2024. 3. 5

Japan Society of Civil Engineers
International Activities Center

IAC News No.137
The IAC News introduces significant and unique international projects, technologies, symposium,
communication undertaken by JSCE IAC, International Section, ACECC, and Research & Development
Section with over 30 committees, state-of-art- civil engineering technologies and projects, greatand interesting achievements of civil engineer and researcher once a month.
This month’s issue offers you various messages and information. It can be a page-turner. At first,
Dr. Makoto Kimura the JSCE IAC Senior Director discusses the role of JSCE and what the IAC canand should do to achieve that role. Then, JSCE Design Prize 2023, which the Sub-committee of Civil
Engineering Design Prize took long time to select, long-awaited Revisions of Standard Specifications
for Concrete Structure and their English version, JSCE 2022 Infrastructure Maintenance ProjectAwardees: Matadi Bridge, which was built by Japan and the Republic of the Congo as an ODA project,
and the Tomei Expressway Yamato Tunnel widening project which is expected to reduce chronic
traffic congestion.
We are happy to receive your comments, feedback, and requests anytime. Thank you

Role of JSCE in Overseas Projects
JSCE agreed on a partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
five years ago. Thirty years ago I was involved in a JICA project to create a university
in Kenya, Africa, and learned what international cooperation is all about by doing thedirty work on the front line. Ever since I have visited the sites of many JICA construction
projects all over the world funded by either grant aid or repayable financial assistance. I
would give advice at the site before the construction work began and personally suggest
Makoto Kimura(Senior Director, IAC)

solutions to problems that occurred on the front line.
JSCE is an organization made up of members with civil engineering expertise fromindustry, government, and academia. With regards to JICA’s civil engineering projects funded by grant aid or
repayable financial assistance, JSCE’s opinions and comments as a third party would surely be sought after ineach stage of a project such as before, during, and after the design and before, during, and after the construction.
For me at least, at construction sites where I was asked for advice after a problem occurred, there were many
instances in which a whole host of measures could have been proposed if the project team had consulted meearlier at the design stage or the stage before the construction.
Perhaps young members, who have little experience on international construction sites, should join forces withthe more senior members and learn from them. ODA projects are also an opportunity for the more senior
members to flourish. Even if it is argued that there are consultancy firms, construction companies, and various
bodies and associations out there to do this kind of work, carrying out designs and constructions of no national
interest in foreign countries unknown to ordinary people is a waste of taxpayers’ money and will be an
embarrassment for Japan.

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If the designers and construction managers are the same individuals in international projects, it is difficult tocorrect one’s design if it is wrong when managing the construction. The fundamental position of consultancy
firms, which get paid even if the work schedule is longer than expected, and construction companies, which do
not get paid if they do not observe the construction timeframe, is completely different when a problem occurs.
If a problem were to occur, however, perhaps JSCE could act as a kind of referee. There is nothing more tragic
and futile than two fellow Japanese members butting heads.
I would like the International Activities Center to take another look at the role of JSCE at the sites of international
construction projects and think about how Japanese engineers can showcase their skills overseas. For this, wewill surely need the exuberance and innovative thinking of young engineers as well as the capabilities of moresenior engineers. You can expect big things from the International Activities Center!

【Reported by Makoto Kimura, Senior Director of IAC, JSCE 】

JSCE Design Prize 2023
In November 2023, the results of the nominees for the JSCE Design Prize 2023 were announced. Of the 20
nominees, three were awarded the Grand Prize, six were awarded the Outstanding Performance Award, andthree were awarded the Honorable Mention Award. I served as Chairperson on the judging panel, and I would
like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who entered, including thoseprojects that narrowly missed out on being nominated, as well as all the organizations that helped make theawards a success. The screening of the awards saw all the projects that had made it through the initial paper
screening undergo a second in-person screening by multiple panel judges. The in-person screening is held every
year from summer to autumn, with the summer of 2023 reaching a record high in terms of average temperature.
I salute all the judges who visited to observe the fruits of the projects in person and all the event organizers forworking under these sweltering conditions.
As Chairperson of the judging panel, each year I feel that the range of entries is becoming more and more diverse.
While the nominees for civil engineering design are what is known as “infrastructure,” which is mainly bridges,
roads, rivers, parks, etc., the renovation of areas as a whole, including public facilities such as community centers,
halls, and libraries, were also up for an award. That is, because of the projects being different scales and types
and complex examples of craftmanship, recently, there have become more and more cases of judging excellent
achievements in terms of design and planning, maintenance, and the running of the projects. That is why frank
discussions between the judges take place every year about what defines the category of civil engineering design
and what items should be assessed and the importance of each assessment item, such as technology andcraftsmanship, timeframe, and value to the general public (the second screening for fiscal 2023 lasted a wholenine hours or so when combining the duration of the observation report and the final selection).
I will now introduce the three projects that won the Grand Prize for fiscal 2023. The first was the Kawamachi

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Restoration Project of Kyukitakamigawa River in Areas of
Ishinomaki City. This project was implemented in Ishinomaki City,
Miyagi Prefecture, which suffered enormous damage from thetsunami that struck following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
The project was praised for both improving the flood control safetyof Kitakamigawa River, which had previously been without levees,
and developing the city by utilizing the waterfront. The second was
Hanabata Hiroba Square in Kumamoto City. This project
implemented a design to join together public areas by converting

Kawamachi Restoration Project of
Kyukitakamigawa River in Areas of
Ishinomaki City

approximately 230 meters of roadway following Kumamoto Castle
into a space for pedestrians. Under the concept of establishing a large town square adjacent to Kumamoto Castle,
a new landmark was created that symbolizes the city’s recovery from the earthquake that occurred in Kumamotoin 2016. The third was the Saiki Shiroyama Sakura Hall and Otemae District Project in Saiki City, Oita
Prefecture. Renovation work was undertaken to blend the appearance of the district aesthetically with thesurrounding townscape and spark connections and a sense of life with existing shopping streets in the district
and surrounding areas to rejuvenate the Otemae District, which was once the most lively area in Saiki City, as
well as introduce programs for the active engagement and diverse participation of local citizens. For details on
the other projects awarded the JSCE Design Prize, be sure to visit the website (https://design-prize.sakura.ne.jp).
We look forward to receiving a lot of entries for the next set of awards in 2024 as well!

Saiki Shiroyamasakura Hall, Otemae
district

Hanabata Hiroba Square (Kumamoto
Machinaka Hiroba Square / Karashima
Park / Hanabata Park)【Reported by Hisashi Shibata, Chairperson, Subcommittee of Civil Engineering Design Prize,
Landscape & Design Committee】

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Overview of Revisions to Standard Specifications forConcrete Structures and Their English Translation
1. Overview of Revisions
The current JSCE Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures are made up of the following sections: Basic
Principles, Design, Materials and Construction, Maintenance, Dam Concrete, and Test Methods andSpecifications. As part of the specifications established in 2022, the Basic Principles, Design, and, Maintenancesections were revised, with the Materials and Construction and Dam Concrete sections revised as part of theversion of the specifications established in 2023. For the Basic Principles and Dam Concrete sections, it was
the first revision in 10 years since the 2012 version of the specifications, and for the other sections, it was thefirst revision in approximately five years.
The overall features of the latest set of revisions are as follows:(1) Bringing Renovation to the Forefront
The requirements and performance of social infrastructure change depending on shifts in society and theeconomic climate. The demand for not only new installations but also renovating existing structures andintegrating new and old structures together has increased, and as such, there is a strong call for the specifications
to also reflect this. Thus, there was a need for performance assessments of existing structures and to tackle
problems arising along with integrating new and old structures, and as a result, efforts to link the Basic Principles,
Design, and Maintenance sections have advanced.
(2) More thorough Explanations
The Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures are composed of a main text and explanations. In the
explanations up to now, numerous expressions were considered similar to the provisions in the main text, andthis was one of the reasons why the Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures were criticized for being
difficult to understand. This issue was looked at closely in the latest set of revisions, with the explanations mademore distinct from the main text to provide proper explanations.
(3) Publishing of a Digital Copy as well as a Physical Copy (Japanease Version)
Many people have asked about getting a digital copy of the Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures dueto the digital copy being easier to carry around and search compared to the bulky physical version. The JSCE
Publishing Committee began sales of a digital version of the previous 2017 edition in 2022. The latest edition
is now available as both a physical and digital copy from the outset.
2. About the English Translation
Ever since the first edition of the Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures was published in 1931, it has
been revised almost every five years to match the advancement of technology. An English version of thespecifications was also produced for the 1986, 2002, and 2007 editions. While an English version was no longer
produced from the 2007 edition onward, the need to share this information with the wider global community
was reaffirmed and an English version of the latest edition was produced after about two years of hard work.
Currently, the original Japanese version of the Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures is divided into
different volumes such as the Basic Principles, Design, Materials and Construction, and Maintenance sections,4with each section made up of a “Main Text” section that forms the backbone of the performance-based
specifications, as well as a “Standards” section that indicates the standard technical information. The latest
English version places an emphasis on effectively communicating the structure and overview of thespecifications from start to finish, with a full translation of the “Main Text” of each section and an abridgedtranslation of the “Standards” section compiled into a compact book. For many people to get easy access andread the specifications, a digital version was made available for free online. However, due to reasons relating to
the schedule for translating the original Japanese version into English, the content was based on the previous
2017 edition of the specifications. I hope the English version of the specifications proves useful in sharing
technical information about concrete structures in Japan with the rest of the world, as well as in training, research,and practical work.
・JSCE Concrete Committee Website: https://www.jsce.or.jp/committee/concrete/e/index.html【Reported by Akira Hosoda, Secretary-General, Concrete Committee 】

Matadi Bridge: a Suspension Bridge Built by Japan and Democratic
Republic of the Congo and Maintained by the Hashimori Bridge
Maintenance Task ForceMy first business trip when joining the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
was to Democratic Republic of the Congo. After traveling eight hours or so by car on
National Road 1, a bumpy road stretching 350 km from the capital of Kinshasa, we arrived
at the city of Matadi. The Matadi Bridge lies at the point where the colossal Congo River,which is the second-longest river in Africa, intersects with the country’s main logistics
artery, National Road 1. The Matadi Bridge is a 722-meter-long suspension bridge thatwas built 41 years ago with Japanese ODA when the Democratic Republic of the Congowas still called the Republic of Zaire.

Sumire Watanabe(JICA)

While the Matadi Bridge was 39 years old when I visited the site
in 2022, it had not once undergone any large-scale repairs.
Nonetheless, the bridge had been kept well looked after, with thepaint coating of the bridge in good shape, everything up to thedrainage channels kept clean, and the hanger ropes nice and tense.
With trucks and people constantly going over the bridge, it was
obvious that the bridge is an important structure in supporting thecountry’s logistics and the lives of its people.

Wide View of Matadi Bridge

The history of Japan assisting work related to this bridge dates back a long way, with the Japanese engineers
preaching the importance of maintenance and management to the Congolese engineers from the outset of theconstruction. The trust between the Japanese and Congolese engineers was strong, and despite assistance fromJapan ceasing during the civil war in Congo during the 1990s, the previous generation of the Hashimori Task
Force contacted the consultants and construction operators in Japan and were able to maintain the Matadi Bridge

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themselves while receiving guidance remotely. Assistance from Japan later resumed in 2012, and in the same
year, the Project to Improve Maintenance and Management Capabilities was launched to help improve theproficiency of bridge inspections, maintenance, and management, as well as to train young engineers. In 2014,
under the Matadi Bridge Maintenance Plan, a cable ventilation and drying system was installed as a measure toprevent the main cables from corroding. The ability to maintain and manage the Matadi Bridge was further
improved by these projects, and it was awarded the JSCE 2022
Infrastructure Maintenance Project Award. While staying in the
Republic of Congo, I met people who were involved in theconstruction of the bridge from day one. What made a lasting
impression on me was how these people, despite growing old,
treated the Matadi Bridge with such affection as if it were one of
their own children. From observing the interactions between theCongolese engineers, I really felt that the spirit of the Hashimori
Task Force has been properly inherited by the young engineers

Staff Undertaking Cleaning Work of
Matadi Bridge

who are currently at the frontline, maintaining and managing thebridge.
The series of projects related to the Matadi Bridge is an example
of properly taking every step to transfer maintenance andmanagement skills to ensure the structure is kept safe and insound condition for many years to come rather than just working
together to simply build something and move on to the next
project. While JICA has engaged in a large number of initiatives
and projects to maintain and manage roads, such as the Road
Asset Management Cluster, I hope that we will actively continue
to work to develop local engineers and ensure the infrastructure

Truck Passing Over Matadi Bridge

remains sound for the long term.
Lastly, while I was in Democratic Republic of the Congo I was able to walk across one of the main cables andclimb to the top of one of the main towers of the Matadi Bridge. Once I started climbing I could not look down
until I reached the main tower because it was so scary. The helmet that I was given had the logo of a Japanesecompany on it, perhaps because it was left there by an engineer who had stayed in the country long ago. This
also gave me a sense of the long history of assistance Japan has played in building and maintaining this bridge.

【Reported by Sumire Watanabe, Japan International Cooperation Agency】

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Yamato Tunnel Widening Project for the Tomei Expressway– Relieving the Worst Congestion in Japan –1. Project Overview
Over 130,000 vehicles travel from the Yokohama-machida Interchange to the Ebina
Junction on the Tomei Expressway every day. This volume of traffic, as much as anywherein Japan, results in chronic and extremely strenuous levels of congestion due to theconcentration of traffic. The area near the Yamato Tunnel (Photo 1) in particular sees a lotof congestion caused by vehicles slowing down at the sagging section where the tunnel
slopes downward before transitioning to an uphill slope, as well as at the entrance of thetunnel. That is why the addition of a lane near the tunnel with three lanes on each side was

Takeshi Yamaguchi(NEXCO CENTRAL)

planned as part of the measures against congestion, and consequently, it was determined that the width of the
Yamato Tunnel would have to be made wider to make this possible (Figure 1).
2. Design and Installation that Made the Complex Widening
Construction Possible
Because the area of the widening construction work was a major trafficroute, it was difficult to put in place long-term traffic restrictions during
the construction work. Consequently, the work to constantly ensure threelanes were open on either side while at the same time widening this wideprofile tunnel was extremely difficult. The efforts taken in the designand construction stages to resolve this issue are shown below.

Photo 1 Congestion Near the Yamato
Tunnel(1) Creative Efforts in Design StageTo minimize the traffic lane restrictions during theconstruction period, it was necessary to reduce thereinforcement of existing parts as much as possible in the
widening design.
In terms of the design, in addition to making the joint
between the widened side walls and the top slabs morerigid, the soil springs were adjusted by improving the
ground directly below the widened parts, and measures
were taken against the ground sinking. Furthermore, how
the tunnel would be widened was examined before
choosing an approach in which the stress on the existing parts

Figure 1 Standard Cross-Section Diagram
Beforewould be reduced after widening the tunnel (Figure 2). Efforts
were also taken to reduce the top load by removing the existing soil cover of the tunnel. As a result, a design towiden the tunnel was implemented that would minimize the reinforcement of existing parts.
(2) Creative Efforts in Construction StageIn planning the construction, a method was proposed in which the construction work could be carried out in anarrow work space during fixed traffic restrictions by installing a temporary guardrail (Figure 3). The

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construction method was to support the top slabs with temporary supports in order to remove the existing sidewalls. In the work on the main expressway road, work to transport, install, and remove the materials, etc. had tobe done in a narrow 2.15-meter work space, especially for installing the temporary supports and removing theside walls.
The temporary supports were installed to and later removed from their predetermined positions efficiently bylowering pre-cast temporary supports from the top of the tunnel entrance using a crane and then hauling theminto the work area inside the tunnel using a winch along transport rails laid on the work platform, rather thantransporting and assembling the materials from the main roadway. In the plan to bring the temporary supports
into the tunnel, prior examinations were made using a 3D model to check the work would be safe and assured(Figure 4, Photo 2).
Removal of the side walls was done by cutting the walls into blocks rather than smashing the concrete, and,despite the tight work space, the blocks were efficiently carried out of the tunnel with a highly mobile forklift(Photo 3).

Figure 3 Steps for Widening Worke

Figure 2 Creative Efforts in Design Stage

Photo 2 Installation of Temporary Supports

Figure 4 3D Model Simulation

3. Opening the Additional Lane
The construction work to widen the Yamato Tunnel was completed without any problems by bringing to fruition
the plan and design to minimize the existing reinforcements and achieve the widening work in a tight space
while ensuring the three lanes remained open for traffic (Photo 4). In July 2021, the opening of an additionallane in specific areas helped significantly reduce congestion near the Yamato Tunnel.

84. Infrastructure Maintenance Project Award Winner
The Yamato Tunnel Widening Project for the Tomei Expressway won the JSCE 2022 Infrastructure Maintenance
Project Award. To close, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincerest gratitude to all the experts
who helped in the design and construction of the project, as well as everyone involved in the surveys, design,and construction work.

Photo 4 After Widening of Yamato Tunnel

Photo 3 Transportation of Concrete Cut
into Small Blocks【Reported by Takeshi Yamaguchi, Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited】

The 2nd Laos-Japan Joint Seminar “Road Asset Management”
On October 31, 2023, the 2nd Laos-Japan Joint Seminar "Road Asset Management" was held in Vientiane, thecapital of Laos, with the cooperation of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE), Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Ministry of Public Works and Transport in Laos, the National University of
Laos, and the Association of Lao Architect and Civil Engineers.
The seminar aimed to share knowledge on road asset management between engineers and researchers fromJapan and Laos, contributing to the further development of civil engineering. It was particularly expected thatthe sharing of Japan's long-accumulated experience, technology, and insights would contribute to solving roadinfrastructure challenges in Laos.
The event saw the participation of 114 onsite attendees with diverse
backgrounds, including the Director General of the Department ofRoads, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and the Vice Deanof the Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos, fromboth Japan and Laos. It served as a valuable opportunity for building
and strengthening networks among participants.
During the seminar, five presentations from Lao engineers andAssoc. Prof. Takafumi Nishikawa

researchers and seven from the Japanese side were delivered,focusing not only on technical content but also on the importance of human resource development andtechnology transfer. For example, from a technical perspective, Professor Kohei Nagai from Hokkaido

9University discussed the significance of road asset management
and the utilization of data, while Associate Professor Takafumi
Nishikawa from Nagasaki University presented on infrastructure
monitoring using sensing devices. Additionally, Ms. Risa Kuroda
fromShimizu

Corporation

introduced

Japan'sadvanced

technology, focusing on deck slab replacement works. From theperspective of human resource development and technology
transfer, Associate Professor Koji Kinoshita from Gifu University
talked about education for infrastructure maintenance in Japan,

Prof. Kohei Nagai

and Professor Henry Michael from Shibaura Institute of Technology presented research findings on effective
technology transfer. Alongside the seminar, a poster session was also held, introducing ODA projects in Laos,as well as activities from Japanese and Laotian private companies and universities.
Engineers and researchers from Laos and Japan had lively discussions on the day, with many participants
providing positive feedback, such as "many technologies and technical knowledge were shared through theseminar." According to the questionnaire survey among participants, 99% expressed high satisfaction, indicatinga strong desire for further opportunities to share knowledge between Japan and Laos in the future.
In 2024, as Laos hosts many international exchanges as the chair country of ASEAN, I hope the civil engineering
network between Japan and Laos will be further strengthened.

Seminar Participants【Reported by Tatsuhito Kondo, Expert, the Project for Capacity Development on
Bridge Maintenance and Management (Lao-PDR), JICA】

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Updates◆In response to 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake
https://www.jsce-int.org/node/873◆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/◆Infrastructure System Resilience: An Engineering Framework forAssessment, Management, and Governancehttps://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/9780784485088◆6th JSCE Concrete Committee Webinar "Frontiers of Concrete Technology"
https://www.jsce-int.org/node/879◆IAC “News Pick Up!!” on the JSCE Japanese website
https://committees.jsce.or.jp/kokusai/iac_dayori_2024◆【YouTube】 Civil Engineering, in Your own Words (Full ver.)https://youtu.be/r1Dc37kABXM?feature=shared◆2023 Civil Engineering Design Prize, JSCE
http://design-prize.sakura.ne.jp/◆Summary of featured articles in JSCE Magazine Vol. 109, No.3, March2024
http://www.jsce-int.org/pub/magazine◆Journal of JSCE
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/journalofjsce◆Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age 2023-2025 Campaign
https://healthy-workplaces.osha.europa.eu/en/media-centre/events/launch-ceremony-healthy-workplacescampaign-safe-and-healthy-work-digital-age-2023-2025◆【YouTube】 Taiwan Public Infrastructure Archives: Public Water Supply Series
https://youtu.be/mMMvODevd_Q?feature=shared◆ACECC Future Leaders：https://aceccfutureleaders.org/◆CECAR10：http://www.cecar10.org/§ IAC News Subscription §The IAC News is one of the communication tools to share information and ideas with the members. We would like to invite
you, your friends and colleagues to join the communication and to subscribe the IAC News. Please register online:(http://www.jsce-int.org/node/150). We look forward to meeting you.
§ IAC Facebook §Recent activity of International Activities Center is introduced on this Facebook. Please see this home page(https://www.facebook.com/JSCE.en).
Comments and Questions
Please send us your feedback and comments to help us improve the IAC news. We look forward to hearing from you.
JSCE IAC: iac-news@ jsce.or.jp

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