2023. 2. 1

Japan Society of Civil Engineers
International Activities Center

IAC News No.124
A Message from the JSCE President

The Lack of Japanese Construction Projects Overseas
About half a century ago, industrial products that were exported by
Japan were cheap but were not of high quality. When I lived in the
United States 40 years ago, the difference between an automobile
made in Japan and one made in the United States was obvious.
However, today, with high quality and functionality in demand, people
from all over the world and not just Japan purchase Japanese products.
If you can satisfy users with easy-to-use, long-lasting, and goodlooking products, naturally, you can secure buyers. At present, I spend
a lot of time in China and feel these features of Japanese products ona daily basis.
The fact that civil engineering structures are also a product of industry
will not change. In that sense, civil engineering structures can also becalled industrial products. However, there is one big difference. The
fact that civil engineering structures have many users and that buyers
represent users makes a difference in buyer behavior. Currently, users

Photographer Rumiko Ito

Tamon Ueda
110th President of the Japan Societyof Civil Engineers

do not think hard about what kind of civil engineering structure isneeded in the sense of it being their own property, and buyers do not use mechanisms to select necessary civilengineering structures as an expert representing many users. What is a required civil engineering structure andwhat are the quality and functions that it must have are dependent on both the natural environment of the country
and people’s lifestyles and economic standards. Furthermore, the fact that the usage period of civil engineering
structures is far longer than that of industrial products makes buyer selection criteria difficult. Based on thisbackdrop, Japanese civil engineering structures have less of a presence overseas when compared to otherindustrial products.
Japan has deployed infrastructure overseas mainly through Official Development Assistance (ODA). Because
the economic standards in the respective countries are low, the quality and functions of necessary civilengineering structures are often different from those in Japan. However, as I mentioned earlier, the usage periodof civil engineering structures is long and there is also a need to choose quality and functions with a view togreater living and economic standards in the future. One other point that must not be forgotten is that social1requirements differ depending on the country and the era. Even if something is deemed suitable in Japan, highpriority infrastructure in the country on the receiving end of ODA may be different.
As the overseas deployment of infrastructure going forward, like other major countries, Japan must adopt an
approach that does not solely rely on ODA. This is because there are still many, many civil engineering structuresthat are required all over the world. Construction projects that comply with the global issue of carbon neutrality(CN) and civil engineering structures that make up such projects are infrastructure needed in every corner of the
globe, and overseas deployment that is backed by infrastructure technologies needed for CN is the direction of
future efforts. JSCE currently has an International Project Examination Sub-Committee (Chairperson: Makio
Shichijo) and aims to present specific construction project case studies that can be taken on overseas. We arebuilding mechanisms to support the overseas deployment of construction projects and diligently analyzing andresearching successful case studies of projects deployed overseas by countries other than Japan.
I strongly hope that after clearly understanding the competence of infrastructure in Japan by comparing it withthe rest of the world, everyone will see the infrastructure that is needed in the world both today and in the futureand engage in the deployment of infrastructure overseas at a market scale that matches Japan’s economic
prowess. This is surely necessary for the future of the Japanese construction industry as well.

CECAR 9 and the 43rd ECM of
the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC) in Goa, India

1. Overview
The Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC) is an organization established in September 1999
to maintain and grow sustainable social capital in Asia. JSCE is one of the main members of this organization.
At present, 16 academic societies are affiliated with the ACECC, with the organization engaged in various
activities to promote learning and skills with the cooperation of civil engineering-related academic societies.
The Executive Committee Meeting (ECM), which is the supreme decision-making body of the ACECC, washeld online and in person in Goa, India on September 20, 2022. Likewise, the 9th Civil Engineering Conferencein Asian Region (CECAR 9) was held in a similar fashion between September 21 to September 23, 2022. Thisis a report on the 43rd ECM and CECAR 9.
2. The 43rd ECM(1) Technical Coordination Committee Meeting
The Technical Coordination Committee Meeting (TCCM) played host to reports on the activities of the 12 active
technical committees (TC). With regard to Transdisciplinary Approach for Building Societal Resilience toDisasters (TC21), for which JSCE is the chair, a report was given on the research after the recovery work from2

Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines as well as the activities planned for implementation after CECAR9.
Furthermore, the application to extend TC21’s activities for a further three years was unanimously approved by
the committee. With regard to Application of Monitoring Technology for Infrastructure Maintenance (TC28),
for which JSCE is also the chair, a report was given about the work to translate/draw up guidelines regarding
infrastructure maintenance.
Elsewhere, there was a proposal for a new TC, entitled “Digital Technologies for Smart Construction,” from the
Korean Society of Civil Engineers, and its establishment was approved as TC30. As this is an important topic
in the field of civil engineering these days, JSCE is also considering dispatching its members to TC30.
(2) Planning Committee Meeting
At the Planning Committee Meeting (PCM), a report was made on the status of formulating the ACECC’s
Strategic Plan, which examines the direction of ACECC’s forthcoming activities and the outlook of the civilengineering field in Asia. Regarding the Future Leaders Forum (FLF), which brings together upcoming
researchers and engineers of each affiliated academic society, there were reports on the monthly seminars aswell as discussions on matters such as establishing an ACECC Young Researcher/Engineer Award.
(3) Executive Committee Meeting
At the ECM, the decisions made at the TCCM and PCM were approved. In particular, the ACECC Code of
Ethics Guideline prepared by Ethical Practices to Reduce Corruption (TC17) was unanimously approved as theguideline to be referenced for the code of ethics at each academic society.
The holding of the forthcoming ECMs was also discussed, and it decided that the 44th ECM will be held from
April 24 to April 25, 2023, on Jeju Island, Korea, and the 45th ECM will be held in September 2023 in Taiwan.
3. CECAR9
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, eight members from JSCE attended CECAR9 in person. Meanwhile,
many attendees participated and listened to proceedings online. In addition to many papers being presented
during the two-day general paper session, sessions by each TC were held, with passionate presentations anddiscussions taking place. An award ceremony was held on the evening of the second day, at which
commemorative trophies were presented to JSCE members who won the following three ACECC awards:• Project Award: Aso Ohashi Bridge Area Slope Disaster Prevention Measure Construction by Kumagai Gumi
and Kyushu Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism• Achievement Award: Dr. Osamu Kusakabe (former ACECC Chair, Executive Director of International
Press-in Association, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo Institute of Technology)• TC Award: TC21 Transdisciplinary Approach for Building Societal Resilience to Disasters
A video related to the Project Award was shown and there was a video message from Professor Emeritus Dr.
Osamu Kusakabe to the CECAR9 attendees that really grabbed the attention of many in attendance.
The final day consisted of the closing ceremony, and the ACECC flag was passed onto KSCE, which will hostthe next CECAR event. CECAR10 is scheduled to be held during October 21-24, 2025 on Jeju Island in South
Korea.

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4. Conclusion
Despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has not let up, in India, hardly anyone wears a mask. I wasflustered by this significant difference from the mask-wearing culture of Japan. In fact, it was touch and go as
to whether the event would go ahead right up until the start, but I was relieved that CECAR 9 ultimately went
ahead without any problems. While it was difficult for people to attend the event in person due to the impact ofthe pandemic, for CECAR 10, which will take place three years from now, I expect to see more JSCE members
attend in person as well as networking and passionate discussions between the stakeholders of each Asian
country and the Korean locals. For information on CECAR 10, please check the related website(http://www.cecar10.org/) as new information will be posted from time to time.
With ACECC, a diverse range of TC activities are undertaken under a cooperative international framework. If
you have any requests relating to matters such as participation in active TCs or the establishment of a new TC
that aims to carry out international activities in Asia, please contact the Committee on Asian Civil Engineering
Coordinating Council.

CECAR 9 Opening Ceremony

CECAR 9 Presentation Session

Group Photo at the ACECC Award Ceremony

The ACECC ECM Held the Day Before CECAR 9【Reported by Masashi Inoue, Secretary-General of the Committee on Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating
Council, JSCE (Eight-Japan Engineering Consultants Inc.)】4

Concrete Committee
JSCE Online Joint Seminar "Advanced Technologies and Issues
Related to Thermal Effect of Concrete in Singapore and JapanThe seminar held jointly by the JSCE Concrete Committee in cooperation with Nanyang Technological
University was held on 26th Sept. 2022. Although still occurring every year, this seminar has been held online
since 2020 as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s theme, "Advanced technologies andissues related to thermal effect of concrete in Singapore and Japan", was selected because issues related to thequality control of concrete in hot weather are becoming more serious due to global warming. Lectures on issues
relating to thermal effects, countermeasures and their practical application, and related advanced technologies
were given by six leading experts in this field (Photo).
The seminar schedule is shown in Table 1, Dr. Yoshinobu Ooshima, chairperson of the Sub-committee on
International Affairs, gave the opening remarks. He explained the background to the seminar and that solutions
related to the quality control of concrete exposed to high temperatures had significant meaning. In the firstmorning session, Dr. Tan Kang Hai of Nanyang Technological University gave a lecture on the topic of firedamage and the fire resistance of fiber reinforced concrete. Next, Mr. Lu Jin Ping of the American Concrete
Institute (Singapore Chapter) lectured on the issues related to mass concrete in Singapore and its applications.
In the last talk of the morning session, Dr. Akira Hosoda of Yokohama National University described thecontents of the JSCE standard specifications regarding the quality control of hot weather concrete and, as apractical application, presented numerical analysis for a bridge suffering from thermal cracks. The afternoon
session began with a lecture by Mr. Takuya Ono of Taiheiyo Singapore Pte. Ltd. on the effects of fly ash andblast furnace slag when applied to prevent delayed ettringite formation, which can be a problem for hot weather
concrete casting. Mr. Toshifumi Kikuchi of Shimizu Corporation then introduced some practical applications of
low-heat concrete for mass concrete in Singapore and Dr. Takumi Sugamata of Pozzolith Solutions Ltd.
described some practical applications of chemical admixtures that provide hot weather concrete with high slump
retention. During the question and answer sessions, many participants asked questions about various aspects ofthe theme.
The nationality of seminar pre-registrants was varied, with approximately 20% from Singapore and Indonesia,
14% from Myanmar, and the remainder from over 20 countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam, Bangladesh andPakistan (Table 2). This wide range of nationalities points to one of the advantages of holding the seminar online,
without the limitations of a particular venue. With over 100 people taking part, the seminar ended on a high note.

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Photo Lecturers

Table 1 Seminar Schedule

Moderator: Dr. Shingo Asamoto (Saitama University)
Time
Title

Presenter

GMT+7

GMT+9

09:00〜09:10

10:00~10:10

Opening remarks: Dr. Yoshinobu Ooshima, chairperson, JSCE, Concrete Committee, Sub-committee on
International Affairs

09:10〜09:40

10:10〜10:40

Fire-resistant HPC and UHPC from Mmaterials to RC Column Performance
under elevated temperature

09:40〜10:10

10:40〜11:10

Singapore experience on Temperature Control of Mass Concrete

Mr. Lu Jin Ping:
American Concrete Institute– Singapore Chapter

10:10〜10:40

11:10〜11:40

Issues Related to Hot Weather Concrete and Mass Concrete Cracking JSCE Standard Specifications of Concrete Structures

Dr. Akira Hosoda:
Yokohama National University

10:40〜11:10

11:40〜12:10

12:00〜12:20

13:00〜13:20

Suppression Effect of Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) on
Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF) Expansion

Mr. Ono Takuya:
Taiheiyo Singapore Pte. Ltd.

12:20〜12:40

13:20〜13:40

Application of Low-heat fly Ash Cement to Actual Massive Concrete

Mr. Toshifumi Kikuchi:
Shimizu Corporation

12:40〜13:00

13:40〜14:00

Effectiveness of Mid-range Water Reducer with Super Slump Retention and Dr. Takumi Sugamata:Setting Retardation Effect in Hot Weather Concrete
Pozzolith Solutions Ltd.

13:00〜13:30

14:00〜14:30

Q&A Session

13:30〜13:40

14:30〜14:40

Closing Remarks

Dr. Tan Kang Hai:
Nanyang Technological University

Q&A Session

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Table 2 Breakdown of Pre-registrations

Nationality
Singapore
Indonesia
Malaysia
China
Japan
VietnamBangladesh
Pakistan
India
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Others
Total

Number
83
78
56
46
37
21
12
11
8
7
7
35
401

Percentage (%)
20.7
19.5
14.0
11.5
9.2
5.2
3.0
2.7
2.0
1.7
1.7
8.7
100.0

【Reported by Concrete Committee】

Updates◆JSCE Feedback Web Form「多門に多聞&多問」
https://committees.jsce.or.jp/chair/node/59◆The International Infrastructure Archives– A Compilation of Japan’s Greatest Projects in Transfer of Civil Engineering Technology in Service –http://www.jsce.or.jp/e/archive/

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◆IAC “News Pick Up!!” on the JSCE Japanese website
https://committees.jsce.or.jp/kokusai/iac_dayori_2023◆Summary of featured articles in JSCE Magazine Vol. 108, No.2 February 2022
http://www.jsce-int.org/pub/magazine◆Journal of JSCE
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/journalofjsce◆JSCE D&I Café Talk, Vol. 37 (5:00~5:30 pm, 10th February (JST))
https://committees.jsce.or.jp/diversity/system/files/37th_E.png◆The 4th Asian Concrete Federation (ACF) Symposium on Emerging Technologies for Structural Longevity(ACF2022_ETSL): https://acf2022.aconf.org/index.html◆The 9th International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM9)
https://www.icfm9.jp/index.html◆Breakwaters 2023
https://www.ice.org.uk/events/conferences/breakwaters-2023/◆Integrated Flood Risk Management Basic Concepts and the Japanese Experience
https://www.routledge.com/Integrated-Flood-Risk-Management-Basic-Concepts-and-the-JapaneseExperience/Takeuchi/p/book/9781032230733◆CECAR9
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