I C U SNewsletter
Volume 11

Number2

July to Sept. 2011

International Center for Urban Safety Engineering
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo

Robust fiber reinforced cementitious
composites for infrastructure
By Kohei Nagai
Associate Professor, International Center for Urban Safety Engineering
Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo
Introduction

Concrete is weak and brittle intension. To resist tension, concreteneeds complimentary companion
steel reinforcement. Nevertheless, alarge number of reinforced concrete
structures still suffer from extensive
cracking and damage. To improve
the ability of cracked concrete to1
1

resist tension, it is not uncommon
today to add fibers to the concrete.
In concrete, fibers can act as akind of crack arrester, delaying the
propagation of a crack, and thus
reducing the severity of cracking.
In the past two decades,
considerable work has been done
relating to the development ofhigh performance fiber-reinforced

S6
S6

cement-basedcomposite(HPFRCC),a cement based material that is moreductile than concrete. One majordifference of HPFRCC compared toconventional concrete is its ductile
tensile behavior and its self-generated
multiple cracking characteristic in
tension. Unlike concrete, current
typical HPFRCC excludes the use ofcoarse aggregate. This material has

S8
S8

10mm
10mm
(0.39
in.)
(0.39 in.)

20mm
20mm

o
10
10o

10mm (0.39 in.)10mm (0.39 in.)Multi-direction cracking of HPFRCC under principal stress rotationo55obeen applied mainly for repair andstrengthening of existing structures.
Recently, however, it has started
to be used for structural members,
so it is necessary to understand themechanical behavior of HPFRCC
for the wider application of thismaterial.
Vulnerability offiber reinforced
cement-based composite

Wheel movement was foundto be responsible for increasing
risk of fatigue damage in highway
bridge deck structures. The wheel
movement not only produces more
extensive fatigue damage and agrid-like cracking pattern, but also
continuously alters the magnitude
and inclination of concrete principal
stress direction at different locations
on the deck. The rotation of concrete
principal stress field, in particular,
implies not only tensile stresses, butalso shear stresses develop at thecracks.
To apply HPFRCC for deck-type
structures, it is anticipated that theresistance to transmitting shear
across multiple cracks is as importantas the ability of the material to
exhibit superior tensile performance,such as the unique characteristicof HPFRCC with ductile tensile
behaviour and multiple fine cracks.
Nevertheless, tests of pre-cracked
PVA-ECC, which is one kindof HPFRCC, plates subjected toprincipal stress rotation demonstrated
that even during its strain-hardening
the ability of the material to transmit
shear across the cracks is limited. It
was observed that regardless of theorientation of the pre-cracks and thechange in principal stress direction,a somewhat orthogonal cracking
pattern was always observed.
This is attributed to the fact that thematerial was developed to maximize
the performance under uniaxial
loading condition; as a result, itshows weakness in shear due tothe absence of coarse aggregate. It
is a vulnerable material that is notpreferable for structural memberofinfrastructure.
Robustness
is important for the sustainableinfrastructure.
One of the approaches against
this issue is to add a certain amountof aggregate to improve the shear
performance. In this case, tensile
performance and workability is lost.
However, the shear performanceis improved where the aggregate
prevents the sliding of cracks.

Cracking control by aggregate

Page 2

ICUS Newsletter Vol. 11, No.2

Balance of the above factors needs
to be taken account for the robustmaterial.
Attempt to develop
a robust model

Here shows an endeavor to improve
interface shear transfer of HPFRCC
made by collaborating aggregatesto a normal HPFRCC mixture.
From the test, the addition of properamount and size of aggregate cansubstantially change the behavior of
the material, the crack pattern, andmore importantly, the performanceof the material. The response of thematerial with this aggregate fraction
becomes stable, nearly resembled
to that of the non pre-cracked
HPFRCC. This enhancement was
attributed to the reduced anisotropy
due to the synergic collaborationof fibers and coarse aggregate, as
well as the increasing probability ofcracking. The synergic collaborationof fibers and coarse aggregate wasevidently seen from the orientationof the secondary crack that becameless dependent on the pre-crackorientation. Moreover, it was foundthat it is still possible to attain highductility even if coarse aggregate isadded.

Modeling of HPFRCC for space-averaged fixed crack approach
Numerical simulationOncelogicalfundamental
mechanics
ofthecomplexbehavior of pre-cracked HPFRCC
are captured, phenomenologicalmaterial models can be proposed

based on that of normal concrete
where the tensile and shear models
are mainly modified. The models
were incorporated into the analyticalplatform for reinforced concrete
based on smeared fixed crackmodeling. The models are thenused to predict the response of thestructure after the verification at thematerial scale. Here shows a modeland results of simulations by COM3
developed by concrete laboratory at
the University of Tokyo. Numericalsimulation scheme is significant
not only to investigate the behaviorof structure but to develop newmaterials because it can propose thenecessary material property thoughparametric analyses.
Summary

For wider application of fiber
reinforced cementitious composites,
especially as structural members,mechanical behavior under principal
stress rotation should be understood;
then, the robustness of the material
should be improved based on themechanics and through numericalsimulations.

Numerical simulation of HPFRCC members

Editor’s Note: Dr. K. Nagai
became a member of ICUS from
July 15. Please see Page 11 of thisvolume for his introduction andbackground.

ICUS Newsletter July to Sept. 2011

Page 3

Summer 2011 power saving activities
and future prospects in Japan
By Y. Iwafune, Associate professor, Collaborative Research Center for Energy Engineering (CEE),
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo

The Fukushima nuclear power
plant accident after March 11 caused
the fear of power blackouts, and theJapanese government promoted acampaign for “setsuden,” whichmeans power saving in Japanese.
Althoughsetsudenmeasuresworked over this past summer,
power shortage is also a concern inthe coming winter, particularly if
the circumstances do not allow theresumption of operation of nuclear
power plants. Our team launched a
website, “Kinkyu Setsuden” (powersaving in a hurry), which called forthe power savings from April, andhas been promoting setsuden byproviding information and answering
questions from the general public.
The Ministry of Economy, Tradeand Industry (METI) announced
that peak power over the summer
was reduced by 18.0% in the area

March 11
Earthquake
occurred.

60
50

industrial sector. In the residential
sector, the same trend was seen as
in the commercial sector. In the
future, it will be necessary to carryout power savings through wellthought-out measures dependingon the characteristics of consumers
mainly in the commercial andresidential sectors, while giving due
consideration to the industrial sector,
in order to minimize the impact on
economic activity.
Let’s take a look at the trends
in daily maximum demand anddaily maximum temperatures up to
October 31 as reported by TEPCO.
The effect of power saving issignificant. TEPCO's maximum
demand was 4.9 million kW on
August 18, which was much smaller
than the expected peak demand of
5.5 million kW. The power-saving
effects of the summer have been

Peak Power

55

45

40
35
30
25
20
15

Temperature

102010 daily peak power2010 week day power moving average
2010 daily maximum temperature

2/24

1/25

12/26

11/26

10/27

9/27

8/28

7/29

6/29

5/30

4/30

3/31

5

3/1

0

2011 daily peak power
2011 week day power moving average
2011 daily maximum temperature

Trend of daily peak power and temperature for TEPCO in 2010 and 2011

Page 4

ICUS Newsletter Vol. 11, No.2

Temperature（℃）

Peak power(GW）

managed by Tokyo Electric Power
Company (TEPCO) and by 15.8%
in the area managed by Tohoku
Electric Power Company. Both ofthese reductions were significantly
above the target reduction of 15%.
In the industrial sector (including
manufacturing), which accounts
for more than 80% of power
consumption at the peak power, asignificant reduction was achievedby shifting operations to the nightor holidays, limiting production
activities, and the introduction ofprivate electric generators. The
cost burden of these activities was
great. In the commercial sector,
steady power saving was achievedby changing the operations of air
conditioners, light equipment,
escalators and elevators, and soforth; these costs were relatively
low compared to those of theRelation between daily maximum temperature and daily peak poweron weekdays for TEPCO in 2010 and 2011sustained and the state far below
the demand in the last year can beobserved in October.
Next is the correlation between
the daily maximum demand anddaily maximum temperature for
TEPCO on weekdays during thesummer. It is clear that demand
this year was smaller than last year
by nearly 10 million kW on days
with the same temperature. The
weather was on TEPCO’s side thisyear, however, because there were
only 39 extremely hot days withtemperatures exceeding 30 degrees
Celsius in July and August, whichis fewer than the 52 days during theprevious summer.
What will happen this coming
winter? The government sought toreduce power by more than 10% in
the Kansai Electric Power Company
and 5% in the Kyushu ElectricPower Company compared to last
winter’s peak power from December
19th. Both companies are, however,highly reliant on nuclear power, andmany plants were stopped for theperiodic inspection and there is noprospect of them running again soon.
They will need to implement powersaving discounts for small businessconsumers and call for cooperationby presenting a power saving menu
in the residential sector. In my view,the tight winter power problem
will eventually be solved by powerinterchange inside the western area
and a certain amount of consumers'
efforts. Under these circumstances,
we should not push excessive
power saving options such as a fuelconversion from electricity to oil orgas, but rather options which lead toenergy saving which can eliminate
inefficiency and waste. The real
problem is the increase in generation
costs.
If thermal power plants were to
replace all nuclear power plants,
the increase in fuel costs are said
to exceed 3 trillion yen for all
utilities in Japan, corresponding toan increase of about 3 yen per kWh(electricity price in Japan is about 22
yen / kWh for residences and about
10 yen / kWh for industry). Future
electricity rate hikes are unavoidable

and consumers will have to continue
working to save power nationally inthe long term.
While supply-side measures suchas strengthening the network areimportant, demand-side measures
are also important to realize efficient,economical and stable electricity
supply in the future. Trading of
power savings, demand response
including households and energy
management can be considered on
the demand side.
The era in which consumers
use energy (electricity) as they
like and letting the responsibility
for supplying and covering any
fluctuations fall to the utilities has
ended.

Image of Kinkyu Setsuden site
http://kinkyusetsuden.jp/

ICUS Newsletter July to Sept. 2011

Page 5

Typhoon Talas –quick report from the Kii Peninsula, Japan
By S. Kondo

On September 3rd, 2011, Typhoon
Talas made landfall on Shikoku
Island and reached the Sea of Japanthe next day after crossing the
Shikoku and Chugoku regions. Dueto the large scale of the strong windarea and the slow movement speed,
Typhoon Talas induced moistureadvection for many hours, causing
record-breaking heavy rainfall
over a wide area from western tonorthern Japan, especially along themountains. In particular, a wide areaof the Kii Peninsula was hit hard,with the total amount of precipitation
on August 30th exceeding 1,000 mm.
An observation station on the Kii
Peninsula measured 1,652.5 mm
rainfall in 72 hours, setting a record
high in Japan.
The record-breaking heavy rainfall
brought by Typhoon Talas caused
sediment disasters, inundation andriver flooding in a wide area from

Hokkaido to Shikoku. Overall, 77
casualties occurred and 18 people
went missing, mainly on the Kii
Peninsula. In addition, substantial
property damage including residential
damage, agricultural damage, anddamage to transportation systems
were reported.
On the southeastern part of the Kii
Peninsula, debris flows caused severe
damage to mountain settlements
along the river. The people who
evacuated early survived, but people
who delayed their evacuation were
swept away by the debris flow. Someof those people had moved to these
settlements from the coastal regions
due to fear of a potential tsunami
caused by the Tonankai earthquake;in addition, most people had neverexperienced such a large sedimentdisaster. Kumano Nachi Taisha,a World Heritage site, was also
affected by the sediment disaster,although it has now recovered.
Other affected areas were also
inundated by river flooding. Somehouses along the Kumano River
were flooded up to the second floor.
People in the flooded areas could notuse mobile phone, internet, or cable
television because the base stations
were inundated; furthermore, due
to the mountainous terrain, it wasalso difficult to listen to the radio.
As a result, people had difficulty
obtaining information about therainfall amount and water level ofthe river. In this area, because ofdamage to major roads, it took much
longer to travel outside the area thannormal.
Difficulties observed in this disastermay also occur in other mountainous
areas, so I would like to summarize
the lessons of this disaster to improvedisaster response around the world.

Roadway damage in themountainous area

Flooding up to the second floorof a local residence

Kumano Nachi Taisha(photo courtesy of Wakayama
Prefectural Board of Education)

Debris flow

Page 6

ICUS Newsletter Vol. 11, No.2

Severe road damage caused by landslide

10-year anniversary of theSept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York
By M. Henry

September 11, 2011, marked the
10-year anniversary of the 9/11
terrorist attacks in the United States
which destroyed the Twin Towersof the World Trade Center in New
York, damaged the Pentagon in
Virginia, and caused the deathsof nearly 3,000 people. The
anniversary was commemorated
with a ceremony at the former siteof the Twin Towers in downtown
Manhattan, where a new memorial,
upon which all the names of thosekilled in the attacks are written,
was unveiled. The ceremony wasattended by President Obama andformer president George W. Bush.
Nearby, construction continues
on the One World Trade Centerbuilding (1WTC). 1WTC is being

built on the site of the former 6
World Trade Center building and, at
a planned 105 stories and 1,776 feet(at the top of the radio antenna), willserve as the centerpiece of the new
World Trade Center complex. As
of September 11, 2011, 82 stories
of steel superstructure had been
erected, with construction estimatedto be completed sometime in 2013.

3.11 net Tokyo activities report
By M. Ohara

After the Great East Japan
Earthquake Disaster on March 11,
2011, researchers in IIS launcheda network for supporting recovery
andreconstruction
activities
called “3.11net Tokyo.” The core
members were the ICUS staff, withvolunteer members joining fromthe Collaborative Research Center
for Energy Engineering (CEE), The
Underwater Technology ResearchCenter,Earthquake
Resistant
Structure Research Group (ERSGroup), The Advanced Mobility
Research Center (ITS Center) in IIS.
Outside IIS, other members joinedfrom The Center for Integrated
Disaster Information Research(CIDIR) in the University of Tokyo.
As a part of the activities of
3.11net Tokyo, researchers held
regular meetings for exchanging
information about disaster situations
and discussing what researchers
could do to contribute to recovery
and reconstruction. After several
discussions, the aims of the network
were set as follows: sharing ofdisaster investigation studies fromvarious fields and information

dissemination related to the disaster,
recovery and reconstruction.
After the earthquake, many
research groups or academicorganizations
conducted
field
surveys in the damaged areas.
Unfortunately, duplicate surveys
caused excessive burden to thoseaffected. In the future, these
duplicate surveys should be avoided
through information sharing before
the planning of field surveys. In
order to share disaster investigation
studies, 3.11net Tokyo carried out
three approaches.
The first approach was the sharingof academic society activities at theregular meetings, whereby members
reported the plans and results ofinvestigations by the academic
societies to which they belong.
The second approach was thesharing of photos taken during
field surveys. Using a free sharing
website, members uploaded theirphotos along with GPS coordinates;
as of August 2011, 15,702 photos
were shared. These photos are usefulfor understanding the total damage
in the Tohoku area.

The third approach was the sharingof opinions through workshops.
Three kinds of workshops were heldin order to discuss the social problems
in the tsunami-affected areas, theareas affected by the accident at the
Fukushima nuclear power plant, andthe Tokyo metropolitan area. At
each workshop, the social problems
which emerged or would emerge inthese areas were anticipated and theability of researchers to contributeto solving these situations was
discussed.
For the dissemination of disaster,
recovery,andreconstruction
information, 3.11net Tokyo opened
a website with links to various
research results. As of August, links
to 438 websites were available,
although most of these are in
Japanese. In addition, 3.11net Tokyo
started to collect various referencessuch as newspapers, books, reports,and so forth. These references will
be preserved for future studies. The
URL for 3.11net Tokyo is:
http://icus.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/rnet_edr/

ICUS Newsletter July to Sept. 2011

Page 7

Report on the 4th Joint Student Seminar on
Civil Infrastructures in Bangkok, Thailand
By K. Tachibana, Ph.D. student, Koshihara Laboratory

The 4th Joint Student Seminar
was successfully held at the Asian
Institute of Technology (AIT) on
August 1 and 2, 2011. This seminar
had two main sessions. On the firstday, a presentation session was held
at AIT, where three professors and
16 students gave presentations on
research from various fields suchas transportation, geotechnical,
concrete and timber structures,
disaster mitigation and applied
remote sensing. The next day, a tourof PRUKSA PRECAST, a precast
concrete factory, and a sightseeing
tour of Ayutthaya were held.
This seminar provided many
precious experiences. First, overseas
presentations are a rare opportunity

Group photo of participants in the 4th Joint Student Seminarfor some students, and we were able
to build good relations and haveinteresting discussions with people
from Japan, Thailand, Korea, China,
Nepal, and Vietnam. On the secondday, the factory tour gave us valuable
information about how to make anduse precast concrete. Finally, thetour of Ayutthaya gave us a sense ofThailand’s history.
I would like to express myappreciation to the organizers, Dr. A.
Kawasaki, Dr. K. Park, and Ms. A.
Suwannasuk of AIT, and to all theparticipants in this seminar. I hopenext year’s Joint Student Seminar
will also be successful and fruitful.

The winner of the Best Presentation Award at the 4th Joint Student Seminar presents his research below.

Dynamic testing of masonry houses
retrofitted by bamboo band meshes
By R. Soti, Master student, Meguro Laboratory

The collapse of unreinforced
masonry structures, which are widelydistributed around the earthquake
prone regions of the world, is one of
the greatest causes of death in major
earthquake events. This researchpresents an innovative retrofitting
method for masonry structures
which uses bamboo bands arranged

in a mesh fashion and embedded
in a mortar overlay. In order todetermine the effectiveness of the
proposed retrofitting technique,shaking table tests were conductedusing retrofitted and non-retrofitted
1/4 scaled masonry houses and eachhouse was subjected to sinusoidal
ground motion inputs. BasedA building outfitted with bamboo mesh (left) andthe failure behavior after shaking test (right)

Page 8ICUS Newsletter Vol. 11, No.2

on the experimental results, thedynamic behavior of models wasanalyzed and failure behaviors andperformances were evaluated. The
result showed that the bambooband mesh retrofitting techniqueenhances the seismic resistantcapacity of the masonry building
model significantly. The retrofitted
masonry building could withstandmore than twice the input energy of
non-retrofitted specimen. Bamboo
is a widely available construction
material and its use for retrofitting
works not only enhances the seismic
resistant capacity of new and existingbuilding but also promotes the local
business.

Recent graduates of ICUS laboratories present their research works below.

Multi-objective assessmentand optimization of highway monitoring system
By T. Jiang, Ph.D. student, Oguchi and Tanaka Laboratory

While there are many researchworks focusing on the use ofavailable traffic data sources to

Simulation-based case studyof the Tokyo Metropolitan
Expressway

improve traffic models and operation
systems, less work is devoted toanswering the question of how andwhere to collect traffic data, suchthat control systems can perform
in an optimal and cost-efficientmanner. In this research, I present aframework to assess traffic detection
systems by introducing the level ofdetection as a value to allow for an
objective comparison of multiple
detector placement scenarios. In
contrast to existing studies, which
propose new or alternative detector
locations based on errors of travel
time or traffic state estimators, ourapproach is solely based on network
parameters, detection technology,
and traffic demand, which allows
the usage of the framework for
network operations as well asplanning purposes. By translating
traffic operation goals into data
demand functions, and detector
capabilities, combined with theirlocation, into data supply functions,
it is possible to optimize detector
locations with well know tools
from operations research. The latter
one is important, since it allows
for including additional boundary
conditions, such as costs.

Development of tension stiffening model
for pre-and post-yielding behaviors of R/HPFRCC
By D. Mahyarudin, Master student, Nagai Laboratory

This research focused on
developing a tension stiffening modelof reinforced high-performance fiberreinforced cementitious composites(R/HPFRCC) under direct tension
force. HPFRCC is a composite
material that has high ductility, goodtensile strain hardening performance,and shows multiple micro cracking.
In recent years, rebar has been used
together with HPFRCC, so it is very
important to understand the behaviorof these materials together.
Specimens 1.7 meters and 0.5
meters in length with 0.7%, 1.7%,
and 3.0% reinforcement ratios (ρ)
were prepared and tested. Test
results showed that, except in the
1.7 meter specimen with ρ = 0.7%,
which failed due to rebar pull-out, the
HPFRCC was capable of compatible

Observed HPFRCC cracks

deformation with the rebar prior toyielding. The results also showed that
R/HPFRCC material has a higher
tension force compared to RC. Crack
localizations were formed in the 1.7
meter specimen (2 in ρ = 1.7% and 5in ρ = 3.0%).
The stress response of rebar in R/
HPFRCC showed linear response
at pre-yielding stage and at post
yielding stage the steel stress has

early strain hardening stage
compared to the bare bar response.
HPFRCC response was obtained byextracting the average response of
R/HPFRCC with the steel response.
The analysis showed that HPFRCC
has good tension contribution at
the post-yielding stages. Hence, theproposed HPFRCC tension model
was successfully developed.

ICUS Newsletter July to Sept. 2011

Page 9Sept. 18, 2011 earthquake in Sikkim, India,
and its effects on the cities of Bangladesh
By M. Ansary, BNUS

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake
occurred near Gangtok, the capitalof the state of Sikkim in India, on
September 18, 2011. The earthquake
killed around 150 people in India
and Nepal, and a total of 100,000
structures were reported to have been
affected out of which 2,000 collapsed
completely. Around 100,000 people
were made homeless.
Earthquake risk in Dhaka city has
been discussed in different quarters
for the last couple of years. The 6.9
magnitude Sikkim earthquake of
September 18, which was locatedalmost 600 kilometers away from
Dhaka city, created a prolonged
vibration for almost all buildings,
although no damage has beenreported so far. This earthquake
lasted almost 100 seconds. The
intensity in the epicentral area was
between VII and VIII; in Dhaka it
was between III and IV.
In the case of either a magnitude
7 earthquake occurring on the
Modhupur fault located 90
kilometers away from Dhaka or amagnitude 8 earthquake occurringon the Dauki fault located 230
kilometers away from Dhaka, the
60% of Dhaka which is situatedon red Modhur clay may suffer an
intensity of VIII and the 40% of
Dhaka situated on reclaimed land

may suffer an intensity between IX
and X. These reclaimed areas arefilled with 12 to 30 meters of loose
sand or soft clay. Similar conditions
exist in Mexico City, which isunderlain by 30 to 50 meters of soft
clay. During the 1985 Michoacan
Earthquake (M=8.1) which occurred
350 kilometers away from Mexico
City, around 500 high-rise buildings
collapsed, killing 10,000 people.
Many techniques exist to improvethese lands, such as vibroflotation,
sand compaction piles, dynamic
consolidation, chemical piles,
injection hardening, gravel drain,
and so forth, and some of thesetechniques can be used below
an existing building. Before
construction on reclaimed areas,such poor-quality soils need to
be improved utilizing the above
methods. Then, after improving theland, the building needs to be madeearthquake resistant. The stirrups
of a column should be placed at
135 degrees, and at the top andbottom and left and right sides of
the junction between beams andcolumns the stirrups have to be put
in a more dense fashion. In addition,
open car parking should be avoided
in buildings. If open car parking
is kept then, through computermodeling of the building, either thecolumns need to be strengthenedor shear walls or bracing has to beplaced in suitable locations.
To make a building earthquake
resistant, proper design is essential at
the same time as construction of thebuilding in order to ensure quality
control of the materials and proper
implementation of the structuraldesign in the field.

SIKKIM, INDIA

Earthquake epicenter

Microzonation map of Dhaka city

Collapsed buildng

Page 10ICUS Newsletter Vol. 11, No.2

Shear cracks on the wall

ICUS welcomes Dr. Kohei Nagai
By K. Meguro

ICUS is pleased to welcome
Dr. Kohei Nagai as an Associate
Professor starting from July 2011.
Dr. Nagai will be joining theSocial Infrastructure Management
Division.
Dr. Nagai comes to ICUS fromthe Concrete Laboratory (Hongo
Campus) in the Department ofCivil Engineering, the Universityof Tokyo, where he was a project
lecturer. His major fields of research
include the mechanics of fiber
reinforced cementititous composites(as described in detail in the main
article of this issue), the mesoscopic
simulation of failure of concrete andreinforced concrete, and simulationof press-in driving in soil. As
the newest member of the ICUS
faculty, Dr. Nagai will be applying
his expertise in the concrete field tothe management of infrastructure ina developed society.
We again welcome Dr. Nagai to
ICUS and the Institute of Industrial
Science, and we are looking forward
to his excellent contributions
towards the establishment of safer
and sustainable urban systems.

Dr. K. Nagai

ICUS Activities July – September❖ Dr. T. Kato traveled to Sichuan,

China, from July 9 to 17 toinvestigate the recovery from the
Sichuan earthquake disaster.
❖ Dr. K. Nagai visited Korea andChina July 13 to 16 for meetings
on student mobility.
❖ Dr. A. Kawasaki was in Bangkok,
Thailand, from July 16 to Aug. 8,
from Aug. 24 to Sept. 6, and again
from Sept. 20 to Oct. 26 to operate
the RNUS office, coordinate
USMCA2011 preparations, and

INPE and INPA.

conduct lectures.
❖ Prof. K. Meguro went to Bangkok,❖ Prof. K. Meguro and Dr. M.

Thailand from Aug. 1 to 3 for the
4th Joint Student Seminar at AIT.
❖ Dr. K. Nagai traveled to Vietnam
from Aug. 2 to 5 to visit a
construction site.
❖ Dr. R. Kuwano attended theInternational Symposium of ISSEOUL2011 in Seoul, South
Korea, from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3.
❖ Dr. T. Endo went to Brazil from
Sept. 5 to 27 for meetings with

Numada were in Jogjakarta,
Indonesia, from Sept. 14 to 19
for presentation and investigation
related to PP-band technology.
❖ Dr. S. Tanaka traveled to
Brisbane, Australia, for theInternational Workshop on
Traffic Data Collection and its
Standardization from Sept. 21 to
26.

Awards and honors❖ Mr. R. Soti, master course student

in Meguro Laboratory, received
the Best Presentation Prize atthe 4th Joint Student Seminar on
Civil Infrastructures in Bangkok,
Thailand, for his paper andpresentation “Dynamic testingof masonry houses retrofitted bybamboo band meshes.” His awardwinning research is summarized

on Page 8 of this volume. He also
received the Best Presentation

Prize on Aug. 26 from the Japan
Society of Civil Engineers.

Mr. R. Soti with his prize at the 4th Joint Student Seminar

ICUS Newsletter July to Sept. 2011

Page 11

Editor’s note…
We can say that we have entered"the time of mega-risk." In the
21st century, we have alreadyexperienced mega disasters suchas the 2001 terrorist attack in New
York, the 2004 Sumatra Earthquake
tsunami disaster in southeast Asia,
the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake
in China, and the 2011 East Japan
Earthquake
tsunamidisasterincluding the nuclear power plant
catastrophe. Moreover, flood hazard
has been increasing due to climatechange and we will face even more

serious situations in this century.
This mega risk is caused not only by
the increase in hazards but also thevulnerability of the environment.
The responsibility of engineeringand planning is significant.
We have to redefine the conceptof safety according to “the timeof mega-risk,” consider how tocoexistence with various kinds ofrisk, and combine risk reduction
with other factors such as adaptation
to global change and responseto the aging society. The East
Japan Earthquake disaster is one
opportunity to do so.

The first keyword for the near
future will be “resilience.” But it
cannot be said that the meaning of
the word “resilience” is understoodwell enough; it is still abstract.
We have to interpret it from theperspective of engineering andestablish technologies of “resilience”
in our society. I think that this is oneof our missions and an importantsocial role of ICUS.
“Learn from the past and make thefuture.” We pray sincerely for therepose of victims’ souls in the pastdisaster.
By. T. Kato

Announcement of USMCA2012 (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)
We would like to announce that the 11th International Symposium on New Technologies for Urban Safety of Mega
Cities in Asia (USMCA2012) will be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Oct. 10-12, 2012. Further information will
be available on the ICUS website as details are decided.

International Center for Urban Safety Engineering (ICUS)
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan
Tel: (+81-3) 5452-6472, Fax: (+81-3) 5452-6476
http://icus.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp

The International Center for Urban Safety Engineering (ICUS) is a research
center located at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo.
The purpose of ICUS is to identify, investigate, and resolve issues towards therealization of sustainable urban systems for the prosperity and safety of society
considering challenging socio-economic problems.