2014, and has been engaged in technical support in infrastructure maintenance for local
governments, human resource development for infrastructure maintenance, and research on subjects suchas elucidating the mechanisms of deterioration.

Infrastructure maintenance databasesystem for local governments
Tohoku University IMC used the results of a SIP project on technical development for processing, storage,
analysis, and application of various types of data foradvanced infrastructure management (representative:
Isao UEDA, NEXCO EAST), and customized this tothe specifications of Yamagata Prefecture, along with
the Yamagata Prefecture Land Development Department and the Yamagata Construction Engineering
Center, as a collaborative project involving industry,
academia, and government for the construction, introduction, and operation of a bridge maintenance database system (Fig. 1). This has resulted in thedevelopment of a database for maintenance cycle
information and unified management of inspection,assessment, and repair records for road bridges of
Yamagata Prefecture and 35 municipalities in the prefecture. The introduction of this database has made it
possible to improve the efficiency of evaluation andassessment concerning aging countermeasures thatwill be needed in the future, and to optimize the planning of repairs and budgeting. This has become an

Regions C-3

Deployment

Background of database introduction

Technologies

Professor and center director, School of Engineering,Tohoku University

77Introducing technologies
Technologies

Fig. 1 Integrated database system of bridge maintenanceRegions

effective database system for local governments which
are responsible for management of many bridges.

Development of infrastructure maintenancedatabase system for local governments

Deployment

The database system in Yamagata Prefecture was taken
as a model case, using knowledge concerning the information platform database and operation methods inorder to introduce and begin database operation in the
Miyagi Prefecture Construction Center, and also to
introduce the database in Sendai City. Database deployment has also begun in regions outside the Tohoku
region (Fig. 1). We hope to continue the development andoperation of applications that are suited to the situationsof local governments to meet high levels of local needs.

Comments from participating organizations
Ya m a g at a Pr ef e c t u r e L a n d D eve l o p m e nt
Department● Development objectives of DBMY
A repair plan to extend the lifespan of bridges in
Yamagata Prefecture was developed in FY 2007, andthe prefecture is promoting countermeasures for aging

78

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

bridges based on preventive maintenance. In the promotion of countermeasures, it is particularly important to carefully compile maintenance cycle data,
including challenges and results in past cases of damage and repair, to ensure greater accuracy and lower
costs in future measures. Meanwhile, municipalities
in Yamagata Prefecture are responsible for the management of enormous numbers of bridges, although
they face more challenging circumstances than theprefectural government in terms of inadequate budgets, lack of personnel, and lack of technical staff.
Therefore, some kind of support seemed necessary inorder to establish an appropriate bridge maintenancesystem. The Integrated Database System of Bridge
Maintenance, Yamagata Prefecture (abbreviated as
Database of Bridge Maintenance of Yamagata,
DBMY) was developed jointly with Tohoku University IMC and the Yamagata Construction Engineering
Center (YCC), and operation of DBMY commenced
in FY 2016.
● Functions and benefits of DBMY
DBMY displays the specifications of bridges such as
bridge type, bridge length, and design standards,
along with maintenance data such as inspection,assessment, and repair records, and lin ks thisTechnologies

Introducing technologies● Joint research with the university
Yamagata Prefecture is conducting joint research with
Tohoku University IMC in FY 2018 (Fig. 3). We arereceiving guidance on matters such as using DBMY
to review damage trends, while providing information
on matters such as ICT technologies, AI, and instancesof advanced practices in road maintenance.
● Future steps
DBMY is not only a system to manage information
assets. It combines previously disconnected information for unified management, and connects Tohoku
University IMC, the prefectural government, YCC,
and municipalities with each other through data sharing. The municipalities took a serious look at the
future of infrastructure maintenance, and all 35
municipalities decided to participate in DBMY, with

Fig. 3 Research meeting between Yamagata Prefecture andTohoku University IMC

not even one municipality rejecting the proposal put
forward by the prefectural government. Our hope isthat the combined strengths of industry, academia,
and government will provide a strong driving force for
infrastructure maintenance in Yamagata Prefecture
through the use of DBMY.
Miyagi Prefecture Construction Center● Joint research with the university

Deployment

information to each individual bridge (Fig. 2). It may
be possible to discover characteristics and trends indamage to bridges in Yamagata Prefecture by using
functions of the database system to search, extract,and compile this data according to the types andgrades of damage along with various conditions thatare thought to be factors in damage. Furthermore, byreviewing and compiling data such as the situation of
past repairs and subsequent deterioration for each
instance of damage addressed so far, it should be possible to create an environment whereby bridge maintenance can be made more effective and efficient, in linewith actual conditions in Yamagata Prefecture. In the
future, when integrated database operation records arein place for areas with cold, snowy winters whereroads are sprayed with anti-icing brine, such as the
Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, it will be possible topropose rational, unified bridge maintenance systems
by linking with other areas that share the same deterioration problems.

RegionsFig. 2 Maintenance cycle

The population is declining in Miyagi Prefecture,
while infrastructure built during the period of rapid
economic growth is deteriorating due to age. The population in the coastal region has declined especiallysharply due to the effects of the 2011 Tohoku earthqu a ke a nd t su n a m i. Ma ny proble m s mu st b eaddressed, including the need to obtain personnel andfunding under difficult financial conditions. The following is a summary of the results of a study toRegions C-3

79

Introducing technologies
Technologies

Fig. 4 Conceptual diagram of inspection system operation by the Miyagi
Prefecture Construction Center

improve the efficiency of infrastructure maintenanceusing information technology, which was conductedalong with Tohoku University IMC with the goal ofachieving greater efficiency in the infrastructure
maintenance cycle, in view of this situation.
● Use of information technology
The Miyagi Prefecture Construction Center has contracted to perform bridge inspection work as a part ofinfrastructure maintenance. Previously in bridge
inspection, the results were recorded on paper at thesite and later typed into an internal database, but thiswas time-consuming and introduced typographicalerrors.

Deployment

Regions

Therefore, we constructed a bridge maintenance database based on intellectual property of SIP (referred to
below as the “bridge MD”) and developed a new system in which data is entered into tablet terminals at
the site (Fig. 4). This system allows users to capture
photographs at the same angle while referring to previous inspection photographs on the screen, making iteasier to determine changes over time and damage
conditions (Fig. 5). Information is transferred immediately from the tablet terminals, making it possible tostudy the level of deterioration from a remote locationand provide advice while looking at the same screen.
This is expected to increase the efficiency of work andlead to improved results. It is also expected to produceb e n ef it s s u ch a s c o s t s av i n g s b e c a u s e e ve n

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Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Fig. 5 Bridge inspection using a tablet terminal

inexperienced staff members can easily perform
inspections with shorter working time.
● Utilization in Miyagi Prefecture
The system will be used for bridge inspection work
performed by the Miyagi Prefecture Construction
Center, and it will also be used as a basis for incorporating new technologies and expert advice, etc. fromTohoku University IMC in the future.
[References]
Tohoku University IMC: http://imc-tohoku.org/

Introducing technologies

C-4

Nobuhiro CHIJIWA

Professor,
The University of Tokyo

Associate Professor,
Tokyo Institute of Technology

Obstacles to development of asset
management systems

Model project implementation andnationwide deployment

Today, the importance of infrastructure maintenanceis understood by all of the different types of engineers
who are involved in civil engineering. Every engineer
who is responsible for infrastructure management
surely desires to leave infrastructure in a healthy condition for the next generation.

In this program, we have publicly recruited andselected local governments to implement model projects, while also publicly recruiting supporters for themodel projects (private businesses) to promote theseprojects. The project implementation system is shownin Fig. 1.

However, in actual practice, maintenance tends to fallshort of the ideals of engineers because of obstacles
such as insufficient funds, lack of technology or information, and inadequate implementation systems.
Some local governments and infrastructure administrators have succeeded in developing maintenanceimplementation systems by analyzing the problems
and taking appropriate measures. Unfortunately, thesekinds of success stories are not directly transferable tothe situations of infrastructure maintenance in otherlocal governments. The optimal strategy will vary
according to the circumstances of each local government because a variety of factors are involved in infrastructure maintenance, including the types andquantities of infrastructure, the usage environment,
the technical level of management engineers, thestructures of organizations that implement maintenance, the availability of funding, and issues of
responsibility.

Each of the selected local governments concludes anagreement with the Japan Society of Civil Engineers(JSCE), and the respective model projects are implemented on the basis of these agreements. A practicalresearch committee for asset management system
implementation has been established at the JSCE
Organization for Promotion of Civil Engineering
Technology, and this committee is in charge of analyzing the current situation of each local government,
providing support for asset management system development, and collecting and storing case information.
Private businesses that have concluded agreementswith JSCE as project supporters are to provide support
for model project promotion under the direction of thiscommittee.
Based on survey reports and proposals by project supporters, the committee discusses specific support
measures and proposes them to local governments,
and after receiving such a proposal, a local government works on constructing an asset management system within its own organization. Various obstacles areencountered in the process of system construction,and the experience of overcoming these difficulties
becomes helpful in the construction of asset management systems for other local governments.

Deployment

In subprocess 3 of the SIP program of the Universityof Tokyo, a comprehensive study aimed at road infrastructure management cycle development and deployment in Japan and overseas, we are analyzing the root
causes of maintenance problems faced by municipalities, proposing solutions to those problems, andendeavoring to support the construction of systems forthe implementation of maintenance work (here, this iscalled development of asset management systems). We
will describe the content of this study in this paper.

Regions

Kazumasa OZAWA

Technologies

Developing asset management systems to suit local
government needs

To construct an asset management system, a local
government needs to develop an accurate understanding of its own situation and make up for the places
where it is lacking, with help from the private sector.

Regions C-4

81Practical research committee forasset management system
implementation, Organization for
Promotion of Civil Engineering
Technology, JSCE

Agreement

Introducing technologies

Local government A

Outsourcing contract

Project
implementation

Support andevaluation

Project
supporter A

Asset management system model
project

Fig. 1 Model project implementation system

Technologies

This analysis and the development of an agreement
model to derive incentives to the private sector wereformed with reference to “Maintenance and renovation bidding and contract guidelines: Approach tocomprehensive contracts” [in Japanese], compiled by
the Construction Management Committee of JSCE.

Model project in Niigata City: How tomaintain an enormous number of bridges

Regions

Niigata City is responsible for the management of
4,073 bridges. About 84% of these are small bridges
less than 5m in length, but 90 of them are long truss
bridges over 100 m in length whose management wastransferred from Niigata Prefecture to Niigata City.
The proportion of bridges with age-related deterioration is expected to climb sharply in the future.
The city is taking steps to disperse and mitigate theeffects of aging by shifting to a maintenance system
based on urgent preventive maintenance while accelerating bridge renovation. The city has been making
steady progress in countermeasures for bridges withsevere deterioration, but the progress of its plan for
shifting to preventive maintenance was encountering
delays. In addition to budgetary problems, the reasons
included the diversity of bridge types, efficiency inrepair work, the bridge management system, and problems in recruitment.

Deployment

Niigata City organized a bridge asset management
review committee, consisting of interested parties andexperts, to study ways to solve the problems. As aresult, a decision was made to attempt to solve theproblems by classifying the bridges into three categories according to their characteristics and using comprehensive contract methods suited to each category(Table 1). The first is a small-scale bridge inspection
model designed for smaller bridges, and its goal is tosecure bridge inspectors while reducing costs by placing combined orders for inspection of multiple
bridges, each less than 15 m in length. The second is a82

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

corrective maintenance outsourcing model designed
for larger bridges at least 15 m in length, and its goal
is to even out the workload and achieve greater efficiency by signing comprehensive contracts that coverinspection and corrective work on multiple bridges for
multiple years. The third, a lifespan-extending model
designed for priority bridges, is based on comprehensive contracts that combine inspection, corrective
work, and maintenance work in combination, covering
multiple bridges for multiple years.
Actual orders based on these three models were placed
in FY 2017 for trial implementation. As a result, verification work showed divergence between the data andthe situations of bridges, demonstrating the need toreview the database for the sake of appropriate maintenance. In addition, combined ordering did not work
well as a means of distributing the time periods ofwork, and it became clear that improvement is needed.
We are currently considering how to revise the plan
based on these realizations.

Model project in Kuwana City: Improving street tree maintenance efficiency
and harmonizing residents’ future
image of the community
In Kuwana City, the project covered street tree maintenance in Oyamada New Town, which was developedon the concepts of symbiosis with the natural environment and green city planning. Over time, the maintenance of street trees became a large drain on the city’s
finances. The city wanted to find ways to reduce
administrative costs while upholding the emphasis on
greenery, which was emphasized in marketing.
In this endeavor, street trees in each area were positioned according to the characteristics of the respective streets. On that basis, through interviews withresidents and persons in the landscaping industry
related to street tree maintenance, a plan for the placement and maintenance of street trees was proposed,

Table 1 Bridge management model of Niigata City

Small-scale bridge inspection model① To accelerate repairs for bridges inneed of countermeasures② To prevent wintertime repair work
and improve construction quality③ To minimize reworking between
design and implementation④ To reduce costs through combinedordering① To complete small repairs in order ①
to maintain bridges for the next②
generation② To gather and store detailed information on bridges for the next③
generation③ To verify new technologies and new
countermeasure methods to help④
extend bridge life spans④ To promote safety through early
detection of hazards and immediate
repairs⑤ To reduce life cycle costs with aneye to the next 10 or 20 years

To reduce future inspection costs
To even out the annual workload tohelp compensate for lack ofpersonnel
To obtain and develop humanresources through outsourcing tolocal companies
To improve disaster countermeasures through familiarity with
topography and natural features○ For bridges in need of immediate
countermeasures○ Multiple bridges are combined incontracts covering the repair work
design and implementation
processes○ Times of work implementation are
optimized by signing multiple-year
contracts○ For long bridges of historic value on ○the Agano River○○ Comprehensive contracts for annual
inspections, small-scale repairs,○
maintenance work, etc.
○ Demonstration fields are provided
for new technologies, new countermeasure methods, etc.

For bridges in management zone 4Groups of bridges with low bridge
tolls
Comprehensive contracts for annual
inspections suited to Niigata City
on a per-area basis○ Multiple bridges (about 3 to 5)○ Design and implementation (endreinforcement, painting, etc.)○ Multiple years (implementationfrom late 2016 to first half of 2018;verification in second half of 2018)

○
○
○
○

Introducing technologies

Lifespan-extending model

Technologies

Model projects (proposals)

Summary

Purpose and anticipated benefits

Corrective maintenance outsourcing
model

Multiple bridges (about 2)○ Multiple bridges (selected from
Annual inspections
bridges that underwent legally
Cleaning such as power washingmandated inspection in 2015)
Small-scale repairs (partial paint○ Inspection methods (introducing theing, etc.)
technique of inspection using
tablets)○ Multiple years (late 2016 – verification in first half of 2017)○ Multiple years (implementationfrom late 2016 to first half of 2017;verification in second half of 2019)

Souce: Practical research committee for asset management system implementation, FY 2016 report

Model project in Machida City: Developing an infrastructure maintenancesystem that can be managed and modified by local government personnel
Machida City has 239 bridges and 138 km of arterialand sub-arterial roads. This infrastructure has been
maintained according to a lifespan-extending repair
plan, but in the course of implementing the plan, theactual situation has increasingly diverged from theplan. According to interviews with personnel, the current system makes it difficult for personnel to modify
the plan in light of factors such as inspection results,
and the actual situation has diverged more and morefrom the plan due to the accumulated results of factors
such as predictions of deterioration progress that did
not match up with reality and postponement of work

Regions

due to budget reductions. Some expressed concern
about declines in technical skills among local government personnel, indicating the need to maintain andimprove their skills.
It was decided that new tools would be developed as away to address these problems, and an attempt wasmade to develop a system in which the overall roadmaintenance plan can be modified appropriately by
local government personnel themselves in light of thelatest information, while confirming the results of pastmaintenance and checking for consistency with deterioration predictions. In 2018, a prototype was completed for a management system that allows for plan
modification by personnel, and trial implementationby the relevant staff members has begun. Hands-on
learning and other training is also being planned in
response to the need to maintain and improve thetechnical skills of local government personnel. Consideration is being given to more general applicationof the tools developed in this project.

Regions C-4

Deployment

including street tree thinning, changes in tree species,
and maintenance by residents (Fig. 2). In FY 2017, on
the basis of that proposal, discussions were held withresidents with regard to the future image of the neighborhood and the street trees that it should have. At
present, adjustments are being made to obtain theunderstanding of residents concerning street tree
maintenance for practical implementation of the plan,and expansion to other areas is also being considered.

83LegendMaintenance policy

Technologies

Introducing technologies■ Emphasis on maintenance■ Emphasis on cost savings■ Considering need formaintenance■ Omitting maintenance■ Street trees present

Current status

Current status
After implementation(about 3 years later)a) Less frequent maintenance

After
implementationb) Removal of low shrubs

RegionsFig. 2 Example of determining sections for infrastructure savings through functional assessment with resulting landscape changes(Source: Interim report of the practical research committee for asset management system implementation)

Model project in Fuji City: Awarenessraising and cooperation among relevant divisions

Deployment

Fuji City had a basic policy on public facility management in place to define the city’s basic approach tomaintenance and management, and measures werebeing taken with regard to public buildings, but thecity government overall had a low awareness of risks
and problems related to the management of civil engineering infrastructure, lacking the necessary attitudes
and systems for a unified response by the relevant
offices.
In the model project, opportunities were provided forthe relevant offices to come together to discuss afuture vision and approach for asset management inFuji City, and in addition to developing a frameworkto advance unified efforts, the problems faced by each

84

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

office were analyzed and solutions were proposed. As
a result, efforts to improve the efficiency of overall
infrastructure maintenance have begun. A roadmap
has been drafted for the promotion of asset management, and steps to improve awareness among personnel have begun, including study sessions for acomprehensive agreement and meetings to exchange
information across different divisions.

Development of asset management
systems
Different local governments face different problems
related to maintenance, as discussed in this paper, andthere is no one-size-fits-all solution. The first step inorganizational change is to share information andraise awareness among related persons, and this is
expected to lead to the development of systems for
asset management.

C-5

Introducing technologies

Community-based management of local water supply
system: A new technology and style of collaboration
among local government and community

Ken USHIJIMA, Ph.D.

Population decrease in rural area of Japan is proceeding severely. As one of serious results, water supply
systems, those generally managed by local government and have to employ corporate accounting, arefacing heavy deficit situation due to decrease of customers. Furthermore, local government itself has
already shrunken in terms of both budget and humanresources, and therefore it seems difficult for local
government to continue sufficient management ofwater infrastructure.
To challenge above mentioned situation, this projectfocused on local small water supply systems those
supply potable water for about 10 to 100 households
and are managed not by local government but by users(here after we call them Community based managed

water supply system: CBMW). We regarded them as
one of promising model of sustainable water infrastructure management in shrinking society, howeververy few information of CBMW are available because
those water system have been managed mostly independent from local government.
This paper reports overview of CBMW based on fieldresearch in Hokkaido and discuss on (a) how to support sustainable management of CBMW, and (b) how
we should consider new technology application forshrinking society, especially where we cannot expect
sufficient management by local government.

Lesson and learnt from present Community Based Managed Water Management System

Regions

Promising model of future water infrastructure management for shrinking
society

Technologies

Hokkaido Research Organization
Chief for resource oriented system

It is estimated that there exist more than 500 CBMWs
in Hokkaido, however exact number is unknown 1).

Table 1 Tasks for community based managed water system and players taking the role, by counting from interview results of 11 CBMW cases.
Ex-construcWater related
Local
tor of water
constructor
municipality
facilities

Bill collection
Detection of leakage point
Manager of construction
Supply of heavy machine
Operation of heavy machine
Keep the drawing
Disaster response
Water quality check
Clean up water source area
Maintenance of filter
Snow removal
Material stock
Paperwork for construction
Fixing pump

10
4
2
2
3
4
1

7
6
6

Heavy
machinelease agency

Local
Water quality
electronics
test agency
shop

1
1
Deployment

Tasks to manage water supply systemcommunity

2
2
5

10
1

1
1

2
1
1

Regions C-585specialists. Limited budget of CBMWs should be used
to sustain local shops and local technicians. If those
shops and technicians were disappear, CBMWs haveto use shops and technicians outside of the region, andit costs and time consuming.

Introducing technologies

This project conducted interview survey on total 39
CBMWs those we could contact. According to theresults2), we found that CBMWs have been succeeded
to manage their system on the bases of their agriculture related skills, machines, community bound andnetwork (Table 1), however their weak points seemed
to be (a) large dependency to good quality of water
source and lack of barrier to reduce health risk (Fig.1),(b) lack of sufficient asset information such as pipe
network map, in many cases detail of pipe network
information are only in CBMW manager’s brain.

Field trial with high school students
This project partially tested the supporting system, on
the basis of collaboration with CBMWs in Furano Cityin Hokkaido, local government of Furano City, andFurano high school science club. In this trial, highschool students visited CBMWs to take water sample
and to make interview about pipe network (Fig.3).

Technologies

In order to overcome those weak points, this project
designed supporting network for CBMWs, which consists of CBMW managers, local high school, central
and local government, local shops and wide variety of
specialists (Fig.2). In this supporting network, highschool students contribute to monitor their water quality and to provide GIS asset data for CBMWs. This
network can provide good education topic and field forhigh school. Furthermore, high school students get achance to learn technique of water analysis and GIS
software operation. Data created by high school students are stored in database and shared with local
water managers, local gover nment and related

Sampled water was analyzed onsite and in the highschool laboratory. Water quality analysis items andmethods were selected in light of easy and low cost
but worth for CBMWs. In total, while fiscal year of
2018, they have checked water quality of 6 CBMWs,
including supplied water, source water, and surrounding surface water.
Regarding pipe network, this project employed easy
GIS system developed by SIP project No.60; R & D of

Surfacewater

Water supply

Infiltration
water

RegionsFig. 1 Typical example of water source which employ artificial infiltration; vertical image (left) andpicture (right); valve on the cover is old broken one and now it is used as weight to fix the coverPrefecture level
National level
Government

Local multi- purpose database
SpeciallectureSupport for materials
which needs to those activities

contents

data

Sorteddata

High school

maker
parts

Deployment

Free accessright(common system will be shared by municipals)DB
maintenancemaker

Technical
Specialists

DB

Provide maintenance
The system agent

pay
paymaterials

Provideeducation
contents

Local
electronics
shop

Variousdata

Municipal level
Water quality
monitoring& asset DB
criation

Raw
data

Technical
adviceLocal
government

Community based management
parts

pay

Materials,
construction

Local water
plumbers

DB costpay

Water source
Local community
Water resource
HosueholdNaturalmanagement
purification
Monitoring for
management
Monitoring
Barriar for pathogen

Risk management system suitable for CBMW

Fig. 2 Supporting network for CBMW, which consists of CBMW management group, local high school, local
government, and variety of specialists

86

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

What we found through field test of
CBMW supporting system
As a technology, employed GIS software which uses
tablet onsite were easily accepted not only by highschool students but also CBMW managers though
they are mostly aged person (Fig.3). Through the trial,
we also found some points to be improved as GIS software. Those points were fed back to version up of
add-on software of the GIS.

Introducing technologies

Summarized results were fed back to CBMW managers, local government, and specialists (Fig.5 & 6). Asa specialist, Hokkaido Research Organization andHokkaido University provided special lecture forrelated topics and training of water analysis forstudents.

school. Those local network based on high school
alumnae and alumni will not appear officially, but it
will be important network for driving future CBMWs
and supporting system.

Recognition shif t for new st yle ofcollaboration
This study proposed community based water management and supporting system for them, as one ofcountermeasure model for shrinking society, especially in rural community. The results of survey onpresent CBWMs and field trial of supporting systemsuggest us that people in community have higher
skills and potential as water infrastructure managers
or supporters, than generally considered. They, especially farmers, also have higher potential to understand and accept new technology, than people living
in urban area, because present farmers are using wide
variety of technologies via agricultural machine,chemical products, and so on, in their daily work.
Thus, we should shift our recognition about local
actors, and should consider new technology application and design of infrastructure management system
in rural area, based on new style of collaboration
among local government, local community and related
actors in and around the region.
[Reference]
1) Ken Ushijima, Akira Ishii, Jun-ichi Fukui, Hirofumi Matsumura:Feasibility of community based water management system on
the basis of field study, Journal of Japan Society of Civil
Engineers, Ser. G. (in press)
2) Ken Ushijima: Conversion to a Regional-Autonomous System
as Next-Generation Water Infrastructure Management, 6 th study
report symposium of the study group for water and sewer service system in Ishikari river basin, 2018

Fig. 3 GIS mapping of water pipe network by high school
student; CBMW manager starts operating by himself.

Fig. 4 Results of GIS mapping by high school students;
exported to Google Earth format in order to share with
CBMW members.

Fig. 5 Reporting workshop by high school student

Fig. 6 Asset data in GIS were fed back to CBMW managers
by high school student

Deployment

Regions

As a supporting system, we could validate that highschool students can work well and contribute much inthis system. As unexpected advantageous effect, wefound that high school students can withdraw morecollaborative attitude from local actors, probably
because local people expect those students to become
local leaders of next generation. In fact, many of present local leaders were alumnae and alumni of this highTechnologies

Development of Strategic Asset Management Technologies for Trunk Agricultural Water Facilities (National
Agriculture and Food Research Organization). Using
this GIS system, high school students inputted theinformation on the digital map directly via tablet
device on site, and they converted those field data into
GIS data set after go back to high school. In total,
while fiscal year of 2017 to 2018, high school students
have created GIS data set of 5 CBMWs (Fig.4).

Regions C-5

87

C-6

Technologies

Introducing technologies

Efficiency promotion and sophistication of periodic
bridge inspection by robotic technology with drasticallyreduced time of traffic restriction

Keitetsu ROKUGO

Hideaki HATANO

Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Civil Engineering,
Gifu University

Project Professor, Center for Infrastructure
Asset Management Technology and Research,
Gifu University

Adoption of RT for periodic bridge
inspection

River. The superstructure of this bridge completed in2013 is of a semicylindrical box girder structure, witha height of approximately 10 m from the water surface. The elliptical piers have no hammerhead. The
standard vehicle lane width is 7.5 m, with 3-m wide
lanes for cyclists and pedestrians on both the upstream
and downstream sides, which are locally widened to 5
m near Piers P5 and P7.

Periodic inspection of bridges by visual observationfrom a close distance once every five years has been
mandated since July 2014. Introduction of robotic
technology (RT), including drones, for periodic
inspection is expected to bring about the effects given
below but has yet to be fully implemented.
- Shorten the time of traffic restriction for inspection- Enhance safety of inspection work
- Accumulate detailed inspection data
- Reduce the cost

Regions

The Gifu University Project for Regional Implementation of SIP (Gifu Univ. SIP)1) has been undertaking
activities focusing on the adoption of RT, including
drones, for periodic inspection of Kakamigahara
Bridge managed by Kakamigahara City, which isscheduled for fiscal 2018. This article is an excerpt
from Reference2).

Difficulty in periodic inspection of
Kakamigahara Bridge

Problems and efforts for solutions
Table 1 shows problems arising when RT is employed,
regarding standards, RT, and cost. This table also
includes the key points of the efforts by the Gifu Univ.
SIP.

Deployment

Kakamigahara Bridge with a bridge area of 11,200 m 2
shown in Fig. 1 is a prestressed concrete continuous
10-span fin-back bridge 594 m in length over Kiso

Inspection of the undersurface of Kakamigahara
Bridge is impossible even with a large bridge inspection vehicle widely used for general bridges, as shownin Fig. 2, due to the wide sidewalk and the fin-backmembers constructed between each sidewalk andvehicle lane. The P2-P9 spans 420 m in length above
the river are particularly difficult to inspect from theu nderside, as they require inspection with anultralarge bridge inspection vehicle with a sidewalk-overbridging capacity of around 5 m, suspended
scaffolding, or ropework, which would incur heavy
costs.

Interfere

Fig. 1 Kakamigahara Bridge

88

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Fig. 2 Inspection with a general large bridge
inspection vehicle

When introducing RT into periodic inspection ofbridges under the management of municipalities, it isimportant that the technology conform to the Guideline for Periodic Road Bridge Inspection3). Also, technical specifications are necessary to serve as a basis
for placing an order for bridge inspection involving
RT.
Gifu Univ. SIP organized the Assessment Committee
for Applicability of New Bridge Inspection Techniques (July 2017 – March 2018), which formulated
and published Recommendations for Bridge Inspection Incorporating Robotic technology (draft) – for Local
Municipalities (hereafter the Draft Recom­mendations)1,4).

Gifu Univ. SIP also proposed a two-step method for
periodic inspection of Kakamigahara Bridge. Thismethod consists of RT-supported preliminary researchin accordance with the Draft Recommendations andvisual inspection of the entire bridge from a close distance using an ultralarge bridge inspection vehicle(Fig. 3).

Introducing technologies

Conformity to standards

Since Kakamigahara Bridge is a special bridge (finback bridge) with wide sidewalks, it requires 10 days
to inspect the bridge using an ultralarge bridge inspection vehicle, of which only one of its kind is available
in Japan. However, by conducting RT-supported preliminary research, the time requiring the large vehicle
can be reduced to 4 days. This reduces the congestion
due to the closing of one lane by 6 days. This can be

Table 1 Problems associated with introduction of RT into periodic inspection of bridges and Gifu Univ. SIP’s efforts

Key points of Gifu Univ. SIP’s efforts

ProblemTechnologies

No standard is available to serve as a Formulated the Recommendations for Bridge Inspection Incorporating RT
basis for introducing RT(Draft) – for Local Municipalities1, 4)Standards Inspection methods should conform to
Proposed preliminary research by RT prior to visual inspection from a close
Guideline for Periodic Road Bridge
distance based on the inspection guideline
Inspection
Required that the technology is capable of providing information for judging
Performance requirements for RT is
if the soundness grade of each member is Grade II or higher with respect tounclear
Guideline for Periodic Road Bridge Inspection (Table 2)
RT

Assessment of technology is insufficient

Assessed the performance of RT by field testing at Kakamigahara Bridge(Table 3)

No single RT can inspect all segments Proposed combinations of multiple robotic techniques (Figs. 3 and 4)
Cost

The possibility of inspection cost Proposed to change RT-supported preliminary research to screening survey
reduction is not obvious
and utilize AI
Table 2 Requirements for information obtained through RT

Damage can be detected and classified.

Pictures and sketches of damDamage can be detected in a manner to allow sketching of damaged por- age are provided to confirm the
Locationrequirements in the left column.
tions in relation to other members.
T he lo cat ion s, r a nge s a nd
The overall image can be obtained to judge whether the damage is localdirections of damage shown inSize
ized or extensive.
t he prov ide d pic t u r e s a nd
The direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, longitudinal or transverse sketches are roughly in agreeDirection andto reinforcement, etc.) and pattern (map cracking, etc.) of damage can be ment with those in the damage
pattern
chart prepared by visual inspecdetected.
tion from a short distance.
Water penetration The source and path of water ingress can be detected regarding damage
paths
involving water, such as water leakage and free lime.

Size

Displacement

Crack width:
The crack width of 0.2 mm or more can be measured with an error mar- The measurement results ofdamage described in the damgin of 0.0 to + 0.1 mm.
age chart prepared by visualinspection from a short disCrack length, peeling, rebar exposure, leakage, etc.:
tance or artificially created
The size can be measured with an error margin of 5 cm.
accuracy verification marks are(Length: L = XX cm, Area: A = XX cm × XX cm)
roughly within the tolerances
The displacements of expansion gaps and bearings can be measured with shown in the left column.
an error margin of 10 mm.

Deployment

Detection of damage
Measurement of damage

Verification
Regions

Requirements
Presence andtype※ The following performance is required so that there can be no omission of cracks with a width of 0.3 mm or more.
For a crack width of 0.2 mm, it is acceptable to output a measurement result of 0.3 mm (0.2 mm + error 0.1 mm) to be on thesafe side.
For a crack width of 0.3 mm, it is not acceptable to output a measurement result of 0.2 mm (0.3 mm ‒ error 0.1 mm) on the dangerous side.

Regions C-6

89Table 3 reveals that it is currently difficult to inspect
all segments by one single robotic technique within
the range of the techniques considered. As shown in
Figs. 3 and 4, Gifu Univ. SIP intends to combine multiple techniques making the most of their features.

Introducing technologies

done without incurring additional cost, if the cost of
RT can be covered by the reduced cost for the inspection vehicle.

Performance and operation method of
RT

Future development

Technologies

It is difficult to clearly define the performancerequired of RT for bridge inspection, since RT has
scarcely been introduced to periodic inspection ofbridges so far. The above-mentioned Draft Recommendations require that the technology be capable ofproviding information for judging if the soundness
grade of each member is Grade II or higher withrespect to the Guideline for Periodic Road Bridge
Inspection. Gifu Univ. SIP specified the performancerequirements for the information to be acquired as
Table 2 by inventorying the data necessary for inspection engineers to judge the soundness of each memberof the bridge and data that the RT should provide.
Table 3 gives the key results of the performance of RT
confirmed by field testing. Note that the measurement
performance was selected referring to Gifu Prefecture’s Bridge Inspection Manual5) and tolerances were
specified also taking account of the results of fieldtests.

Gifu Univ. SIP is undertaking the projects given below
with the aim of introducing RT in periodic inspectionof Kakamigahara Bridge (first inspection in fiscal
2018).
- Formulate Recommendations for Bridge Inspection
Incorporating RT (Draft) - for Local Municipalities- Present performance requirements for, and assess theperformance of, RT- Provide examples of optimum combinations ofrobotic techniques
Utilizing RT for bridge inspection will bring about thefollowing advantages:- Facilitate inspection of bridges with a large crosssection such as Kakamigahara Bridge- Significantly shorten the period of traffic restriction
on bridges with a large inspection vehicle (in thecase of Kakamigahara, the period of 10 days was
reduced to 4 days)

Table 3 Assessment of RT performance

Operation by drone engineer

Regions

Inspection
segments ofKakamigahara
BridgeDeployment

Operation by inspection engineer

Drone withwheels for visualobservation andhammering tests

Two-wheeled
drone with acamera forbridgeinspection

Bridge members
above water

B(Using boat)

B(Using boat)

B(Using boat)

A

A

Bottom surface
of deckA (+)(hammering test)

A (-)(Revaluation)

A

A

A

Girder(Side surface )B(Only upper part)C(Except for
curved surface)

A

A

A

Girder(Bottom surface)

A

A (-)
(Revaluation)

A

A

B(Except for
center part)

Beam on bearings

C(Unavailable)

C(Unavailable)

A

B(Only sidesurface)A

B(Only lower
surface)

A

A

A

A

BearingC(Unavailable)

A

A (-)
(Revaluation)

Drainage pipeand metal fitting

A

A

A

A

A

Substructure(Top surface)C(Unavailable)

A

A (-)
(Revaluation)C(Unavailable)

C(Unavailable)

Substructure(Side surface
above water)C(Unavailable)

A

A

C(Unavailable)

C(Unavailable)

Bracket90

Assessment ofapplicability to
Kakamigahara
bridge

A: Applicable
B: Conditionallyapplicable
C: Inapplicable

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Robotic camera
Drone withindicating crack
controllable pitch
scale for bridge
propellers
inspection

Camera systemfor bridge
inspection

B
B(Except for space (Except for space
betweenbetweenbearings)
bearings)

P9

A2

P8

P7
W.Z.

P6

Preliminary Wide view
survey with Narrow view
RTs
Hammer

P5
W.Z.

P4

P3

P2

P1

A1

Drone

Introducing technologies

Drone/Robotic camera
Drone with hammer

Human Visual inspection

Rope
access

Inspection vehicle

Inspection
vehicleRopeaccess

Inspection vehicle

Bridge 橋
Length長 L=594000
57500

Span
Length長 8@60000=480000
支間

56450

Wide zone(W.Z.)

Kiso
River
木曽川
A2

P9

P8

P7

P6

P5

P4

P3

P2

P1

A1

1: 3. 7

【Left Bank】【Right Bank】(a) Drone with wheels for visualobservation and hammering tests(b) Two-wheeled drone withcamera for bridge inspection(c) Drone with controllable
pitch propellers(d) Robotic camera indicatingcrack scale for bridge inspection(e) Camera system for bridge
inspection(f ) Drone with hammering test
equipment for bridge inspection

Regions

Technologies

Fig. 3 Combination of robotic techniquesFig. 4 Robotic techniques for inspection of Kakamigahara Bridge[References]1) G i f u U ni ve r s i t y S I P: I m p l e m e nt at i o n of Ef fe c t i ve S I P
Maintenance Technologies by the ME Network, 2018 (inJapanese) http://me-unit.net/
2) Hasuike, R., Kinoshita, K., Hatano, H., Furusawa, E. andRokugo, K.: Bridge Inspection Assisted with Robot Technology
for Long-span PC Bridge, Kakamigahara-Bridge, Journal ofJapan Society of Civil Engineers, Ser.F4 (Construction andManagement), Vol.74, No.2, Ⅰ_41-Ⅰ_49, 2018 (in Japanese)3) Road Bureau: Guideline for Periodic Road Bridge Inspection,
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan, 2014.7. (inJapanese) http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/sisaku/yobohozen/yobohozen.html
4) Hasuike, R., Kinoshita, K., Hatano, H. and Rokugo, K.: Bridge
Inspection Assisted with Robot Technology for Long-span
Concrete Bridges, Proceedings of Japan Concrete Institute,Vol.39, No.2, pp.1345-1350, 2018. (in Japanese)
5) Gifu Prefecture: Gifu Prefecture’s Bridge Inspection Manual,
2016.3. (in Japanese) http://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/shakai-kiban/
doro/doro-iji/11657/index_57545.html

Regions C-6

Deployment

When revising technical standards, it is hoped that theinspection items and performance requirements will
be reviewed from the aspects of evolving technology
and adopting new technology, including the improvement of measurement technology using robots,
enhancement of the accuracy of acquired data, andsophistication of data processing technology.

91

Introducing technologies

C-7

Technologies

Approach to use of robotic technologies in periodic
inspection of steel bridges

Hideaki HATANO

Keitetsu ROKUGO

Project Professor, Center for Infrastructure
Asset Management Technology and Research,
Gifu University

Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Civil Engineering,
Gifu University

Anticipation for robotic technologies insteel bridge inspection

restrictions due to the shape of the bucket make it
impossible to bring it up close to some portions.
Therefore, although there is widespread interest in
using bridge inspection robots to conduct inspection
for the sake of efficient and accurate implementationof bridge inspection work, broader application ofbridge inspection robots is considered to involve agreat deal of difficulty at the present time.

Gifu University’s SIP implementation project includes
activities aimed at incorporating robotic technologies
in periodic inspection of the Kakamigahara Bridge,
which has a length of 594m and is managed by the cityof Kakamigahara. As part of these activities, operational proposals have been made for the introductionof new technologies such as inspection robots for use
in inspection of concrete bridges, including the development of related standards,1) clarification of performance requirements, 2) evaluation of technologies, 2)
and combinations of technologies.

Regions

Meanwhile, steel bridges have a more complex
cross-sectional shape than concrete bridges because
they use many truss structures and arch structures,and this means that inspection work using bridge
inspection vehicles and the like is less efficient. Therefore, it is necessary to promote bridge inspection using
robotic technologies for steel bridges as well, andstandards must be developed on the basis of challenges
encountered in steel bridge inspection.
We will discuss the approach for expanding the scopeof application of the standards and requirements thathave been proposed for concrete bridges in activities
thus far to include steel bridges.

Fig. 1 Inspection of a trussed Langer bottom-road bridge4)

Deployment

Challenges in periodic inspection ofsteel bridges
In steel bridges, the members of thin-walled structures
have a large surface area requiring inspection, andthere are also many complex frame structures. In theinspection of truss bridges and arch bridges, thebucket of an inspection vehicle needs to be inserted
between complicated frame structures in a careful
operation, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. This significantly lowers the efficiency of inspection work, and92

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Fig. 2 Inspection of an arch deck bridge4)

Degradation of anticorrosive function, a change that is
typically seen in steel bridges, requires information
gathering over a relatively wide range. Meanwhile,
local corrosion, which has a major impact on integrity
evaluation, requires information gathering in a relatively narrow field of view; that is, information must
be gathered at a level where it is possible to judge
whether to perform measurement for reductions inplate thickness.

Inspection in places with inadequate
brightness
Many coatings, which come in a variety of colors, areused on steel bridges, and a great deal of inspection
work is performed in situations with inadequate
brightness in the case of steel bridges with dark coatings, compared to concrete bridges.

Many types of structures in steel bridges involve constraints on the directions in which they can beaccessed by inspection robots from the horizontal orvertical direction, etc., and this means that accurate
operation within a narrow range is necessary. An
inspection robot equipped with a rotating sphericalshell,5) like the one shown in Fig. 3, performed very
well in providing close-up access to narrow spaces
during a field test performed by the authors on a steel
bridge (Chidori Bridge in Gifu-shi). Other types ofrobots also perform very well in providing close-up
access to narrow spaces by making use of the characteristics of steel bridges, including an inspection robotthat moves omnidirectionally under a girder undercontrol by the length of a hanging wire,5) an inspection
robot equipped with a mechanism that moves it while
adhering to steel by magnetic attraction, 6) and an
inspection robot that moves while suspended from thelower flange of a steel plate girder bridge.6) It is anticipated that these types of robots will be utilized in steel
bridge inspection.

Introducing technologies

Inspection functions at wide and narrow fields of view

Close-up access in narrow spaces

Technologies

We will describe the required performance of robotic
technologies for use in periodic inspection of steel
bridges managed by local governments, based on findings from application of the proposed guidelines forconcrete bridges1) to the Kakamigahara Bridge.

Crack detection accuracy

In steel bridges, it is necessary to detect when boltsthat connect members are loose or missing. An inspection engineer can detect loosened bolts by hammer
sounding, but accurate hammer sounding of bolt heads
and nuts by robotic means is difficult based on thecurrent state of the technology, and it is consideredmore realistic to use alternate means, such as detecting gaps due to loosening of bolts or cracked coatings
where a bolt head or nut contacts the steel plate.

Crack detection accuracy in reinforced
concrete floor slabs of steel bridges
The accuracy of crack detection in concrete floor slabs
of steel bridges is an issue. As long as the condition of
the bridge is equivalent to at least soundness category
II, it is sufficient to be able to detect wide-ranging unidirectional or bidirectional cracks without free lime
(cracks up to about 0.2 mm in width).

Fig. 3 Inspection robot equipped with a rotating spherical shell

Efficient imaging of deterioration in
narrow spaces
In steel bridges having many narrow spaces, it is necessary to capture images in multiple directions while
positioned close-up to a narrow space, and to reduce
the amount of time needed to get in and out of such
spaces. For example, images could be captured using ahigh-resolution 360° camera. Fig. 4 shows an example
of a robot operating in a narrow space on a concrete
bridge; this is a bridge inspection robot equipped witha 360° camera that we tried out on the Kakamigahara
Bridge. An image captured by this robot is shown in
Fig. 5. This camera-based method was fully capable ofdetecting cracks about 0.2 mm in thickness on the web
surface on the left side.

Regions C-7

Deployment

Detection of loosened and missing
bolts

Regions

Cracks in steel materials originate at welds, and whena crack involves cracking of a coating at an earlystage, it is sometimes detected as a change involving
rust staining. The standard of concrete cracks about 0.2
mm in width could be introduced as an accuracy
requirement for detection of cracked coatings during
periodic inspection of bridges, although further discussion is necessary.

93More efficient inspection work on members above the road
Introducing technologies

When using a drone robot to inspect a bottom-road
bridge, as shown in Fig. 1, it is possible to inspect theunderside of the bridge without any traffic restrictions;however, the bridge needs to be closed to traffic wheninspecting the members above the road. There is presently a need to devise ways to avoid lengthy closure totraffic. To reduce the amount of time that a bridge isclosed to traffic, it is necessary to take steps to accomplish inspection work more efficiently, such as operating multiple robots simultaneously.

Technologies

Fig. 4 Drone equipped with a 360° camera

Fig. 5 Image obtained by a 360° camera

Example of performance requirements
for inspection of steel bridges (draft)
Based on the matters discussed above, the performance requirements according to the bridge inspection manual of Gifu Prefecture3) are as shown in Table
1. Steel bridges involve very different performancerequirements from concrete bridges with regard toclose-up access to narrow spaces, depending on bridge
type; so these requirements are classified by the typeof bridge concerned. This table is presented as a set of
initial values for future use when considering standards, based on the authors’ activities with the use ofbridge inspection robotic technologies on concrete
bridges.

Table 1 Example of performance requirements for information obtained by robotic technologies (steel bridges)

Regions

Content requirements

Bridge types

Steel girderand boxgirder (deckbridges)

The inspection mechanism can freely pass through spaces ofabout 1m × 2m in a vertical direction.

Presence andtype ofdeterioration

Capable of detecting and categorizing deterioration (corrosion,cracked coating, loosened or missing bolts and rivets, fracture,degraded anti-corrosive function, deformed or damaged steel
plates).

Verified by field testing on
The inspection mechanism can freely pass through spaces of actual bridges or model bridge
organized by comDeck bridges about 3m × 5m in a horizontal or vertical direction in a truss facilities,
mittees, etc. including persons
bridge, etc.
having relevant knowledge and
The inspection mechanism can freely pass through spaces of experience.
Bottom-road about 3m × 5m in a horizontal or vertical direction in a truss
bridgesbridge, etc., and the length of time of traffic closure during bridge
surface inspection can be minimized.

Direction,etc.

Capable of detecting deteriorated spots and relative positions with Comparison with deterioration
other members.
diagrams prepared on the basis
close-up visual inspection,
Capable of determining whether deterioration is localized or of
confirmingthat it shows generwidespread.
ally the same location, scope,
Capable of detecting the directions of cracks, fractures, deforma- etc. of deterioration.
tion, etc.

Route ofmoisture
intrusion

Capable of detecting the route of moisture intrusion and the origin with regard to corrosion and degradation of anticorrosivefunction.

Location

Deployment

Detection ofdeterioration

ExtentMeasurement Dimensionsofdeterioration
Displacement

94

Verification method

Capable of detecting steel plate deformation and damage with anerror of less than 1 cm.
The measurement results ofdeterioration and accuracy verCapable of measuring the dimensions of deterioration with an ification indicators are genererror of less than 5 cm.
ally within the per missible
Capable of measuring girder expansion gaps and displacement of error limits shown at left.
supports with an error of less than 10 mm.

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

The following are conceivable formats for the use ofrobotic technologies in support of bridge inspection.
(1) Using robotic technologies for preliminary surveys
to improve the efficiency of overall close-up visuali n s p e c t i o n w o r k (t h e c u r r e n t p r o p o s e dguidelines1)).
(2) Using robotic technologies for screening to selectthose portions where close-up visual inspection
work will be performed.
(3) Using robotic technologies in place of close-up

Introducing technologies[References]
1) Evaluation Committee of New Bridge Inspection Technology:
Guidelines for Bridge Inspection with Robot Technology (Draft)- For Local Governments, Gifu University SIP Implementation
Project, 2018.4. (in Japanese)2) Committee for Inspection Methods for Kakamigahara Bridge:
Reports on Inspection Methods for Kakamigahara-Bridge, Gifu
University SIP Implementation Project, 2018.4. (in Japanese)3) Road Maintenance Section, Land Maintenance Department ofGifu Prefecture: Bridge Inspection Manual, 2016.3. (inJapanese)4) Neotech Japan: Structure Inspection, http://neotech-j.co.jp/
check.html. (browsed on 10th Sep. 2018) (in Japanese)5) Cabinet Office: Infrastructure Maintenance, Renovation andManagement, Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion
Program (SIP), 2017.3, http://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/panhu/sip_english/sip_en.html

Technologies

Formats for use of robotic technologies
to support inspection

Formats (2) and (3) are thought to be desirable future
steps in terms of improving efficiency and reducing
costs in bridge inspection work.

6) New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization:
Technical Descriptions of Robot Technology for Infrastructure
Maintenance Management, 2018.3. (in Japanese)

Regions

Based on utilization in field testing at Kakamigahara
Bridge and in actual bridge inspection work, it isessential to select and combine robotic technologies
according to the portions to be inspected and the typesof inspection work. It is desirable to compile field test
results performed throughout Japan and prepare documentation including the correspondence of robotic
technologies to different portions for inspection.

visual inspection on bridges classified as soundness category I based on close-up visual inspectionin the previous fiscal year.

Deployment

Combinations of robotic technologies

Regions C-7

95

C-8

Introducing technologies

Infrastructure maintenance system development for
local governments and use of robotic technology inbridge inspection

Tamotsu KURODA

Technologies

Professor,
Tottori University

Need for greater efficiency in infrastructure maintenance as constructionindustry staff become fewer and older
As the number of personnel involved in the construction industry continues to fall nationwide, the rate of
decline has been especially sharp in Tottori Prefecture(Fig. 1). Fewer young people are taking jobs in theconstruction industry, and the average age of workers
in this industry is increasing (Fig. 1). Tottori Prefecture has a great deal of infrastructure, and its local governments have a pressing need to find ways to manage
infrastructure with greater efficiency in the future.

Regions

Therefore, we have developed an efficient infrastructure(persons)■ Age 15–19 ■ Age 20–29 ■ Age 30–39■ Age 40–49 ■ Age 50–64 ■ Age 65 and up

41% decline

maintenance system (Fig. 2) that combines databases,
GIS, sensor-based monitoring, and reporting by local
residents (semi-experts), and this system has been
implemented for infrastructure maintenance in Tottori
Prefecture. We have also studied the use of robotic
technologies in the inspection of bridges for the sakeof more efficient and advanced bridge inspection.

Greater efficiency in road patrol inspection
We developed a database and used GIS for visualization of road conditions as a means of improving theefficiency of patrol inspection of roads in Tottori Prefecture. In this system, inspection staff use tablet
computers to input the results of inspections in thefield, and this information is sent to a database alongwith images. This eliminates the need for work suchas organizing inspection results and filling out forms
after returning to the office. Because location information is acquired at the same time, the locations ofproblems are displayed on a map, making it possible
to discover where problems are located at a glance.
Problem repair history is also stored in this database,so data from inspection to repairs can be managed ina unif ied man ner using this database. For the
Inspection

Efficient inspections andeffective data utilization

Using ICT to report and record inspection results

Deployment

Sensor-based
monitoring

Database

Reports submitted
by semi-experts

Screening
Priority ordering of roads for patrol
inspection (statistical analysis)
Identifying locations with heavy
damage or deterioration (patternrecognition, etc.)

Visualization of
infrastructure
conditions (GIS)

2000 2002 2005 2007 2010 2012 2015

Fig. 1 Age trends in the construction industry in Tottori
Prefecture (based on data from the Department ofLabor and Commerce, Tottori Prefecture)

96

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Diagnosis by local
government staff

Used asnecessary

SIP implementation project of Gifu
University
http://m3-unit.net/sip-tech#title13

New technologies
for nondestructive
testing, etc.

Fig. 2 Infrastructure maintenance system

After undergoing training in problems such as roaddamage and deterioration, local residents can become
qualified as semi-experts. When these semi-experts
discover a problem on the roads in areas where they
live, they can use a smartphone or tablet computer to
upload a description of the problem to the database,along with location information and images. The locations of problems reported by semi-experts are displayed on a map. This setup makes it possible for roadadministrators to determine road conditions andimplement countermeasures as needed. By displaying
information on the map such as whether the roadadministrator has decided to implement countermeasures and the results of any such countermeasures, asemi-expert can determine what actions have beentaken by the road administrator in response to the
problem that he or she reported. This system forsemi-experts to report road problems was implemented on a trial basis with the cooperation of local
residents, and the system was improved during implementation based on user feedback concerning thetraining and the reporting app.

Using robotic technologies in bridge
inspection
It is urgently necessary to improve the efficiency ofbridge inspection in response to constraints such as
declining numbers of engineers and budget limitations. In addition, close-up visual inspection is often
difficult in large-scale bridges due to location conditions and structural constraints. Therefore, for thesake of more efficient and advanced bridge inspection,connecting Sakaiminato City (Tottori Prefecture) andMatsue City (Shimane Prefecture), demonstration testing was conducted to promote the use of robotic technologies in bridge inspection, using the Eshima
Ohashi Bridge over Lake Nakaumi as the testing field(Fig. 3). Close-up visual inspection of this bridge isdifficult because of its location conditions and structural constraints, and distant visual inspection has
been used to inspect this bridge during the past 14
years since it was first opened.

Difficulty of close-up visual inspection
at Eshima Ohashi Bridge
Close-up visual inspection would be difficult toachieve at the Eshima Ohashi Bridge, for the following reasons.

Technologies

Inspection support by semi-experts

Fig. 3 Eshima Ohashi Bridge• Some parts cannot be accessed even by large bridge
inspection vehicles, due to the large overhang andtall girder height (up to 15 m).
• Because the slope of the bridge is as steep as 6.1%,
the bridge would need to be completely closed in
one direction while operating a large bridge inspection vehicle, causing a significant inconvenience.
• Close-up visual inspection by rope access is problematic in terms of safety, and some portions would
not be accessible even by rope access.
• It is dark inside the box girder, and a scaffold would
be needed because the maximum height is nearly 15
m. It would be difficult to insert a scaffold throughthe narrow inspection openings.

Regions

Sensors (acceleration sensors plus GPS) are mounted
on road patrol vehicles to detect abnormal road vibrations during vehicle operation. These locations are
displayed on a map using the above database and GIS.
This makes it possible to efficiently detect road locations where problems exist. At present in Tottori Prefecture, this setup is only being used on road patrol
vehicles; however, work is underway to develop a way
to use it more frequently and over a larger area by
mounting the sensors on delivery trucks of shipping
companies, etc.

• Installation of a hanging scaffold, etc. for close-up
visual inspection would be prohibitively expensive,with inspection costs estimated at over ¥200
million.

Collaboration between robotic technology developers and local consultants
To introduce robotic technologies for local bridge
inspection, the engineers of a local construction consulting firm need to understand the robotic technologies and be able to use these technologies to perform
inspections. Therefore, in the demonstration testing ofthese technologies, the processes of inspection planning, calculation of expenses, implementation ofdemonstration testing, compilation of inspection
results, and report preparation were performed collaboratively by the robotic technology developers andlocal construction consulting firms.

Deployment

Detection of road problems by onboard
sensors

Introducing technologies

implementation of this database & GIS system in roadmaintenance in Tottori Prefecture, we developed an
eff icient, easy-to-use system through repeated
improvements, incorporating feedback received frompersonnel of Tottori Prefecture who were using thesystem on a trial basis.

Robotic technologies used in demonstration testing
The following four robotic technologies were used in

Regions C-8

97

Introducing technologies

Crack image sheet
Target for orientation

Shin-Nippon Nondestructive
Inspection

Fujitsu
Simulated crack sheet
Actual crack

Fig. 5 Accuracy confirmation tests
Sumitomo Mitsui Construction

Zivil Investigation Design

Fig. 4 Robotic technologies used in demonstration testing

demonstration testing (Fig. 4).
Technologies• Monitoring system that uses robotic cameras andother devices for bridge inspection (Sumitomo Mitsui Construction)• Flying robot based inspection system that performs
close-up visual inspection and hammering tests(Shin-Nippon Nondestructive Inspection)• Robotic system to support bridge inspection that is
capable of acquiring close-up images with geo-tagging using a two-wheeled multi-copter (Fujitsu)• Bridge inspection camera system for viewing andexamination (Zivil Investigation Design)

Par ticipants in demonstration test
implementation
Regions

Demonstration testing with an eye to the implementation of robotic technologies in the San’in region was
implemented with the participation of Sakai Port
Authority, which is the administrator, local governments in Tottori Prefecture and Shimane Prefecture,and engineers of construction consulting firms in bothprefectures, as listed below.

Deployment[Participating organizations]
Tottori University, Tottori Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture, Sakai Port Authority, Tottori Construction
Technology Center, Tottori Survey and Planning
Association, Tottori Association of Concrete Consultants, Shimane Association of Planners and Surveyors, Shimane Association of Concrete Consultants,
Keisoku Research Consultant Co., and Retec Engineering Corp.

On-site demonstration testing
In demonstration testing, in addition to combined useof the four robotic technologies in inspections, we
conducted accuracy confirmation testing concerning
the detection performance of each of these technologies with regard to crack width, crack length, crack
position, and so on (Fig. 5). The robotic technology

98

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

developers and engineers of local construction consulting firms collaborated in the implementation of
inspections, and we obtained the comments of theconstruction consulting engineers concerning the useof the robotic technologies in bridge inspection.

Benefits of robotic technologies
The benefits of using robotic technologies in bridge
inspection are as follows.
• Robots can get to places that are not easily accessedby people.
• Close-up images captured by robots make it possible
to detect cracks as narrow as 0.1 mm in width,
which is not inferior to human eyesight.
• Images that cover the entire bridge can be recorded
and retained as evidence of diagnostic results.
• The condition of the bridge can be visualized byconstructing a 3-D model.
• The use of bridge inspection robots makes it possible
to capture visible images even in the dark spaces
inside box girders. Also, the equipment can bepassed through a narrow inspection opening withrelative ease.
• The efficiency of bridge inspection can be improvedby using robotic technologies.

Problems and improvement in robotic
technologies
At the stage of compiling the results of demonstration
testing, we discovered that it took a great deal of laborand time to identify damage such as cracks and create
a damage chart based on the enormous quantities ofimages taken by the robots. Therefore, we synthesized
the image data into developed images, displayed it at
actual size using large-screen monitors and the like,measured crack width and length from the cracks displayed in this manner, and used these measurements
to create a damage chart (Fig. 6). This improved theefficiency of work by reproducing the situation ofclose-up visual inspection next to a member of abridge. Further improvements in work efficiency are
anticipated in the future as advances in AI technology

Introducing technologies

not feasible. We anticipate the establishment ofinspection methods using robotic technologies
through this project.
[Construction consulting engineers][Administrator]• Eshima Ohashi Bridge, which is managed by the
Sakai Port Authority, is a long bridge that has highclearance because it crosses a freight shipping route,and bridge inspection by conventional methods isTechnologies

Comments from robotic technology users• Based on the current situation of widespread drone
utilization, I feel that this system is superior. I
expect that the use of drones and the like will be
indispensable in bridge inspection in the future.
• These technologies would seem to be effective inplaces that are dangerous to inspect (such as places
that can only be inspected using rope access) and incases where expensive equipment such as scaffolding is required for inspection.

Regions

will make it possible to automate the detection of
cracks and the measurement of crack width andlength.

• More detailed inspection would be achievable byhaving an engineer with expertise in bridge inspection operate the robot directly.

Deployment

Fig. 6 Virtual close-up visual inspection using a large
touchscreen• Robotic cameras for bridge inspection were used indemonstration testing. The equipment was light andmanually portable, and camera installation and operation using a tablet computer were also relatively
easy. It was even possible to capture images inside abox girder, where hardly any light gets in, and I
expect that it will become possible to use this in various places if some changes are made in the methodof shooting images, the method of processing
images after shooting, etc.

Regions C-8

99

C-9

Technologies

Introducing technologies

Efficiency improvement of crack inspection on bridges
leading to remote islands using UAV digital image
analysis technology

Jun TOMIYAMA

Yoshitomo YAMADA

Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering,
University of the Ryukyus

Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Universityof the Ryukyus

Needs related to bridge inspection in
Okinawa Prefecture

bridges) have been constructed. (See Fig. 1.) These
remote island bridges are sea bridges, and the various
types of inspections needed to confirm their soundness are subject to many constraints, making implementation difficult in some cases. Okinawa Prefecture
is situated in a subtropical maritime climate, which is
hot and humid throughout the year; and because it issurrounded by the sea on all sides, this region is subject to a severe salt damage environment, with roughwinter seas and typhoons delivering high levels of
salinity from the sea.

First, we will discuss the need for structural inspection based on the geographical characteristics, naturalenvironment, and salt damage environment of Okinawa Prefecture.
Because Okinawa Prefecture is an island region consisting of 160 islands, including uninhabited islands,
many sea bridges linking remote islands with the mainisland or with other remote islands (remote island
No.

Deployment

Regions

1

Name of bridge
Tobaru bridge

Main type of bridge

Year completed

Bridge length(m)

PC hollow girder bridge

Undergoing
replacement

17.00

2

Ou bridge

PC hollow girder bridge

1979

150.003

Naneji-Ou bridge

PCT girder bridge

1981

77.00

4

Ikei bridge

Langer steel girderbottom-road bridge

1981

198.35⑱ Iheyajima

5

Sesoko bridge

Nielsen-Lohse steel bridge

1984

762.00

6

Yabuchi bridge

1985

193.00Izenajima

PC box girder

7

Keruma bridge

PC rigid frame bridge

1988

240.008

Ikema bridge

PC box girder bridge

1991

1,425.00

9

Yagaji bridge

PC box girder bridge

1992

300.0010

Kurima bridge

PC box girder bridge

1994

1,690.00

11

Miyagi bridge

Ogimi-mura

1995

100.0012

Hamahiga bridge

PC box girder bridge

1996

900.0013

Ou bridge

PC bridge

1996

93.10

14

Yoake bridge

PC hollow deck bridge

1997

96.30

15

Henza-Kaichu bridge Cable stayed bridge

1997

280.0016

Shioya bridge

PC box girder

1998

360.0017

Aka bridge

Balanced arch bridge (PC)1998

530.0018

Noho bridge

PC variable cross-section
box girder bridge

2003

320.0019

Kouri bridge

PC box girder bridge

2004

1,960.00

20

Warumi bridge

RC fixed arch deck bridge

2010

315.00Irabu bridge

PC box girder/steel girder(sea route portion)

2014

3,540.00

21

Iejima
⑤

⑰⑦

①④
⑮⑭ ⑫
⑥

Kerama-retto⑬

Kumejima

⑳ ⑲⑯
⑨⑪
③

②

⑧
㉑ Miyakojima⑩

Okinawa

Iriomotejima

Ishigakijima

Fig. 1 The island environment of Okinawa and list of remote island bridges (A total of 21 remote island bridges have been constructed.)

100

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

There is a high level of demand for new technologies
for use in inspection of remote island bridges in Okinawa Prefecture, and this is an issue requiring urgent
attention. In a survey concerning demand for new
technologies that was conducted during SIP technicallectures held in Okinawa Prefecture, we found a highlevel of demand for remote inspection technologies.

capturing.

Summary of new technology (crack
analysis technology + UAV imaging
technology)

Summary of successful demonstration
testing proposed by an administrator

Taisei Corporation’s SIP technology is a technology
for quantitative determination of crack width, length,and distribution (crack mapping) based on digital
images of cracked concrete surfaces. This technology
is a powerful tool for crack inspection, because it provides a crack width detection accuracy of 90% or
higher if digital images are captured with the necessary pixel size for crack width analysis at the required
level of accuracy. (See Fig. 2.) Therefore, technology
for capturing high-definition digital images also plays
an important role. Technical development is continuing in order to enable this technology to detectchanges in concrete surfaces other than cracking, and
it is currently capable of detecting free lime.

Introducing technologies

Based on a proposal from an administrator of structures (Central Okinawa Prefecture civil engineering
office), it was decided that demonstration testing of
the new technology would be conducted on one
remote island bridge (PC box girder bridge) in Okinawa Prefecture in FY 2017. Subsequently, it was
decided that demonstration testing would be conducted in FY 2017 on a total of four bridges (three
remote island bridges and one river bridge), with theaddition of one bridge each managed by the North
Okinawa Prefecture civil engineering office and the
Miyako civil engineering office of Okinawa Prefecture (two PC box girder remote island bridges) andone bridge managed by the North Okinawa national
highway office of the Okinawa General Bureau (PCT
girder river bridge). Contributing factors included thefact that an administrator participated in the initialdemonstration test from planning to evaluation, gaining an understanding of the usefulness of the newtechnology, and publicity concerning the new technology (familiarization) at the SIP technical lectures conducted in the region.

Technologies

We will summarize the new technology presented indemonstration tests in Okinawa Prefecture, considering the prefecture’s needs. The new technology
referred to here indicates the development of a systemusing image analysis technology for quantitative
assessment of cracks in floor slabs from a distance(Taisei Corporation’s SIP technology), which is one of
the technologies developed under SIP, and the use ofhigh-precision UAV imaging technology in combination to support that technology.

For the sake of UAV imaging with a high level of precision, it is necessary to address several areas, including high-performance UAV equipment, advanced
UAV operation skills, photography skills and camera
knowledge, and on-site surveys prior to imaging.

Fig. 3 shows an overview of the demonstration tests.
(Demonstration testing was open to the public for the
first one, Bridge A.)

Preprocessing, including tilt
correction and image synthesis

Regions

At the SIP program of the University of the Ryukyus,
in order to implement and establish the use of Taisei
Corporation’s SIP technology in Okinawa Prefecture,a decision was made to position this technology as atechnology for crack analysis using digital images,
and to collaborate with local construction consultants
who are actively utilizing ICT technologies for image

Wavelet transform

Deployment

Crack length (m)Key: Crack
width

Crack width (mm)1) Digital camera
imaging2) Input images(photographed
images areprocessed)3) Specifying scopeof analysis(yellow portions)4-1) Output images(crack images)4-2) Crack length
distribution by widthFig. 2 Cracking image analysis method (Taisei Corporation’s SIP technology)

Regions C-9

101

Demonstration tests at three remote island bridges and one river bridge
Introducing technologies

Performed in
October 2017

Performed in February
2018

Bridge B
Performed in
November 2017

Bridge D (river bridge)
Bridge C

Okinawa mainislandPerformed in July and
September 2017

On-site crack analysis

Miyakojima

Technologies

Bridge A

Demonstration test open to the
public

UAV operation

UAV imaging(a) Locations of demonstration tests and photographs

Regions

Crack width by color: Key

Enlarged

Crack analysis
Side

EnlargedFrontb) Fronta) SideDiagram of cracks at P3 pier origin side of
Bridge A

Photographed images at P3 pier origin sideof Bridge A

Quantitativeevaluation

Enlarged(front)Total crack length: 5.1 m
Average crack width:
0.21mmCrack density: 0.67m/m2

Crack width (mm)a) SideUnit: mmVisual inspection drawing at P3 pier origin side of Bridge A

Total crack length: 4.9 m
Average crack width:
0.37mmCrack density: 0.19m/m2

Crack width (mm)b) Front

Crack length distribution by crack width at P3 pier origin side of Bridge A(b) Example of demonstration test results (Bridge A)
Fig. 3 Demonstration test summary diagrams

102

Crack length (m)Deployment

Enlarged(side)

Locationssurveyed on front

Crack length (m)Locations surveyed on side

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Familiarization with newtechnology and investigationof needs

SIP development technology (Taisei
Corporation)(SIP technical lecturecommittee)

Matching(coordinated by theuniversity)

Collabor
ation

Need for crack
analysis technology(needs)Matching(coordinated by the university)

Need for highly precise
imaging technology
Industry(needs)Needs (demand)

Introducing technologies"Seeds" (potential
solutions)Issues of remote island bridges in
Okinawa Prefecture
Need for bridge inspection technologies in place

Gover of close-up visual inspection
nment(Local establishment of new technology)

Academia
Demonstration tests: Three bridges managed by Okinawa Prefecture and one nationallymanaged bridge

UAV imaging technology of local
consultant* Results of demonstration testing and need for new technology
Regional implementation: Order placed for inspection services at one bridge managed by
Okinawa Prefecture

We examined the success factors that led to regional
implementation, along with the challenges, as follows,
and compiled the success factors as shown in Fig. 4.
One success factor was the important role played byacademia in the SIP regional implementation team,including knowledge of “seeds” (potential solutions)as well as investigation of needs, along with efforts tomake connections between the two (matching). In
addition, the fact that demonstration testing was basedon collaboration between local industry and academia
is expected to contribute to better understanding of
the new technology among administrators, as well as
establishing it as a local technology.

Co st a d va nt ag e s, ef f i c i ency, a ndadvancement of the new technology
For reference, with regard to the results of Fig. 3, we
will briefly summarize the costs and work volumes in
the case of crack inspection using the new technology
in comparison to inspection using rope access.
We compared the cost of crack inspection using the
new technology with the cost using rope access on an
actual bridge (scope of survey: 12,200 m² bridge portion, 5,600 m² floor slab portion), with reference tounit prices for inspection as of 2017. As a result, weestimated that the cost when using this technology is
only about 55% of the cost when using rope access. A
major advantage is that on-site work is only about 10%compared to the conventional method (efficiency). In
our comparison, we assumed that visual inspection by
the conventional method ended with preparing a crack
diagram, but we assumed that investigation using the
new technology would also include quantitative evaluation of crack width and length (advancement). In thiscost comparison, the calculated cost advantage is large
because of the extensive scope of investigation, and asmaller cost advantage would be expected in the caseof a smaller-scale bridge; therefore, it must be notedthat the cost would not decline to 55% of the conventional cost in every case.

Regions C-9

Regions

In this demonstration testing, the local construction
consultant who was in charge of imaging signed aconfidentiality agreement with Taisei Corporation
concerning the use of Taisei Corporation’s SIP technology, and the entire process from imaging to crack
analysis was conducted in-house. As a result, the newtechnology was used in crack inspection as a part ofinspection work on an inland elevated bridge (PCT
girder + PC box girder bridge) that is subject to difficult close-up visual inspection using means such as
bridge inspection vehicles, hanging scaffolds, andrope access. In other words, the SIP technology has
been accepted as a technology used by local construction consultants, and is being implemented in theregion.

Future challenges include constraints on close-up
visual inspection, standards related to the new technology, and using it to detect changes other thancracking.

Deployment

Success factors that led to regional
implementation, and challenges

Technologies

Fig. 4 Success factors of regional implementation

103Deployment

Introducing technologies

D-1

Development and deployment of the Tohoku
Infrastructure Management Platform (TIMP)

Makoto HISADA

Technologies

Professor, School of Engineering,Tohoku University

Summary of the Tohoku InfrastructureManagement Platform

Regions

The Tohoku Infrastructure Management Platform(referred to below as the “TIMP”) was developed as ameans for universities, other research institutions,companies, government ministries and agencies, andlocal governments to share information with eachother and cooperate together in order to make full useof the capabilities of each organization for the good ofsociety. Its purpose is to promote implementation bycreating a network that links industry, academia, andgovernment in the Tohoku region for the sharing andimprovement of knowledge and technologies related tor e s e a r ch a nd d evelop me nt on i n f r a s t r u c t u r emaintenance.

The kickoff of this TIMP was announced at the 8th
symposium on maintenance of bridges in the Tohoku

Deployment

The framework for management of TIMP was developed

mainly by the Center for Infrastructure Management
Research (referred to below as “Tohoku University
IMC” and Tohoku University, a research and development group.). The constituent members of the TIMP
include Tohoku University IMC, related organizations
that have concluded cooperation agreements regarding
infrastructure maintenance, a government-academia
liaison conference on bridge maintenance that includes
six prefectures of the Tohoku region and the city of
Sendai and is administered by the Tohoku Regional
Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and four universities that are leading institutions in their respective
prefectures, as well as constituent members of thisproject, as core members (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 Cooperative framework of the Tohoku Infrastructure Management Platform (TIMP)

106

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Many of the bridges and tunnels that were built during
Japan’s period of rapid economic growth are now in astate of increasing deterioration. We are working toconserve our infrastructure in an effective and efficient manner, and it is necessary to improve our capabi l it ie s, i nclud i ng i mprove me nt of t e ch n ical
capabilities and other changes in organizational
systems.
This platform has been developed to cope with suchchallenges, and the city of Sendai has participatedsince the platform was first launched, using it for
information sharing and improvement of technicalcapabilities, etc.

Fig. 2 Demonstration testing of spherical shell drone on bridge
substructure

Fig. 3 Participating in an infrastructure maintenance study
group

Introducing technologies

In addition to its function of providing venues forstrategy meetings so that industry, academia, and government can join forces to address infrastructure challenges that are not easily resolved by governmentorganizations alone, we also anticipate that the TIMP
will contribute to human resource development for the
next generation of facility managers and engineers.
Technologies

Sendai City Construction Bureau

We are also participating in a study group for local
government officials who are involved in infrastructure maintenance, and it has been very meaningful tobe able to exchange information on new technologies,
construction methods, and the like, in addition to
sharing about the challenges faced by each local
government.

Tohoku Branch of the East Nippon Expressway
Company Ltd.
The NEXCO East Japan Group is focusing on contributing to communities through technical support for
local governments, etc. as a priority plan under thebasic policy of its medium-term management plan.
The Tohoku Branch has concluded a mutual cooperating agreement concerning support for local governments in the area of maintenance and management,
which is addressed by Tohoku University IMC. To
achieve that purpose, the Tohoku Branch Group has
been actively participating in the infrastructure maintenance study groups which are held for local governments by Tohoku University IMC.
At the infrastructure maintenance study group (Fig. 3),
we engage directly in discussions of issues related toperiodic inspection, repair plans, and repair methods,
etc. for bridges and pavement managed by local governments. We have offered technical problem-solving
advice and introduced maintenance methods based on
the expertise developed by the Tohoku Branch Group
in our work on expressways, while exchanging views
with regard to realistic approaches. We appreciate theopportunity to do what we can to contribute to communities in this way, as an instance of technical support through personal networks by way of the platform
with collaboration among industry, academia, andgovernment.

Regions

Comments from participating organizations

One of the specific endeavors in which we are participating is demonstration testing of bridge inspection
using a spherical shell drone (Fig. 2), which is
expected to contribute to improving the efficiency ofinspection and reducing costs.1)[Reference]
1) Tohoku Universit y IMC: ht tps://w w w.tohoku.ac.jp/japa nese/2017/05/award20170519-01.html

Deployment D-1

Deployment

region (organized by the Tohoku Branch of JSCE, theTohoku Regional Development Bureau of the Ministryof Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, andTohoku University IMC), which was held on January
30, 2017. A council on the TIMP was held on May 18,
2017, and further activities are planned in the future.
Even after the launch of this platform, Tohoku University IMC has concluded agreements concerning infrastructure maintenance with various organizations, and
it is still adding members who will participate in theplatform council.

107

D-2

Technologies

Introducing technologies

Evaluation and utilization of new technologies incollaboration with the Kyushu Association for Bridge
and Structural Engineering (KABSE)

Hiroshi MATSUDA

Kohei YAMAGUCHI

Professor, Nagasaki University
Graduate School of Engineering

Associate Professor, Nagasaki University
Graduate School of Engineering

Deployment in the Kyushu and Yamaguchi regions
Nagasaki University has continued its “Michimori” program, which trains human resources in road maintenancewith close cooperation among industry, government, andacademia, since FY 2008. A system is in place whereby
persons who have completed the training program canserve as maintenance experts under Nagasaki Prefecture,engaging in maintenance services and projects with thelatest technologies for inspection and diagnosis. Because
the “Michimori” training program has earned publicacclaim, we determined that it could meet a need for
R&D on asset management technology under SIP.

Regions

A network has been formed to facilitate collaborative
research and development in the Kyushu and Yamaguchi
regions through training sessions and subcommittees ofresearchers and engineers working for each prefecture,with the Kyushu Association for Bridge and StructuralEngineering (KABSE) playing a leading role.

Organizational structure of the SIP
Nagasaki University team

Deployment

The organizational structure of the SIP Nagasaki University team is shown in Fig. 1. This figure shows theimplementation support groups, in which small groups
were established for each of the eight prefectures of the
Kyushu and Yamaguchi regions and one person was
appointed to represent each prefecture, for the sake ofsupporting implementation and building collaboration
with the local governments of these prefectures.
As shown in Fig. 2, the participating members of
KABSE include infrastructure administrators from the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the seven prefectures and three designated cities ofof Kyushu, and other organizations. Therefore, collaboration with KABSE is essential for smooth implementat io n of new t e ch nolog ie s or p r o c u r e me nt of108

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

demonstration fields. In fact, the SIP Nagasaki University team is planning to use bridges managed by the
Kyushu Regional Development Bureau of the Ministryof Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in fielddemonstration tests in November of this year.

Activities of the KABSE-SIP Subcommittee
The KABSE-SIP Subcommittee was established forthe purpose of promoting the implementation of newtechnologies from the SIP Infrastructure Program in
the periodic inspection of bridges in the Kyushu andYamaguchi regions, especially small and medium-sized bridges. It evaluates new technologies thathave been researched and developed under the development topics of the SIP Infrastructure Program, andstudies issues and solutions related to implementationof these new technologies, especially with regard tomaintenance of public infrastructure managed by local
governments of the Kyushu and Yamaguchi regions.
The activity period is FY 2017 - 2018, and three general subcommittee meetings have been held to date.
The following are the two main activity areas of the
KABSE-SIP Subcommittee. WG1 works on matching
between SIP topics and issues in the field. WG2 works
on evaluation and analysis of demonstration test
results.
In addition, at a technical exchange session of the SIPInfrastructure Program held on July 19, 2018, information was gathered concerning the following six
questions as part of the activities of the KABSE-SIP
Subcommittee with respect to development topics of
the SIP Infrastructure Program that contribute tomaintenance operations for the exhibited bridges.
(1) What is the current level of attainment with regard
to the initial goals of R&D?
(2) Has field demonstration testing been requested bya regional implementation support team? Did theSeparated into prefectures(1) Selection of SIP
technologies for trialuse, in collaboration
with prefectural roadadministrators(2) Holding information
sessions and fielddemonstration tests ofthe selected SIP
development
technologies forevaluation

FY 2017 -Fukuoka Prefecture (Fukuoka area)
Yasutaka SAGAWA(Kyushu University)

Yamaguchi Prefecture
Toshihiko ASO(Yamaguchi University)

Introducing technologies

Implementation support groups

Fukuoka Prefecture(Kitakyushu area)
Hiroki GODA
(Kyushu Institute of Technology)

Nagasaki Prefecture
Hiroshi MATSUDA(Nagasaki University)

Saga Prefecture
Yukihiro ITO(Saga University)
Oita Prefecture

Kumamoto Prefecture

Kazuo ICHIMIYA (Oita National
College of Technology)

Akira KASAI(Kumamoto University)

Kagoshima Prefecture
Toshinobu YAMAGUCHI(Kagoshima University)

Technologies

Miyazaki Prefecture
Chihiro MORITA(Miyazaki University)* Technology evaluation is performed by members
selected from the KABSE subcommittee andR&D group for each field, such as bridges,
tunnels, and slopes.

Fig. 1 Organizational structure of the SIP Nagasaki University team

長崎大学
University
Nagasaki

KABSE

Establishment

KABSE, industry-government-academia
interface
産・官・学のインタフェイス

設置Regions

本体

Main organization

SIP分科会

SIP subcommittee

連携

Collaboration

Heads of the planningdepartment andhighway department,
Kyushu Regional
Development Bureau,
Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism

国交省
九地整

企画部長
道路部長

Heads of the civilengineering departmentsof the seven prefecturesof Kyushu

九州７県
土木部長

Universities of the
九州・山口
KyushuandYamaguchi
regions
地域の大学

３政令市

Construction
related businesses

Heads of theconstruction bureausof the three designatedcities of Kyushu

建設局長

建設関連
業者

九州・山口地域への実装体制を構築

Implementation system development for the Kyushu and Yamaguchi regions

Regional implementation of SIP R&D results
SIP研究開発成果の地域実装

measurement results adequately meet the required
accuracy?
(3) Is there a track record of implementation in actual
operations such as periodic inspections?
(4) Has an action plan being considered for R&D and
implementation in the next fiscal year and beyond?
(5) Which area of operations is the most likely for

Deployment

Fig. 2 Organizational structure of the KABSE-SIP Subcommittee

implementation of the development topic: periodic
inspection, detailed investigation, or repair design,
etc.? (Is it a shortcut?)
The results of the gathered information are currently
being compiled, and we would like to submit a futurereport including the results of the above activities byboth working groups.

Deployment D-2

109

Introducing technologies

D-3

Technologies

Personnel training for municipality staff in Hokuriku
regionShinichi MIYAZATO

Kazuyuki TORII

Professor, Dept. of Civil & Environmental
Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kanazawa
Institute of Technology

Specially Appointed Professor, Dept. of Environmental
Design, Faculty of Geosciences and Civil Engineering,
Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University

Daishin HANAOKA

Saiji FUKADA

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil & Environmental
Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kanazawa
Institute of Technology

Professor, Faculty of Geosciences and Civil
Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering,
Kanazawa University

Technological Exhibition in Countryside
The frequency of exhibitions on a new technology oritem was low in the countr yside, including the
Hokuriku region. Moreover, time and travel expensesof the municipality staff who went to Tokyo Big Sight
were insufficient. Therefore, new information was notavailable easily. A local technological exhibition
intended for the municipality staff was held in the
Hokuriku region based on such background.

Regions

Table 1 and Fig.1 show the outline of the technologicalexhibition. They were held at two venues separately inthe morning and afternoon at the request of the municipality staff and exhibition engineers. Moreover, theschedule was decided while excluding the holding

period of the Congress and the period of clearingsnow.
Fig.2 shows the occupational category of the participants in a technological exhibition. It can be conf i r med t hat mu n icipal it y st af f a ccou nt ed forapproximately 30% of the participants. Therefore, it isassumed that a technological exhibition can be held
for the municipality staff in the Hokuriku region as it
is an original purpose.
Table 2 lists the exhibition theme. The number ofthemes related to inspection was 11, themes related to
repair was 5, and two themes were categorized asothers.

Table 1 Overview of technological exhibition

Date
6-Nov-17Time
10 - 1215 - 17

Number of participants
139
86

Deployment

Venue
Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Toyama citizens plaza(2) Toyama(1) Kanazawa
Fig. 1 Situation of technological exhibition

110

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Introducing technologies
Technologies

Fig. 2 Standpoint (occupational category) of participant totechnological exhibition

Table 2 List of exhibition theme

Category
inspection
inspection
inspection
inspection
inspection
inspection
repairrepairrepairinspection
repairinspection
repairinspection
inspection
inspection
other
other

RegionsTheme
A 3D high-speed running type tunnel inspection system
B Hitting inspection system using artificial intelligence
C Bridge inspection robot camera
D Flying robot with hitting inspection for inspection of bridge and tunnel
E
Flight type infrastructure inspection robot system
F
Bridge inspection system with tablet
G Preventive maintenance with surface penetrant material
H Surface coating method with special urethane resin
I
Repair method that prevents re-deteriorationJ
Deterioration investigation technology of structure
K Synthetic repair technology of concrete and steel structures
L
Chloride attack monitoring technology
M Maintenance technology for bridge
N* Remote taking picture using drone and radio controller board
O Monitor system that used business wireless line
P
Technology of alkali silica reaction simplicity judgment and frost attack resistance judgment
Q Concrete fall measures and latest anchor technology
R Healthy judgment support system that uses artificial intelligence technology

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

■ I’m interesting. However, it is not possible to use it now.
■ I want to hear more comment.
■ I want to use it tentatively (trial).
■ I want to use it for immediacy.

Deployment

Ratio to answer (%)* only Kanazawa venue

A J K D C G N I M F E L H B O

ThemeFig. 3 Result of questionnaire concerning exhibition theme

Deployment D-3

111

Introducing technologies

Figure 3 shows the result of the questionnaire concerning the exhibition theme. Herein, the theme withpositive answers was arranged from the left end suchas “I want to use it for immediacy,” “I want to use it
tentatively (trial),” and “I want to hear more comment.” According to this figure, there were a lot of
positive answers in themes related to inspection (A, C,
D, and J). In particular, not the advanced inspectionthat only the engineer with high special equipment
and ability was able to use but a simple inspection was
desire for. On the other hand, positive answers tothemes related to repair were comparatively few. Thisis because in a current municipality, the inspection ofroad bridges is an obligation. Even if the part that
required repair was discovered, the repair cost is notavailable easily. As a result, it is difficult to repair.

Technologies

Figure 4 shows the impression of an exhibition. A significant technological exhibition accounted for approximately 80% according to this figure. Furthermore, apreferable frequency of the exhibition is shown in Figure 5. There were a lot of answers that about once per
year was good according to this figure.

Regions

Nonresponding
14%very significant
31%
quite significant
55%

The frequency of technical workshops conducted by
the academic society is also low in the Hokuriku
region. Based on such a background, seminars and site
excursions for the municipality staff in the Hokuriku
region were conducted as shown in Table 3, Fig.6 andFig.7.
The questionnaire was distributed to the participantsin the seminar that was held on March 14, 2017. Figure
8 shows the results of the study concerning maintenance (selection type and multiple answers allowed).
In addition, the chance of the seminar concerning
maintenance is shown in Figure 9. According to thesefigures, it can be confirmed that some municipality
staff member felt the necessity of a study concerning
the maintenance of road bridges. However, suchchances were insufficient even though there were various situations. Therefore, it can be judged that theseseminar and site excursion are expected for holdings.

Nonrespo
once/nding twice
2-3years
/year
9%
7%
16%

once/year
68%
Fig. 5 Preferable frequency of exhibition

Deployment

Fig. 4 Impression of exhibition

Holding such seminars

Fig. 6 Situation of seminar

112

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Fig. 7 Situation of site excursion

Table 3 List of seminars conducted by SIP in the Hokuriku region

2015.3.27 Kanazawa University
2015.8.28 Toyama Prefectural Civic Center
2015.9.1
Industrial Technology Center of Fukui
2015.9.25

Kanazawa University

2015.10.1

Ishikawa Industrial Promotion Center2016.6.3

Kanazawa University Satellite Plaza2016.7.29
2016.9.13

Kanazawa University
Kanazawa Miyako Hotel2016.9.30

KKR Hotel Kanazawa

2017.3.14

Kanazawa Institute of Technology

2017.3.24

University of Fukui

2017.5.18

Kanazawa University Satellite Plaza2017.6.1

Kanazawa University

2017.6.14
2017.7.19

Kanazawa University

2017.7.28

Toyama Prefectural University

2017.12.7

KKR Hotel Kanazawa

2018.4.27 Ishikawa Industrial Promotion Center2018.9.7

KKR Hotel Kanazawa

2018.11.21 Fukui Prefecture Kenmin hall
2019.2.15

Sky Intec TOWER111

Nonresponding
10%

workshopand seminar,
etc.
42%

Kicking off symposium
Examples of chloride attack deterioration andmeasurement using electric anti-corrosion
method for concrete bridge
Lecture for municipality staff in Toyama Prefecture
Lecture for municipality staff in Fukui Prefecture
What to do for settlement of ASR issue in
Hokuriku region now?
Lecture for municipality staff in Ishikawa
Prefecture
Approach that evolves inspection and investigation for efficient maintenanceUse of flyash concrete
Symposium about bridge management
Aim at solution of problem concerning ASR in
Hokuriku region.
Guidance of activity results by WG1Open experiment about performance decreaseof aging bridge
Special lecture about bridge asset management
Aim at use of f lyash concrete in Hokuriku
region.
GIS workshop (first)(second)
About performance decrease of aging bridgeand movement for appropriate maintenance
Guidance of activity results of SIP research
result in FY2017
How to promoted talent who maintain in the
future?
Regional mounting of flyash concrete
Think about technology for maintenance in the
futureWhat is necessary for technology and talent
who supports maintenance in the future?

in fieldonbusiness16%
in office32%

Fig. 8 Study method concerning maintenance of municipality
staff

Nonresponding
17%

Introducing technologies

KKR Hotel Kanazawa

Number ofparticipants
96
112
40
38
106
50
70
120
80
140

Technologies

2014.12.9

Theme

230
34
90
130
13
17
45
110
200

Regions

Venue

120
360
200

insufficiency
33%

Deployment

Datejust good
50%

Fig. 9 Chance of study concerning maintenance ofmunicipality staff

Deployment D-3

113

D-4

Technologies

Introducing technologies

Report on support for regional implementation:"Super Michimori" concept for new technology
implementation

Hiroshi MATSUDA

Kazuo TAKAHASHI

Professor, Graduate School of Engineering,Nagasaki University

Project Researcher, Graduate School ofEngineering, Nagasaki University

Summary of Michimori (road maintenance) training program and activities
of certified persons

Regions

Nagasaki University’s Michimori training program,which began in FY 2008, is now registered by the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as a private qualification for inspection and diagnosis. The educational program of Michimori training
is based on accumulated study units, and consists ofthree steps for engineers: a Michimori assistantcourse, a specified Michimori course, and a Michimori course. (See Fig. 1.) As of April 2018, this program has trained 260 persons as Assistant Michimori,62 persons as Specified Michimori, and 31 persons as
Michimori. The number of persons for training wasdetermined in consideration of the number of bridges
and road slopes maintained by each of the promotion
bureaus, in collaboration with Nagasaki Prefecture in
the construction industry; therefore, these persons arebeing trained all over the prefecture, and the numberof trainees reflects a regional balance.

Proposing the use of new technologies
At a January 2015 conference for industry-government-academia collaboration on securing and training
human resources in the construction industry, which
was organized by the construction industry federationof Nagasaki Prefecture after the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism established registration of persons with Michimori certification as a

Super Michimori conceptMichimori who are capable of using innovative, cutting-edge technologies in practicaloperations.
Various endeavors using innovative information technologies:• Big data
Detecting bridge conditions through data mining• Deterioration diagnosis system
Evaluation of deterioration factors, degree of damage,and structural performance

Qualification registration by the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Deployment

Inspection and diagnosis* Inspection and diagnosis
at each level by specified
MichimoriInspection

Certifiedpersons

31 persons

Michimori

Persons capable of overall road maintenance;
persons capable of developing advanced
technologies

Specified Michimori
62 persons(concrete and steel)

260 persons

Assistant
Michimori

Persons capable of proposing inspectionplans and diagnosing soundness levels

Persons capable of performing inspection
work

Engineers
Michimori Auxiliary
417 persons

Persons living nearby who
notice problems instructures

Fig. 1 Content and stages of Michimori training courses

114

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

PrivatecitizensJust at the stage of promoting actual utilization of newtechnologies, a public invitation was issued forregional implementation support of SIP infrastructure(abbreviated as “SIP”), and as an institution handling
regional implementation of SIP development technologies, etc., Nagasaki University proposed a plan basedon persons having Michimori certification. In collaboration with other entities including Nagasaki Prefecture, we conducted training for “Super Michimori” byholding technical lectures for persons with Michimori
certification, in order to train persons having Michimori certification to utilize new technologies in
inspection, diagnosis, repair, etc. (See Fig. 1.) Whenthe regional implementation support project was
begun, in preparation for Super Michimori training,
we informed persons having Michimori certificationof the SIP technology information sessions and theplanned field demonstration tests, and invited them toattend. Persons with Michimori certification were
present at each of the information sessions, etc., andactively offered advice concerning the utilization of
new technologies, based on their own practical work
experience.
Table 1 Did you know that research and development isbeing conducted on maintenance, updating, andmanagement technologies under SIP? (N=69)
Response%

Yes, and I looked into the content of the technologies subject to R&D.

31

Yes, but I am not aware of the content of the technologies
subject to R&D.

39

No.

30

Questionnaire survey for persons with
Michimori certification
We will discuss the results of a questionnaire survey
on familiarity with SIP and Super Michimori targeting
93 persons with Michimori certification who were

Response%

Yes, and I attended technical information sessions or fielddemonstration tests.

17

Yes, and I read about the content in a publication or newspaper, etc.

19

Yes, but I do not know about the content of its activities.

18

No.

46

Introducing technologies
Technologies

Super Michimori concept

Table 2 Did you know that Nagasaki University is a base forregional implementation support in the KyushuYamaguchi region? (N=69)

At that stage, we had not yet provided specific information such as the program for the Super Michimoricourse, but we asked their views concerning the Super
Michimori concept and obtained the results shown in
Fig. 2. Positive reactions were obtained from 47%, or
about half. Very few had negative reactions, but about
49% responded “I can’t judge” because of the lack of
information as a basis for judgment at that time. When
asked about their interest if a Super Michimori course
is offered, 36% stated that they would like to attend.
Regions

Its business plan includes studying the introduction
and dissemination of new technologies, in addition to
training human resources in the maintenance of public
infrastructure and making use of their qualifications,based on collaboration among industry, government,
and academia. As a result of utilizing new technologies, if persons with Michimori certification engage inmaintenance and construction work while making useof the latest technologies developed by universities,
etc. for inspection, diagnosis, and repairs, this can be
expected to produce benefits such as ensuring quality
while reducing costs, improving the competitivenessof the regional construction industry, and creating
jobs.

considered candidates for the Super Michimori training (Specified Michimori and Michimori). As shownin Table 1, when asked whether they knew about the
research and development that is being conducted on
maintenance, updating, and management technologies
under SIP, 70% said “yes,” and 31%, or about one
third, stated that they had looked into the specific content of the technologies subject to research and development. Concerning the role of Nagasaki University,
54% knew that it is a base for regional implementation
support in the Kyushu-Yamaguchi region, and hadlearned about the content of its activities by participating in technical information sessions and field demonst r at ion t e st s , or by r e a d i ng de s c r ipt ion s i npublications, etc. (See Table 2.)

Negative:
4%

I can't judge:
49%

Positive:
47%

Fig. 2 How do you feel about the Super
Michimori concept?

Deployment

private qualification in FY 2014, Hiroshi Matsuda ofNagasaki University proposed the utilization of persons with Michimori certification, and a working
group was established to study Michimori utilization.

Persons with Michimori certification have developed abetter awareness concerning SIP through the SIP
regional implementation support activities, but there is
still room for improvement. The next step will be to
put the Super Michimori concept into practice as it
becomes possible to use SIP development technologies
in the field.

Deployment D-4

115

Introducing technologies

D-5

From Okinawa: Bridge inspector training to improvepractical bridge inspection skills
Tetsuhiro SHIMOZATO

Technologies

Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Program,
Faculty of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus

Masayuki TAI

Yuya SUDA

Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Program,
Faculty of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus

Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Program,
Faculty of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus

Bridge inspector training
To ensure accuracy in periodic bridge inspection andimprove the skills of bridge inspection engineers, abridge inspector training program has been launchedby the University of the Ryukyus’ SIP program as ameans of providing training to bridge inspection engineers, and the FY 2017 training session was held on
November 18 and 19, 2017.

Regions

This training is designed for technical personnel who
perform close-up visual inspection as part of periodic
bridge inspections, with the purpose of enabling themto conduct accurate, appropriate bridge inspections in
Okinawa Prefecture by acquiring the knowledge andinspection skills needed for bridge inspection anddeveloping an understanding of the characteristics offatigue damage caused by strong winds and damage
f rom salt cor rosion due to the environment of
Okinawa.

Deployment

The content of training is as follows. The first day wasused for classroom learning, with general information
concerning bridge inspection, an overview based on
the periodic bridge inspection guidelines issued by the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in June 2014, a description of specific cases ofdamage seen in Okinawa in concrete bridges, steel
bridges, etc., and information concerning the latest
maintenance technologies. On the second day, participants learned practical skills (hammer sounding test,
damage diagram sketching, etc.) and were tested at theend of the training session, and those who passed thetest were given the title of “bridge inspector.” In addition, researchers of SIP development technologies
were invited to introduce their work. The bridge
inspector certification examination covers knowledge
necessary for investigation and inspection work during
actual bridge inspections, and confirms that inspections are performed accurately. The lecturers are faculty members of the Civil Engineering Program at the116

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Faculty of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus,
and specialized engineers employed by the national
government, prefectural government, municipal governments, or private companies, etc. Most of the training participants are engineers involved in periodic
bridge inspection work, and engineers in charge ofbridge inspections at ordering institutions can also
participate.

Q u e s t i o n n a i r e su r vey o f t r a inin gparticipants
Classroom learning, practical skill training using an
actual salt-damaged girder, and an examination werecarried out over a two-day period in FY 2017 (Photo 1).
There were 44 participants in the training session, and
14 of them passed the examination (success rate:
31.8%). Based on a questionnaire survey of training
participants, most of the participants were supervisorsand people in charge of performing actual inspection
work at prime contractor and subcontractor firms.
Based on responses concerning their actual duties,
participants were responsible for a variety of tasks,
including preparation of inspection plans, preparationof damage diagrams in the field, and preparation of
inspection records and reports. In their responses concerning the training session, many participants indicated that they would welcome classes for ongoingskill improvement, and that they find it useful to participate in sessions that include practical skill training.
Based on these results, the content of the training session appears to be consistent with the actual workduties of participants, and ongoing education of technical personnel through training sessions is considered
to be important in improving technical capabilities
and inspection accuracy in bridge inspection in Okinawa Prefecture.

Introducing technologies
Photo. 1 Training session (left: classroom learning; right: practical training)sounding. In their responses, many participants statedthat they hope to use SIP development technologies in
actual inspection work, that they would find it useful
to have technology that can reduce individual variability in inspections, and that they would welcome further technological development. These responses
indicate that participants have high expectations concerning new inspection services that will utilize newtechnologies.

Technologies

Table 1 shows participants’ comments concerning theinspection guidelines used in the training session.
Many respondents stated that it was difficult to decide
how to judge and classify damage, and that the results
would tend to vary among individuals. Table 2 indicates responses to a questionnaire conducted on thefirst day of the training session with regard to a SIP
development technology concerning research anddevelopment on an inspection system based on flying
robots using close-up visual inspection and hammer

Table 1 Comments concerning the inspection guidelines

Deployment D-5

Regions✓ When there is significant deterioration in a bridgepier’s RC lining, steel plate adhesion, and adhesionof carbon fiber sheets on the lower surface of a floorslab, etc., how should inspection of the main bridge
structure be handled?
✓ What should be done when a surface is covered byplants?
✓ The boundary for determining whether the reductionin plate thickness is a large or small depth of damage
due to corrosion.
✓ Determination in cases where deterioration is local
in scope and rust spots have appeared in Corrosion
and Degradation of anti-corrosion function.
✓ Training for eliminating variability among individuals in damage determinations. Also, different companies have different approaches to assigningelement numbers.
✓ Determinations are difficult, and individual differences exist.
✓ Damage evaluation (what extent would constitute c1
or c2, etc.)✓ How to assign element numbers in sections having
irregular installation, such as elements (guttersunderneath) to prevent dripping from drain pipes(cables, concrete blocks, widening elements).
✓ One is not always sure of how to classify the extent
or degree with regard to damage evaluation criteria.
✓ It is difficult to make overall judgments of the damage evaluation criteria because there are only a few
inspection tests. I hope to see many more sites andtry hard to avoid overlooking anything or making
inappropriate assessments.

Deployment✓ It is difficult to determine the countermeasureclassification.
✓ I think confusion would arise regarding judgments atthe stage of practical work.
✓ Objective evaluation is difficult in some cases,
including the extent of damage.
✓ Subjectivity cannot be avoided in close-up inspection, etc. It is necessary to have a detailed understanding of the content in order to minimize thatelement of subjectivity.
✓ There need to be a lot more diagrams and photographs showing examples of damage. As it is, results
would vary widely among individuals who conduct
inspections.
✓ If there were models of inspection records (examples
of how to fill them out), it would be easier to understand about the results of periodic inspections.
✓ I think it would be very helpful to have many photosof examples.
✓ How to classify in cases where members have athree-dimensional arrangement (arranged verticallyand horizontally) when assigning member numbers
inside a box girder.
✓ I think it would be easier to understand if there wassomething like a f lowchart explanation based on
photos, as far as a determination of damage.
✓ Photos of damage cases would make it easier tounderstand.
✓ It is difficult to draw a distinction in the determination of Corrosion versus Degradation of anti-corrosion function, and there would be differences amongindividuals.
✓ Phrasing to describe similar kinds of damage.

117

Technologies

Introducing technologies

Table 2 Comments concerning SIP development technology✓ I would like to see the use of wireless power transmission in investigation at the visual inspectionlevel.
✓ What is the planned price for leasing and purchase?
✓ Can the equipment be made more compact?
✓ Isn’t there any other inspection method than hammering (such as infrared, laser, ultrasound, etc.)?
✓ The explanations focused mostly on concrete bridges,
but is this also being considered for use in theinspection of steel bridges?
✓ The use of hammer robots for hammer sounding
could be expected to reduce inspection errors due toindividual differences in inspection using hammer
sounding. This could be useful in future investigation methods if there is a way to preserve investigation results from hammer sounding in written form,in addition to merely checking in the field.
✓ I think this method is very effective in terms of economic eff iciency and the shor t age of hu man
resources, as well. I am concerned about how it
could be used in places with high winds such as sea
bridges, and about the supply of inspection robots iforders increase. With regard to hammering technology, because this would eliminate the variation in
evaluations by engineers, I hope development will
also be pursued for this as an alternative to test hammers and handheld equipment.
✓ I am concerned that it takes more time to conduct
investigation using drones than when conducting an

ordinary investigation. Also, I think that in an investigation using drones, it would be wonderful for theinspection record forms to be prepared automaticallyby computer.
✓ It was very interesting to hear about the inspection
system using flying robots. When it becomes possible to use this in practice, I will want to hear moredetails based on the cost and operability. It currently
appears that the drones and the inspection systemequipment would be together as a set, but I would
like to find out whether the kinds of inspection system equipment that are already owned by companies
could also be installed on drones.
✓ It appears that it would be difficult to use SIP alongwith third-party inspection, so I’d like to try using it
in inspection of intermediate portions between thescope of substructure that can be handled by inspection vehicles and the scope that can be handled by
shipboard and aboveground inspection. I wonder if
operation would be difficult in cases where thebridge to be inspected is a motorway and there is anational highway intersection under the bridge, withno sidewalks on the bridge, where it would not be
acceptable to have objects falling under the bridge(like the middle part of the substructure and the box
girder cross-section part). Could this really be usedin Okinawa in place of rope access? These are mypersonal impressions.

Expectations for new technologies andskill improvement through training

ongoing training for technical personnel. There arealso high expectations for new technologies in inspection work, and efforts to improve technical capabilities
through continued training and make effective use of
new technologies in the field are expected to result ingreater efficiency in inspection services.

Deployment

Regions

We found a high level of motivation among engineers
for improving their practical capabilities for inspection
work through training sessions, and there appears to
be a significant role for training sessions as a means of118

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

D-6

Introducing technologies

Collaboration among industry, government, and academia
in Okinawa, a harsh salt damage environment, to train
bridge maintenance meisters and verify new technologies
Tetsuhiro SHIMOZATO

Masayuki TAI

Yasunori ARIZUMIAssistant Professor, Civil Engineering Program, School ofEngineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus

Professor, Civil Engineering Program, School of Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus

Training of bridge maintenance meisters
For damaged bridges to be maintained in an appropriate and accurate method, there is a need for “bridge
maintenance meisters” who have learned how to diagnose the mechanisms of progressive deterioration,

Temperature ( ℃)

25

15

5

60

10

0

80
70

20

5

6

Average Wind Speed(m/s)

3090Relative Humidity (%)

35

A subcommittee on infrastructure degradation prediction and residual performance diagnosis has been
established, consisting of the University, Okinawa
General Bureau (bridge maintenance meisters), West
Nippon Expressway Company Limited, and the private sector, in collaboration with the Okinawa branchof JSCE West Japan; and we are providing training in
the principles and operation of various types of diagnostic equipment and analysis and diagnosis based on
the measurement results, through investigation,
inspection, and diagnosis of bridges having actual
deterioration due to salt damage and selection of suitable repair and reinforcement methods. Engineers
trained in this program are expected to acquire theability to determine the mechanisms of progressive
deterioration and evaluate the results of inspections
and analyses for the sake of appropriate and accurate
maintenance of aging infrastructure.

50

Okinawa
TainanTokyo
Bangkok

Osaka
Manila(a) Average temperature

40

Regions

With high temperatures, high humidity, and strong
winds, Okinawa has a harsh environment for salt damage (Fig.1). Many of its bridges were built at a rapid
pace without adequate consideration for suitable materials, including construction before the 1975 Okinawa
Ocean Exposition, and there has been a rapid increasein the number of bridges showing deterioration due tosalt damage in recent years. For the appropriate maintenance of deteriorated bridges, which will continue toincrease in the future, it is necessary to train engineers
with practical diagnostic skills for evaluating theresidual performance of structures as well as practicalcapabilities for selecting suitable methods of repair
and reinforcement. This paper describes a program totrain bridge maintenance meisters in Okinawa
Prefecture.

determine residual performance, and select methodsof repair and reinforcement. Along with Okinawa
General Bureau, which administers bridges, the University of the Ryukyus is providing training for bridge
maintenance meisters through the inspection anddiagnosis of deteriorated bridges.

4

Deployment

Need for human resource development
in Okinawa

Technologies

Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Program, School ofEngineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus

3
2
1
0

(b) Average humidity(c) Average wind speed

Fig. 1 Comparison of average temperature, humidity, and wind speed

Deployment D-6

119

Introducing technologies

Bridge maintenance meisters* Staff having advanced technical capabilities in the areaof bridges(7 persons)Bridge maintenance team
* Persons responsible for operations

Regions

Technologies

Fig. 2 “Bridge maintenance meister” concept

Verifying performance in samples having actual
deterioration due to salt damage

Implementation test in a bridge having actual
deterioration due to salt damage

Verifying the accuracy of corrosion environment sensors in areinforced concrete girder specimen having actual salt damage(Exposure site, University of the Ryukyus)

Implementation testing of corrosion environment sensors in a bridge
having actual deterioration due to salt damage (A bridge in northern
Okinawa Prefecture)

Fig. 3 Implementation and verification process for SIP technologies

Implementation and verification of newtechnologies

Deployment

The subcommittee’s activities also include verifying
the performance of new technologies, and as an implementation of SIP technology, we are engaged in implementation and verification of corrosion environment
sensors that are capable of measuring the corrosion
environment of rebar in the interior of reinforced concrete. First, we installed corrosion sensors in specimens at the University of the Ryukyus having actual
deterioration due to salt damage, recorded measurements, and identif ied impor tant considerations

120

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teamsconcerning the measurement process, in addition to
verifying the accuracy of the sensors. There are plans
to use such sensors in PC bridges having severe deterioration due to salt damage.
By verifying new technologies in this kind of collaboration among industry, government, and academia, it
is possible to ascertain the needs of administrators,
practitioners, and others and identify issues related to
implementation. Therefore, this is an effective
approach from the standpoint of developing andimplementing technologies that have a high level ofpractical applicability.

Introducing technologies

D-7

Minoru KUNIEDA

Kazuhide SAWADA

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
Gifu University

Professor, Center for Infrastructure Asset Management
Technology and Research, Gifu University

Keizo KARIYA

Koji KINOSHITA

Visiting Professor, Center for Infrastructure Asset Management
Technology and Research, Gifu University

Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
Gifu University

Infrastructure Museum

only tunnels. Therefore, they need to understand thestructural characteristics of all types of structures.

Comprehensive facilities to learn about
structural and functional aspects ofvarious types of structures
Because engineers need to understand the structuraland functional aspects of structures in relation toincreasingly complex issues of maintenance, the models that embody these structures and functions wereconstructed. The museum’s facilities include not only
models of bridges, but also other types of structures,such as tunnels and embankments. Engineers employedby local government organizations are rarely assigned
to just one type of structure, such as only bridges, orTunnel cross section model
The tunnel cross section model is designed to provide
a visual understanding of two tunnel construction
methods, including the sequences of their construction
processes. These are the Sheet Pile Method and the
New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), whichhave different principle in supporting systems. Partial
tunnel cross sections (approximately 4.5m x 3.5m) arelaid to represent each method. The Sheet Pile Methodmodel is on the left side, and the NATM model is on
the right side. (See Fig. 2.)
In the Sheet Pile Method, steel supports and timber
sheet piles are used in combination. This method wasused as a standard method for mountain tunnels
1970s. This method employs the basic principle tosupport the loosened ground load with steel supports

Steel鋼管内ばり
pipe lining

Shotcrete

ロックボルトRock bolts

木矢板
Timber sheet
pile

Waterproof
防水シート
sheet

Embankment
盛土

Deployment

Steelbridge
鋼桁橋

In this report, each of the models in the Infrastructure
Museum of Gifu University will be introduced.

Regions

To provide opportunities to learn about the structuraland functional aspects of civil engineering structures,an Infrastructure Museum is being developed by theCenter for Infrastructure Asset Management Technology and Research (CIAM), which is affiliated with
Gifu University’s Faculty of Engineering, along with
Gifu University’s SIP implementation project, adopted
under the Strategic Innovation Promotion Program(SIP) of the Cabinet Office in the area of infrastructure maintenance, renovation and management technologies. The Infrastructure Museum includes models
of a tunnel cross section, a prestressed concrete (PC)bridge, a steel bridge, and an embankment. (See Fig. 1.)

Technologies

Infrastructure Museum provides educational resources
for engineers

PCＰＣ橋
bridgeSteelTunnelトンネル

鋼製支保工
supports
覆工コンクリート
Concrete lining
Sheet
Pile
矢板工法
MethodFig. 1 Overview of the Infrastructure Museum

地 山
GroundNATM

Fig. 2 View of the tunnel cross section model

Deployment D-7

121

BROF rubber expansion
joint and hybrid joint

Upper edge
attachment

Transverse prestressed
concrete steel member

Maincable attachment
主ケーブル定着構造
structure

Introducing technologies

Endcross girder rebar
端横桁の配筋状況
arrangement (rebar（鉄筋＋鋼製シース）

1T29

and steel sheath)

12T13M220

Surface impregnatedcoating(silanes and silicates)

Rubber shoe (type A, type B)

To learn about rebar

配筋構造の理解arrangement

Width 4.4m, length
15.6m

Differences
支承構造 inbearingの違い

Fig. 3 View of the PC bridge modelFig. 4 End of girder and cross girder rebar arrangement

and concrete lining.

Technologies

The New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) was
introduced in the beginning of 1970s from Europe.
This method takes the principle of taking full advantage of ground supporting capacity. Therefore, shotcrete and rock bolts are placed to stabilize the groundaround the tunnel face.

スタッドジベル
Headed studs
ジベルアンカーSlab anchors

Composite
girder
合成桁
Non-composite
非合成桁
girderPC bridge model
The PC bridge model is a prestressed concrete T-shaped
girder bridge (four main girders), as shown in Fig. 3.
Its basic structure uses the pre-tensioned method.
However, to provide an opportunity to learn about the
post-tensioned method, a portion of the girder has fixation components and cables that use the post-tensioned method.

Regions

As shown in Fig. 4, both ends of the main girder are
exposed, making it easy to see the girder end attachment portion. This model includes rubber bearings,
expansion mechanism, wall railing, guardrail, catchbasin, slab drain, and other accessories, making it possible to learn about key aspects of maintenance.

の疲労き裂対策
Taperedsole plate

Fig. 5 View of the steel bridge model

Pavement and
水および舗装の仕様
waterproofing systemLoopcoupling
ループ継手
Headed studs
スタッドジベル

Steel bridge model

Deployment

The steel bridge model represents the girder end portion of a plate girder, 5m in length. This model incorporates a variety of details, in addition to an end crossframe, and an intermediate cross frame and crossgirder. The steel bridge model is shown in Fig. 5. The
following steps were taken to provide an understanding of various details used in steel bridges, including
the sequences of their construction processes and nondestructive inspection of welding defects found insteel bridge fabrication.
• Showing the difference between a non-composite
girder and a composite girder (differences in upperand lower flange width, and arrangement of slab
anchors and headed studs)• Showing bridge jacking for bearing replacement(installation of reinforcing stiffener)• Showing differences of detail of sole plates forfatigue improvement (un-tapered and tapered type)

122

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

PC deck slab rebar

Fig. 6 Pavement structure (top), and RC and
PC deck slab (bottom)• Showing end cross frame, intermediate cross frame,
and intermediate cross girder• Showing some details for using construction processes and bridge maintenance (hanging hardware
for slab deck, hanging hardware that is also used forslab deck concrete frame work, and hanging hardware for scaffolding)Gravity
重力式擁壁

retaining wall

Lightweight（ウレタン）
embankment(urethane)
Anchorアンカー工Introducing technologies

Block-type retaining
wall
ブロック積
Reinforced
補強土
embankment(geogrid)（ジオグリッド）A slope surface is formed with metal mesh.

金属メッシュなどの壁面材でのり面を整形

The geogrid with high tensile strength is
ジオグリッドの引張り強さを利用して補強
utilized for reinforcement.

Drain
holes
水抜孔

Fig. 7 View of the embankment model

アンカー
AnchorFig. 8 Layered cross section of geogrid reinforced earth

wall, the gravity retaining wall and the lightweight
embankment using urethane form.

• Showing painting layers and a bridge record plate
In addition, the upper part of the steel bridge model
provides an educational resource for learning about
reinforced concrete deck slabs and pre-stressed concrete deck slabs. (See Fig. 6.)

Embankment model
The embankment model (See Fig. 7.) consists of a
combination of the various types of retaining walls ingeneral use. Specifically, this model displays the geogrid reinforced embankment, the block-type retaining

Giving shape to changing technologies
In this report, the models that have been constructedat the Infrastructure Museum of Gifu University toprovide opportunities for learning about the structuraland functional aspects of structures were summarized.
As infrastructure is remaining in service for longer
and longer periods, it is also important to learn about
technologies of the past; therefore, we will continue toenhance the museum’s facilities.

RegionsFig. 9 Lightweight embankment structure

The lightweight embankment (See Fig. 9.) uses a urethane foam area instead of soil for bearing load. Thisembankment model is good for learning about a structural approach using an anchor, a surface wall and apressure plate. This model provides a visual understanding of the arrangement of an anchor, a pressure
plate and so on.

Deployment

タイロッド
Tie rod

Technologies

Several types of L-shaped concrete walls are used onbackside to keep the shape of this model. In the geogrid reinforced embankment (See Fig. 8.), the geogrid
with high tensile strength is utilized to stabilize anembankment as shown at the side in this model.

Deployment D-7

123

D-8

Introducing technologies

International promotion and human resource
development in infrastructure maintenance technologies
and systems
Hiroshi YOKOTA

Technologies

Professor, Faculty of Engineering Division of EPSE,
Hokkaido University

Kohei NAGAI

Tomoki KANENAWA

Associate Professor, Institute of Industrial Science,
The University of Tokyo

Director, Team 1, Transportation and ICT Group, Infrastructure andPeacebuilding Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency

Introduction

Regions

One of the important goals of SIP is to internationallypromote the technologies it has developed and theknowledge it has acquired. In addition to communicating Japanese technological excellence to the rest of
the world by such means as proposing international
standards for infrastructure maintenance, there is ahigh level of potential for contributing to developing
countries in Asia and Africa that will face similar
issues in infrastructure maintenance in the near
future. The technologies that are being developed at
SIP are also suitable for needs in other countries, andsome of them can be expected to be deployed overseas. In this Section, we will focus mainly on international promotion activities under a project in which
the authors are participating, which is a comprehensive study for development of the road infrastructure
management cycle and its domestic and overseas
implementation (representative: Koichi Maekawa, theUniversity of Tokyo).

Summary of international promotion
activities

Deployment

The four main areas of activities for international promotion in this project are as follows: (1) Creating bases
for information and research on infrastructure maintenance in Asia; (2) Compilation and communication of
information on infrastructure maintenance; (3) Implementation of infrastructure asset management systems
in Asian nations; and (4) Study of international standards concerning infrastructure asset management.
For international promotion, it is important to have abase. We are cooperating with Thammasat University
in Thailand, which is a counterpart in this project, as
an overseas base. We are involved in several endeavors for communicating information, such as holding
seminars in various countries (seminars have alreadyoccurred in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and124

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Myanmar successfully), and organizing special sessions at international conferences and symposia in
Asia related to structural engineering and concrete
engineering. We are engaged in promoting the implementation of infrastructure asset management systems
in three countries, based on their levels of infrastructure development and maintenance technology; these
are Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Our efforts
toward implementation of maintenance technologies
and systems are ongoing, based on the concept of asset
management including life cycles of assets, in accordance with the economic situation of each country as
well as the above conditions.
With regard to international standards, even before
this project was begun, Japan proposed standards
regarding life cycle management of concrete structures in ISO/TC 71 (Concrete, reinforced concrete,
and prestressed concrete). Adding the concept of asset
management to this could make it a widely sharedinternational standard, in addition to enhancing thepresence of Japan.

JICA activities for road and bridge
maintenance
JICA is currently engaged in technical cooperation
projects that contribute to capacity building in theoperation and maintenance of road and bridge infrastructure in about 20 countries. In many developing
countries, new road construction is the priority, andlittle funding is budgeted for maintenance. Minor
damage is left unrepaired until large-scale repair oreven reconstruction work is needed, creating a vicious
cycle that gives rise to additional costs. Awareness ofmaintenance tends to be low in the first place, andJICA is implementing measures aimed at establishing
the PDCA cycle of maintenance in order to promote a
shift from corrective maintenance to preventive maintenance. In addition, government officials who willb e c ome le a d e r s i n bu i ld i ng t he i r c ou nt r ie s’This will include implementation of training (shortterm and long term) programs in collaboration with
universities and other institutions that are engaged inadvanced research in the SIP project. In the training
program, large numbers of personnel will be trained
i ntensively t h roug h t rai n i ng cou rses t hat a reTechnical
cooperation projects
Training

Research

Asset Management (DO)
PLAN

Technical
cooperation
projects

Feedback

Setting optimum
management standards
Feedback

Maintenance (DO)Inspection
Diagnosis

Records

Actions

ACT

Improvement(maintenancecycle, design
methods, andconstruction
methods)

CHECK

Training

Analyzing the cause of themismatches, etc.

Communication and utilizationof information

Introducing technologies[Reference]
1) Yokota, H. and Nagai, K.: ISO and international promotion of
concrete structure management in the Strategic Innovation
Promotion Program (SIP), JSCE ISO Journal, Vol. 27, pp. 12-18,
2017.

[PDCA for asset management][PDCA for maintenance]

Technologies

Road asset management is structured according to the
PDCA cycle, including maintenance work, and its
functioning is based on establishment of the cycle. In
the area of road asset management, JICA is involvedin strategic planning and implementation of technicalcooperation projects, short term training programs,
and long term training (international student) programs, with the goal of making a contribution tohuman resource development in developing countries(Fig. 1).

Plans

Communication
and utilization of
information

Feedback (extending
lifetime, improving
maintainability, etc.)
Research

Feedback(improving
construction
quality, etc.)

Construction

PLAN• Methods forcommunication acrossstages and utilization of
information• Customization to suitregional circumstances• Asset management planfor group of structures

Regions

Core human resource development forroad asset management

specifically designed for each country in response to
their respective issues. Thereafter, the goal will be toprovide continuous human resource development
through issue-based training to share general,
wide-ranging knowledge. The long term training(international student) program will include education
and research suited to the situation of the respective
countries with regard to promoting asset management
and extending the service life of infrastructure, andparticipants will be supported so that they can serve inleadership positions after returning to their homecountries. Hokkaido University and Nagasaki University, which are participating research institutions in
the SIP Infrastructure Program, admitted participantsfrom Laos in FY 2017; and the University of Tokyo
provided training program for Vietnam in asset management in FY 2017. JICA intends to expand the longterm training program to more countries and morecooperating universities in FY 2018, and JICA willcontinue to pursue further collaboration with the participating institutions of the SIP project.

ACT

Design• Improving methods forcommunication andutilization of information• Reviewing and modifying
customization• Improvement asset
management• Revising standards

Research

CHECK

Research

Communication
and utilization of information

Deployment

infrastructure can come to Japan for human resource
development based on the transfer of advanced knowledge and technologies. JICA provides training on various subjects in about six courses every year, andabout 150 people participate every year to learn Japanese expertise.

• Check for mismatches incommunication andutilization of information• Check for mismatches interms of regional
circumstances• Asset management
operation status

Fig. 1. Effective input to help promote asset management

Deployment D-8

125

D-9

Introducing technologies

Overseas implementation of infrastructure maintenancetechnologies accelerated by cooperation between JICA
and the SIP infrastructure program

Tomoki KANENAWA

Technologies

Director, Team 1, Transportation and ICTGroup, Infrastructure and Peacebuilding
Department, Japan International Cooperation
AgencyCooperation between the SIP Infrastructure Program and JICA’s Road
Asset Management Activities

Regions

Demand for infrastructure development in developing
countries has increased in recent years, and infrastructure needs in developing Asia and the Pacific will
exceed $26 trillion through 2030, reported by the
Asian Development Ban k (Febr uar y 2017). In
so-called emerging economies, even more infrastructure facilities are being built in a short period of timethan in Japan’s own era of rapid growth. Meanwhile,by the second half of the 2020s, developing countries,
like Japan, will have an increasing volume of infrastructure that has been in use for 50 years, and theroad infrastructure that Japan has supported in developing countries will also be aging. There is still a low
level of awareness concerning maintenance in developing countries, which tend to prioritize new construction projects; however, events such as the collapseof a suspension bridge in Myanmar in April 2018 havecontributed to a growing recognition of the importance of maintenance. To ensure that the future costsof maintenance and repair do not become a massive
burden on national budgets, steps must be taken to
establish road asset management technologies/systems
in developing countries as well.

Deployment

In about 20 countries, mainly in Asia and Africa,
JICA is conducting technical cooperation that willcontribute to strengthening operation and maintenancecapabilities for road infrastructure, which is the mostfundamental type of infrastructure in the transportation sector. To enhance the efficiency and quality ofthese projects, JICA launched a road asset management platform in October 2017, and has established asystem that compiles Japanese advanced technologies
and measures by Japanese local governments andmakes it possible to respond flexibly to issues faced indeveloping countries. Based on this platform, we areplan ning t raining projects lin ked to tech nical

126

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

cooperation as a means of providing efficient andeffective support. One of these projects, which utilizes
long-term training (scholarship program) for humanresource development, is intended to make use of
graduate schools in Japan for the strategic humanresource development who can play a role in establishing road asset management technologies/systems indeveloping countries.
A memorandum of cooperation concerning JICA roadasset management was concluded between the SIPInfrastructure Program and JICA in October 2017 forthe purpose of obtaining the latest knowledge andcooperation in this field. Since signing this memorandum, JICA has had discussions with researchers of 19
topics concerning matters such as acceptance of JICA
trainees and the possibility that the technologies they
are developing could be used in technical cooperation.
We have developed a cooperative framework with universities in regional implementation support teams of
SIP program, and have requested their cooperation
with respect to involvement and advice, etc. for technical cooperation projects and training projects including long-term training.
We have had discussions with researchers concerning
the technologies they are developing, touching on matters such as their development situations, the possibility of overseas implementation, and methods ofutilization. We will introduce technologies having thepotential for overseas implementation on a trial basis
in JICA projects and verify their effects, with the goalof disseminating and deploying them after the end of
the project. A technology called DRIMS/i-DRIMS (asystem to estimate the international roughness index(IRI) of a road surface based on vehicle response; JIP
Techno Science Corporation) and a robotic camera forbridge inspection (Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co.,
Ltd.) have already been introduced in JICA projects,
and technical guidance was provided on maintenanceusing these devices. With regard to other advancedHost university andfaculty advisor

Start time

Remarks

Laos

Effects and impacts of overloading countermea- Michael HENRY,
sures and weight measuring technologies in asset associate professor,
management
Hokkaido University

October 2017

To enter the master’s
program in April 2018

Laos

Takafumi NISHIKAWA,
Application of Lifetime extending MaintenanceTo enter the master’s
associate professor,
October 2017
model for Steel Bridge
program in April 2018
Nagasaki University

Laos

Shozo NA K A M U R A,
Bridget inspection and assessment methods for
To enter the master’s
professor, Nagasaki
October 2017asset management
program in April 2018
University

Cambodia Utilization and analysis of bridge inspection datatechnologies, we will hold technical information seminars for the consulting firms that lead JICA projects
and encourage them to learn about and utilize theadvanced technologies.
In the training project, long-term trainees have been
accepted from two countries, Laos and Cambodia(Table 1). The goal is to train core human resources
who can play an active role in promoting the establishment of road asset management technologies/systems
on the medium to long term after obtaining graduate
degrees in areas of research that can contribute to thepromotion of asset management.
We are working on the selection of candidates fromfour countries (Philippines, Mongolia, Bangladesh,and Egypt) to begin studies in April 2019. Persons
related to universities with an interest in accepting
trainees (Hokkaido University, the University ofTokyo, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa Institute ofTechnology, Gifu University, Nagasaki University,and University of the Ryukyus) have traveled to thesecountries, and we are providing the prospective host
universities with matching services such as interviews
with candidates and confirmation and consultation
concerning research topics.

Kohei NAGAI,
associate professor,
University of Tokyo

April 2018

Master’s program

experience with implementation in Japan. This was
conducted in two countries (Bhutan and Zambia) in
FY 2018.

Case 1: Project for capacity building ofroad slope protection technology in
Bhutan (Table 2)

Technologies

Research topic

Roads constitute the most important means of transportation for people and cargo in Bhutan, which consists mainly of mountainous areas. The main highway
network is composed of National Highway 1, whichruns east-west across Bhutan, and four national highways (Highways 2–5) which run south as far as theborder with India; and because most of them pass bysteep slopes, there are frequent instances of slope collapse during the rainy season, hindering the movementof people and cargo within Bhutan (Fig. 1). The
Department of Roads (DoR) of the Bhutan Ministry ofWorks and Human Settlement (MoWHS) has devised
slope countermeasures based on a combination of vegetation planting and reinforcement, but due to a lackof technical capabilities, it has not been easy to conduct adequate slope countermeasures. Technical cooperation was requested because slope countermeasures
are an urgent need.

Regions

Country

Introducing technologies

Table 1 Hosting of long-term trainees

In technical cooperation projects, persons involved inregional implementation support teams also participated in the surveys to determine the content of cooperation, providing advice and support based on their

Deployment

In the short-term training, we implemented a training
program in collaboration with the international asset
subprogram team for “integrated research on roadinfrastructure management cycle development andimplementation in Japan and abroad.” This training
involves a great deal of practical learning, including
analytical practice using actual inspection data, budget plan simulation based on inspection data, andother exercises such as predicting soundness trends,
and the training is focused on helping participants
develop an understanding of how to use inspection
data. We intend to conduct this kind of training to provide ongoing opportunities for human resource development in the future.
Fig. 1 Slope collapse on National Highway 1 in Bhutan

Deployment D-9

127

Table 2 Summary of project for capacity building of roadslope protection technology in Bhutan
Introducing technologies

1. Project site / Target region
Bhutan nationwide / National highways under the jurisdiction of the Lobesa and Trongsa Regional Offices implementing OJT
2. Project beneficiaries (target groups)
Direct beneficiaries: Department of Roads (DoR) staff
members and engineers at a total of nine regional offices
Final beneficiaries:
Road users
3. Project implementation period
Planned for January 2019 – December 2022 (48 months
total)
4. Overall goal
For road slopes in Bhutan to be developed and managed
appropriately, using measures improved through the
project

Technologies

5. Project goal
To improve the capabilities of DoR concerning road slope
protection technology

Regions

6. Outputs
Output 1: The conditions for advance traffic restrictions
will be made clear.
Output 2: Vegetation planting measures suitable for prevention of sediment slope collapse will beselected.
Output 3: The standard earth cutting slope gradient will
be revised with respect to sediment slope collapse and rock slope collapse.
Output 4: Implementation of suitable countermeasures forrock slope collapse (falling rocks) will become
possible.
Output 5: Suitable countermeasures will be introducedwith respect to debris flows.
Output 6: The information system on road slope disasters
and traffic restrictions will be improved.

The basic policies were that it would be difficult toimplement countermeasures in all dangerous locations
due to budgetary considerations, and that for the sakeof sustainability at DoR, the focus would be placed on
introducing inexpensive countermeasures such as vegetation planting and falling rock protection, along with
“soft” countermeasures such as monitoring dangerous
locations, rather than expensive countermeasures suchas anchors.

Deployment

Based on the memorandum of cooperation concluded
between the SIP Infrastructure Program and JICA, we
held discussions with researchers engaged in R&D
under the SIP Infrastructure Program concerning asystem to predict and detect surface and slope collapses and issue warnings (OYO Corporation andChuo Kaihatsu Corporation); and in addition to discussing the possibility of using this technology, thisled to an arrangement for Gifu University, which is
involved in implementation of the technology inJapan, to cooperate in the preliminary survey.
The content of cooperation will be a pilot project using
Japanese technologies, with the goals of strengthening

128

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teamsthe capabilities of DoR regarding road slope protection
and promoting appropriate development and maintenance of road slopes; this will be achieved throughclarification of the conditions for placing traffic
restrictions in advance, capacity development regarding countermeasures for sediment slope collapse, rockslope collapse, and debris flows, and improvement of
information systems relating to road disasters andtraffic restrictions. At present, roads are only closed in
Bhutan after an incident such as slope collapse has
already occurred; but in order to promote understanding and adoption of advance traffic restrictions, which
can protect road users from damage before it occurs, itwill be necessary to study restriction thresholds having a technical and logical basis according to the correlation between rainfall volumes and amounts ofslope displacement. We anticipate the continued advice
and support of Gifu University in activities such as data
analysis and restriction threshold setting as well, alongwith collection of rainfall data using an early warning
system for slope collapse, which is a development technology under the SIP infrastructure program.
Implementation of boulder removal by a method thathas been used on a national highway in Gifu Prefecture has been proposed as a measure against fallingboulders. The usual approaches for dealing with large
masses of rock on a slope are to fasten them in placewith wire or the like, to stabilize them by attachment
to the rockbed, or to break up the rock masses andremove them before they can collapse; but in thismethod, rock masses were dropped down to thenational highway which had been lined with large
sandbags, and were then broken up and removed. Thisis a safe and inexpensive method, and its use is promising in this technical cooperation project as well.
More so than in the past, the content of the cooperation project has been studied with an eye to local circumstances, and expert advice was used to propose
the implementation of this rather primitive method,rather than only proposing advanced technologies.

Case 2: Project for bridge maintenancecapacity building phase II in Zambia(Table 3)
Zambia’s road network has a total length of about
67,000 km nationwide. This includes major inter-cityroads having a total length of about 18,600 km, andabout 60% of them are paved (as of 2012). The surfaces of major roads are in good condition, and in athree-stage evaluation (good, fair or poor), 99% ofroad segments were evaluated as “good” or “fair” (in2011). However, many bridges were built in the 1970s
or earlier, and bridge deterioration has advanced due
to a lack of maintenance work. The Road Development Agency (RDA), which manages major roads,
established a bridge emergency restoration department
in 2013 and began working on inspections and repairs(outsourced); however, there is a lack of engineers anda lack of knowledge such as planning and construction
supervision, and it is important to improve the bridge
maintenance capabilities of RDA staff.

DRIMSDRIMS, a system forevaluating the International
Roughness Index (IRI) basedon vehicle responses, isinstalled in various
commercial vehicles;
Vehicles’ response data iscollected and analyzed on alarge scale. The condition ofroad networks, including
even residential roads, isobtained in pseudo-realtime.

Inspection Review Sheet (for Paved Roads)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

Road Name
RN1 (Kandal)
Road Length (km) (Inspected: 44.1(km))
Pavement Type
Date of IRI measurement
Start Point &
Start
End
End Point
Average IRI (Total Section)
Visual Rating
Indicator-N
Evaluation(Total Section)
Repair Ratio (Rank-1+Rank-2+Rank-3)
Urgency Ratio (Rank-1+Rank-2)

(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)

11% 0%

44.0
AC
24/July/2015
PK016+500
PK060+500
2.7
1.51
Poor
54.6%
11.3%

Breakdown of Road Condition
12%

34%

Rank-1: Bad
Rank-2: Very poor
Rank-3: Poor
Rank-4: Fair
Rank-5: Good

43%

0.0%

Emergency Ratio (Rank-1)[IRI-based

Country：the Kingdom of Cambodia
Period：March 2015 ～ March 2018（3 years）
Organization：Ministry of Public Works and Transport

Introducing technologies

Project for Strengthening Capacity for Maintenance ofRoads and Bridges in the Kingdom of Cambodia

Contribute to simplification, efficiency, andvisualization for road maintenance works• Monitoring Method of Road Network• Development of Annual Road Maintenance Plan
• Utilization to Budget Negotiation• Application to Completion Inspection for Road
Construction Works

Road Condition (5km-interval)
Bad
Very poor
Poor
Fair
Good

(km)
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

IRI (100m-interval)
10.0
5.0
0.0

(km)
0

10

Visual Inspection by RID (5km-interval)
Poor
Fair
Fairy good
Good
Very good

(km)
0

10

20

[Detailed visual inspection (the number of defects) ]Carriageway
Off-carriageway

Pothole (carriageway)/ Dragon hole (off-carriageway)
50
No.
10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

(km)
100

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

(km)
100

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

(km)
100

0
0
50

5

Crack

No.
0
0
50

5

JIP Techno Science Co., Inc.

Deformation

No.
0
0

5

10

Location
From
km PK
0
16.5
5
21.5
10 26.5
15 31.5
20 36.5
25 41.5
30 46.5
35 51.5
40 56.5
45 61.5

Dynamic Response Intelligent Monitoring System

To
km
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50

PK
21.5
26.5
31.5
36.5
41.5
46.5
51.5
56.5
61.5
66.5

Ave.
IRI
2.19
2.30
2.38
2.70
2.50
3.33
3.65
3.13
2.22

IRI-based inspection
Road condition
Visual rating
Rank:
Discription
Condition
N
Evaluation
3.00 Poor
3:PoorRepair (moderate)
0.80 Fair
4:FairRepair (small)
0.40 Fairly good 5:Good
Regular inspection
1.00 Fair
4:FairRepair (small)
2.20 Poor
3:PoorRepair (moderate)
0.60 Fair
4:FairRepair (small)
2.20 Poor
2:Very poor Repair/ Resurfacing
1.20 Poor
3:PoorRepair (moderate)
2.20 Poor
3:PoorRepair (moderate)

Visual inspection for check
Off-carriageway
Carriageway
PotDefor- Defor- Dragon Update
Crack
hole
mation mation hole
6

22
26
9
30
30
21
38
21
5

15
27
2
3
15
30
33
10
15

☑

東京大学大学院工学系研究科
社会基盤学専攻橋梁研究室

Fig. 2 Example of using Japanese technology in Cambodia

3. Project implementation period
Planned for January 2019 – December 2022 (48 months
total)
4. Overall goal
To improve the condition of bridges managed by RDA
5. Project goal
To improve bridge maintenance operations at the central
office and regional offices of RDA
6. Outputs
Output 1: Improved capabilities of engineers involved indaily bridge maintenance at the central office
and regional offices of RDA.
Output 2: Improved capabilities of engineers involved inbridge repairs at the central office and regional
offices of RDA.
Output 3: Improved capabilities of engineers involved inbridge inspection at the central office andregional offices of RDA.

From February 2015 to August 2017, JICA implemented technical cooperation (Phase I) to improve
bridge maintenance capabilities, endeavoring to promote the development of various guidelines andensure that maintenance work becomes an establishedpractice at the sites concerned. However, additional
technical cooperation has been requested, as it isessential to disseminate and build on the results of
Phase I activities, establish the PDCA cycle for maintenance, and improve capabilities with regard to repair

Technologies

2. Project beneficiaries (target groups)
Direct beneficiaries: Bridge engineers at the central officeof the Road Development Agency (RDA) and regional
RDA offices targeted in the pilot project
Final beneficiaries: Road users

RDA was experiencing issues with continuing engineer training, so we requested cooperation from Gifu
University to introduce cases of engineer training inJapan.
One of the activities in this technical cooperation is tobe the establishment of a bridge maintenance engineer
training course in Zambia and development of a system for engineer training at the University of Zambia,
including counterpart institutions. Initially, Zambianengineers will participate in the ME training course at
Gifu University or other classes and training programsfor bridge maintenance engineers in Japan, while acurriculum is developed that will be suitable for technical purposes in Zambia, with reference to thosecourses. Later, in the second half of this technicalcooperation, the goal is for the University of Zambia
to train engineers from RDA by themselves whileobtaining support from Gifu University.

Regions

1. Project site / Target region
Zambia nationwide

techniques and the maintenance of special (long,large-scale) bridges.

Case 3: Technical cooperation using
Japanese technologies
In Cambodia and Kenya, in addition to technologies
being developed under the SIP Infrastructure Program, JICA is providing support for the implementat ion of t e ch nolog ie s p osse sse d by sm al l a nd
medium-sized businesses in Japan to promote the dissemination of these technologies after project completion (Fig. 2). DRIMS/i-DRIMS, a technology that has
been introduced in Cambodia and Kenya as a simple
means of measuring the IRI (International Roughness
Index) of pavement, was developed with R&D under
the SIP Infrastructure Program. We are currently
working on a mechanism for this technology to be
sold in Kenya to facilitate its widespread adoption
after the completion of technical cooperation in thatcountry.

Deployment D-9

Deployment

Table 3 Summary of project for bridge maintenance capacity
building phase II in Zambia

129

D-10

Introducing technologies

Toward a future of attractive infrastructure maintenance:
Looking back at support activities for regional
implementation of new technology

Keitetsu ROKUGOTechnologies

Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Civil Engineering,
Gifu University

Expectations for regional implementation support teams
The introduction of new technology to the job sites ofinfrastructure maintenance is strongly desired to makethe work in this field more attractive, efficient, andsophisticated. However, developers of new technology
often wonder why the amazing new technology they
developed is not being widely used. On the other hand,
local officials in charge of managing public infrastructure fret over what technology they should introduce
in what manner to resolve budgetary and manpower
shortages (Fig. 1).

Regions

To meet the need for resolving the problems of bothsides, SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation
Support Teams were selected in August 2016 as partof the technology for infrastructure maintenance, renovation, and management (“SIP infrastructure”) (PD:- Problems -Developers of new technology• Why the amazing new technology we developed is
not being widely used?
Municipal officials in charge of managing infrastructure• What technology we should introduce in whatmanner to resolve budgetary and manpower
shortages?

Prof. Yozo Fujino), a project under the Cabinet Office’s
Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP). Twelve teams including local universities
have been undertaking various activities to have local
municipalities use (implement) new technologies
developed by “SIP Infrastructure.” These included
supporting the introduction of seeds, supporting fulfillment of needs, coordination within regions, establishing networks, and cultivating human resources.
The Japanese Congress for Infrastructure Maintenance (JCIM), which was organized in autumn of2016 as well, has been working toward the creation of
an infrastructure maintenance market and formulationof a framework and system for implementing newtechnology, primarily through regional forums. The
support teams for regional implementation have carried out their activities in close cooperation with
JCIM.
This report summarizes the results of the activities ofthese support teams. At the end of the report, this article reviews the activities of the teams, describing what
were found and obtained through the activities, referring to the content of the report, to assist future
activities.

Deployment- Supports for resolving the problems -Japanese Congress for Infrastructure Maintenance
SIP infrastructure regional implementation support
teams• Supporting the introduction of seeds, supporting
fulfillment of needs, coordination within regions,establishing networks, cultivating human resources,etc.

Fig. 1 Problems and support activities for regional
implementation of new technology

130

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

Fig. 2 Typical goals of infrastructure maintenancePossibility of support activities by local
universities
Information exchange between the public and private
sector tends to be inhibited partly due to the erroneous
belief held by municipal officials in charge of infrastructure management that the Ethics in Government
Act prohibits even information exchange between
them and private technology developers. For this reason, information “seeds” of new technology tends toremain unrecognized by municipal officials, while theneeds of the officials are unlikely to be known bytechnology developers. Nevertheless, municipal officials, corporate engineers, and technology developers
had lively exchanges of information and opinions at
briefing sessions and open field tests held by local universities (C-1, etc.). Furthermore, these activities initiated by local universities led to the definition of
performance requirements, evaluation of performance,
and formulation of guidelines for new technology thatare currently lacking (C-6). These activities of the
support teams demonstrated the usefulness and possibility of implementation support for new technology,
with local universities playing the key role in the collaboration among industry, municipalities, and academia. This is one of the accomplishments of the
support activities for regional implementation.
In order to have the support activities for regional
implementation of new technology take root in thecivil engineering field of local universities, it is crucial
to establish a sustainable cycle of the following steps:(1) incorporation of these activities in the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE); (2) publication of theirresults as peer-reviewed papers; (3) granting of academic degrees including master’s and doctoral degrees
on the basis of these achievements; and (4) acquisitionof research funds including government research

Introducing technologies

In this report, Obayashi (A-6) points out that projects
can be expressed as combinations and chains of seeds
and needs as shown in Fig. 3 of A-6 (page: 28) andthat developments are classified into two types: seedsdriven and needs-driven. By developing this insight, it
is understood that seeds to meet needs do not have to
be in the form of new technology but rather can beanything, such as existing technology with trackrecords, or information, people, organizations, or rules
instead of “technology” in a narrow sense. In short, it
can be interpreted that anything can be used in various new combinations to resolve the needs that havebeen difficult to meet by conventional approaches andcombinations (Fig. 3). In the activities of the Gifu University team to apply robotic technology (RT) to periodic inspection of Kakamigahara Bridge (C-6), notonly a combination of robot inspection techniques wasprovided but also draft guidelines were formulated byorganizing a committee consisting of members fromvarious positions. Furthermore, the team fulfilled theneeds by combining various factors such as a proposal
for conducting preliminary research assisted by RTprior to visual inspection at a close distance.

Technologies

Accomplishment of some of the specific individual
goals, such as “reducing the time of traffic restriction”
and “reducing the cost,” are easy to evaluate in numerical terms. However, others among the goals of respective standpoints are difficult to evaluate. For example,“safe and comfortable” and “rewarding,” etc., are difficult to evaluate numerically. In contrast, future“accident prevention” is difficult in the sense that one
can do nothing now but to strive for the goal, withjudgement of whether or not the goal was achieved
only being possible in the future.

Seeds-driven and needs-driven

In the local support activities by Ozawa et al. of the
University of Tokyo team (C-4), specific needs of eachmunicipality selected were taken up to be resolved incooperation with supporters (construction consultants). This approach is new, but the so-called implementation of new technology is not highlighted. Thiscan therefore be regarded as needs-driven regional
support. On the other hand, Hisada et al. of the
Tohoku University team (C-3) disseminated a databasesystem that is a new technology developed by “SIP
infrastructure” to municipalities, making various
adaptations. This can be regarded as seeds-driven
regional support. The above-mentioned activities of
the Gifu University team to apply RT to periodic
inspection of Kakamigahara Bridge (C-6) can be
regarded as an intermediate type between seedsdriven and needs-driven types.

Regions

Figure 2 shows typical goals of infrastructure maintenance. No one opposes abstract overall goals of“increasing attractiveness” and “increasing efficiency
and sophistication.” As pointed out by Chun of Ehime
University (article A-2 of this report), however, thegoals of infrastructure maintenance are not the same
when viewed from different standpoints. Efforts to bemade for the introduction of new technology also varydepending on the standpoint.

grants. The “SIP Infrastructure Program Coordination
Committee” chaired by Tadayuki Tazaki has alreadybeen organized in JSCE, in which Subcommittee on
Promoting Regional Implementation of New Technologies chaired by Keitetsu Rokugo was formed in fiscal
2018. The foundation for the above-mentioned cycle isthus being laid.

Deployment

Goals varying from one standpoint toanother

New combination
Financial resources

Organizations

Rules

Existing technology
PeopleInformation

Conventional technology

New technology
Anything

Fig. 3 New combination to resolve the needs

Deployment D-10

131

Table 1 Obstacles to the implementation of new technology perceived from different standpoints
Positions

Major causes

Introducing technologies

Attitudes of people in charge widely vary

- The organizational mission is unclear.
- Enthusiasm gap between head and local offices.
- Resistance to changes.

should be ensured.
Significant energy and effort are required for -- Fairness
Basis for external explanation (account audit) is necessary.
introduction- Basis for internal explanation (organizational consensus) is necessary.

Ordering
partiesDevelopers

Great risk in the event of trouble- Who takes responsibility is unclear.
- Constant and continuing support is not assured.

Investment decision for development isdifficult- First-mover advantage from development is not assured.
- Investment recovery in a short time is difficult.
- It is difficult to grasp the market (scale, continuity).

Required specifications are unclear- Needs for new technologies (required performance/precision) are unclear.
- Appropriate cost for ordering parties is unknown.
- Content and period of technical support required are unknown.

Government’s situation is unknown- Each organization or local government is in a different situation.
- Method of order placing and introduction conditions are difficult tounderstand.
- Attention to industry officials is required.

Technologies

Promotion of implementation by distributing and mitigating responsibilities

Regions

Table 1 (simplified Table 2 of A-4) gives various
examples of obstacles to the implementation of newtechnology perceived from different standpoints.
These were collected through listening surveys conducted on the order-placing parties and technology
developers. Obstacles on the side of technology developers include the ambiguity of the needs of theorder-placing party with regard to the performancerequirements and accuracy. Unclearness about themethod of order placing and conditions of introduction
also discourages implementation. Obstacles on theside of order-placing parties mainly consist of psychological stress, such as resistance to change, the nuisance of providing explanations to account auditors,
and uneasiness due to a lack of clarity about where
responsibility lies. Measures shown in Fig. 4, including “expansion of administrative right,” “positive attitude of the head of the organization,” and “evaluationand certification of technology,” are easy to understand when viewed as measures to distribute/mitigate
the psychological stress (particularly responsibility) of
the order-placing parties. This brings to mind various
other measures. Note that the idea of “distribution”
Measures to distribute/mitigate
the psychological stress

Deployment

Evaluation andcertification oftechnology

Positive attitude of thehead of the organization

Changes of upper regulations
Private consignment
Change oraddition ofregulations

Expansion ofadministrative right
Approval bycommittee
Insurance

Fig. 4 Distribution/mitigation of the psychological stress ofthe order-placing parties

132

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams

was given from Mr. Tadayuki Tazaki. In this report,
Takamatsu (A-9) points out the importance of expanding the independence and discretion of localities.

Problems and countermeasures of andef for ts for implementation of newtechnology
Table 2 gives examples of problems and countermeasures when implementing new technology. As statedabove, many implementation support teams forregional implementation carried out briefing sessions
and open field tests to transfer information on seeds of
new technology to municipal administrators and local
maintenance engineers, who are the users, whiletransferring the needs of the users to technology
developers. These were appreciated by both technology developers and users. In the activities regarding
the application of RT to periodic inspection of Kakamigahara Bridge (C-6), the support team formulated
draft guidelines to compensate for insufficient standards, presented performance requirements to facilitate understanding of the RT to be used, evaluated the
RT by field testing, and proposed a method of utilizing
robotic techniques in an optimal combination. The
team pointed out that the inspection cost can be
reduced by changing the “preliminary research by RT
followed by thorough visual inspection at a close distance” to “screening research by RT followed byvisual inspection at a close distance only whererequired” and utilizing AI. Generally speaking, difficulties hard to predict from experience tend to arise
when applying new technology or a new approach. To
avoid or minimize such difficulties, sufficient measures should be taken, such as to begin slowly withtrial use on a small scale and to collect information onsuch difficulties from similar cases. Education is also
important to foster positive-minded staff who canenjoy changing and being changed for the better.
Table 3 gives examples of efforts for implementing
new technology by different standpoints. It is advisable that municipal officials administrating structures

Table 2 Problems and countermeasures when implementing new technology
Problems

Examples of countermeasures

Nonconformity to standards

Improve or establish standards

Hard-to-understand technology

Define performance requirements,
conduct performance evaluation, present
methods of utilization

Cost

Estimate the cost, suggest methods of
cost reduction

Difficulty in ensuring fairness

Include a neutral body

TroubleBegin with a small-scale trial, take sufficient preliminary measures, collect information on troubles insimilar cases, emphasize experience, purchase insurance

Psychological factor

Distribute and mitigate psychological stress, foster positive-minded staff who can enjoy changes

Carried out for Kakamigahara
BridgeIntroducing technologies

Needs not encountered with seeds Hold briefing sessions and open demonstration tests

Activities by SIP infrastructure regional implementation support teams

Table 3 Examples of efforts for implementing new technology
Position
Municipal official in charge ofinfrastructure management

Examples of efforts- Express their wish for technology to save cost and labor for solving the problems of budgetary, manpower, and technical shortfalls- Also demonstrate that the solution to the problems may not necessarily involve new technology

Developer of new technology- Formulate a development plan with a clear intention for practical implementation(For instance, add new technology to conventional technology currently in use; accumulate experience
at companies not under national audit, etc.)

Supporter for implementation(university, etc.)- Regard support for implementation as an area of research activity(Improve the management of academic societies, judgment of theses, and distribution of research funds)

Contractor- Actively utilize new technology for proposal making, etc.

No single magic bullet

Regions

infrastructure,” as well as the support activities forregional implementation included in it, is going to end
in March 2019. The support activities for regional
implementation of new technology under the initiativeof local universities are currently in the stage where
their effectiveness has been demonstrated. It is hopedthat the support activities take root in local universities in collaboration with the activities of NCIM. Public funding is essential for support activities for thetime being. It is also hoped that the findings obtained
from the support activities for regional implementation in Japan are utilized for enhancing the efficiency
and sophistication of infrastructure maintenance indeveloping countries in Asia and Africa in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) (D-9).
From the next fiscal year, it is strongly hoped that theapproaches listed in Table 3 will be put into practiceand more of such attempts will be made. There is no
single magic bullet for making the infrastructure
maintenance field more attractive and implementing
new technology on a regional level. Knowing thatpeople at different positions think differently with different goals, it is important to continue to make efforts
at respective positions, working toward a change forthe betterment of the entire infrastructure maintenance field.

Deployment

demonstrate more strongly that, while they wish to
resolve shortfalls in budget, manpower, and technology, the solution may not necessarily include newtechnology. New technology, particularly unfamiliar
sophisticated technology, requires organization of its
standards, performance requirements, and methods ofevaluation, cost estimation, and order placement. The
role of officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in the position of being
able to move these matters forward is very important.
For developers of new technology, it is important toadvance development with a clear intention of practical implementation, such as to add new technology toconventional technology currently in use, accumulate
field experience at companies in the fields of railways,
electrical power, etc., that are not under national audit,
and carry out technical development together with theusers of the technology. As stated above, further
improvements are desired in the management of academic societies, judgment of theses, and distributionof research funds, so that researchers at universities
and other institutions, who are in a neutral position,
feel comfortable in supporting regional implementation. It is desired to establish a system, such as proposal making, in which active utilization of the newtechnology by the contractor will lead to an increasein orders.

Technologies

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, - Organize standards, performance requirements, methods of evaluation, estimation, and order placing
Transport and Tourism MLIT
(most important)

T he pla n ned pe r iod of t he a ct iv it ies of “ SI P

Deployment D-10

133

Contact information of SIP Infrastructure Regional
Implementation Support Teams

Hokkaido
University

Hokkaido
Research
Organization

TohokuUniversity

The University
of
Tokyo

Kanazawa
University

Gifu
University

KansaiUniversity

Tottori
University

Ehime
University

Nagasaki
University

Hokkaido University Public Policy Schoolhttps://www.hops.hokudai.ac.jp/

Yasushi Takamatsu, Midori Tanaka

office@hops.hokudai.ac.jp+81 11-706-4723

Building Research Department, Hokkaido Research
Organization
Ken Ushijima, Yoshiki Hasegawa+81 166-73-4274

Center for Infrastructures Management Research, Tohoku
University
Makoto Hisada, Ko Kamata, Chie Nakagawa+81 22-721-5503

School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute ofTechnology
Nobuhiro Chijiwa+81 3-5734-3767

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
College of Engineering, Kanazawa Institute of Technology
Shinichi Miyazato+81 76-274-7798

Center for Infrastructure Asset Management Technology
and Research, Gifu University
Keitetsu Rokugo, Hideaki Hatano+81 58-293-2436

Department of Informatics, Faculty of Informatics, Kansai
University
Hitoshi Furuta+81 72-690-2438

http://sipwater.strikingly.com/
ushijima-ken@hro.or.jp

http://imc-tohoku.org/
inquiry-imc@tohoku-imc.ac.jp

http://committees.jsce.or.jp/opcet_ jst/
chijiwa@cv.titech.ac.jp

https://sip-hokuriku.com
miyazato@neptune.kanazawa-it.ac.jp

http://me-unit.net/
gifusip@gifu-u.ac.jp

http://www.kansai-u.ac.jp/Fc_inf/index.html
furuta@kansai-u.ac.jp

Graduate School of Engineering, Tottori University

http://eng.tottori-u.ac.jp/

Tamotsu Kuroda

tkuroda@tottori-u.ac.jp+81 857-31-5523

Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil andEnvironmental Engineering, Ehime University
Pang-jo Chun

http://www.cee.ehime-u.ac.jp/~i_management/
chun@cee.ehime-u.ac.jp+81 89-927-9822

Infrastructures Lifetime-Extending Maintenance ResearchCenter, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagasaki University

http://ilem-sip.jp/+81 95-819-2880

ilemjimu@ml_nagasaki-u.ac.jp

University oftheRyukyus

University of the Ryukyus Faculty of Eng. Civil Engineering
Coursehttp://sip-rk.tec.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/

Keio
University

Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University

http://www.kbs.keio.ac.jp/

Atsuomi Obayashi

obayashi@kbs.keio.ac.jp

Hiroshi Matsuda, Kohei Yamaguchi, Kazuo Takahashi

Jun Tomiyama+81 98-895-8649+81 45-564-2441
Institutejun-t@tec.u-ryukyu.ac.jp

Contact person(s)TelWebsiteE-mail135

Editorial Postscript

Universities and other organizations throughout Japan played a leading role inactivities to support the regional implementation of new technologies during aperiod of more than two years, from the latter half of FY 2016 to FY 2019. We have
prepared this report with the aim of recording and sharing the content of theseinteresting activities. We have had multiple committee members check the content
of the articles, not as peer review but to ensure that the articles are easy to read. We
would like to express our gratitude to all those who have worked diligently to writeand compile the report within a short period of time. We hope that regional universities and other organizations will continue to develop and expand their activities tosupport the regional implementation of new technologies as a means of contributing
to their communities.
Keitetsu ROKUGO, chair
Shin'ichi MIYAZATO, secretary-general
Subcommittee on Promoting Regional Implementation of New Technologies

Report of SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams:
Promoting Innovation in Regional Infrastructure MaintenanceFirst edition issued on January 24, 2019
• Compiled by:

SIP Infrastructure Regional Implementation Support Teams
Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP)-Infrastructure Maintenance, Renovation and Management-• Issued by:

Subcommittee on Promoting Regional Implementation of New Technologies
SIP Infrastructure Program Coordination Committee
Organization for Promotion of Civil Engineering Technology
Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE)
Yotsuya 1-chome (in Sotobori Park), Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004
Tel. 03-3355-3444, Fax 03-5379-2769• The permission of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers must be obtained
to reproduce material from this report in any other publication.

©JSCE 2019/OPCTThis work was performed under the management of JST as funding agency in the area of Infrastructure Maintenance, Renovation and Management Technologies under the cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation.