Jan. 29, 2013

Japan Society of Civil Engineers
International Activities Center

IAC News No. 16
A New Year’s Message from the President
On the joyous occasion of New Year, I convey my warmest greetings and wishes
to all my fellow civil engineers and friends at home and abroad.
This year marks the 3-year anniversary of International Activities Center (IAC),
and does the 100-year anniversary of JSCE. In this November, JSCE holds acommemorative ceremony and events to celebrate its 100th anniversary in Tokyo.
The International Forum “Contributions of Infrastructure to Life of Affluence” and3rd Roundtable Meeting on Disaster Management are some of the events. Prior toKotaro HASHIMOTO
JSCE President

the 100-year anniversary, JSCE’s annual meeting, including 16th International Summer Symposium and 2ndWorkshop for Young Engineers, is held at Osaka University in September, and a Japan-Korea-Taiwan Joint
Seminar is in Pusan in August.
There are 5 groups which assume for a particular purpose and 9 International Sections within JSCE, andapproximately 30 civil engineering-related organizations overseas which have entered into an agreement ofcooperation with JSCE. It is the major work of the IAC to support and improve the activities of those groupsand International Sections and also to strengthen the relationship and communication with thoseorganizations.
Our city Tokyo has been chosen to host the 2020 Olympic Games. We have to remember that training humanresources capable of playing a leadership role in a global arena is the key to properly responding to rapidly
increasing international exchanges and collaborations. In order to acquire the key, we individuals should obtaina global perspective and act accordingly, and the country should enhance its social systems and structures tomeet global standards of infrastructure projects at the same time.
Regarding the implementation of public works projects, for example, the country needs to build
non-compartmentalized, comprehensive approaches, integrated, scaled-up projects, and systematic planning,construction, maintenance and operation. Moreover, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) should be adopted andprivate sectors, e.g., Construction Management (CM) and Engineering Procurement and Construction(EPC).should be more encouraged to participate in project executions.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and International Federation of Consulting Engineers (Fédération
Internationale des Ingénieurs Counseils: FIDIC), which are taking the lead in promoting ethics and ethicalbehaviors in the construction industry, publishes ICE Conditions of Contract for use in connection with Works

of Civil Engineering Construction does Conditions of Contract for Works of Civil Engineering Construction
respectively. As to infrastructure assessments, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) collects data on
infrastructure health status and releases it as Infrastructure Report Card, and the ICE publishes the State ofthe Nation, both of which are unique and informative to us.
Memories are still vivid of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that lashed through Leyte Island and caused much deathand destruction in the areas. JSCE has sent some expert teams to the stricken areas to study and assess thedamages caused by the typhoon, and are introducing their findings on the HP. Meanwhile, we welcome
information and comments at home as well as overseas.
I and my JSCE colleagues look forward to sharing interesting news and ideas with you this year, too.
Thank you very much.

2013 CICHE Annual Meeting (Taiwan)
I attended the annual meeting of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering (JSCE’scounterpart in Taiwan, hereinafter called CICHE) held at National Taiwan
University of Science and Technology in Taipei on November 22, 2013, as one
member of the JSCE delegation. The CICHE-JSCE partnership has the longest
history in JSCE’s

cooperation with overseas counterparts, and has

strengthened through mutual communication and joint activities over time. The
JSCE delegation members were 6: Mr. Takehiko Ono (JSCE Advisor,Immediate-Past President), Mr. Asao Yamakawa (IAC Director, Nippon Koei Co.,

Masahiro OUCHIICC Taiwan Gr. Leader

Ltd.), Dr. Shinri Sone (IAC Indonesia Group Leader, International Research
Promotion Division, MLIT) as a speaker at International Roundtable Forum, Ms. Kaori Nakayama (ShimizuCorp.), Ms. Ellen Wang (IAC Taiwan Group member, Kindai-Sekkei & Consultant, Inc.) and myself (IAC TaiwanGroup Leader, Kochi University of Technology).
The CICHE’s Annual Meeting is a one-day meeting held every November, which content is like a combinationof JSCE’s General Meeting and Annual Meeting. That meeting consists of General Meeting, Special Lectures,and Ceremonies in the morning and international discussions in the afternoon. The 2013 one was scheduled
as usual.
At the General Meeting, Mr. Takehiko ONO delivered a presentation titled ”Lessons learned from the 2011
Great East Japan Earthquake.” He expressed his gratitude for the support, assistance and cooperation given
from Taiwan after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and then discussed JSCE’s recent efforts and 100th
Anniversary Celebration in November 2014 (Photo 1). As CICHE President’s term of office expires, a handover
ceremony of presidency from Prof. Shi-Shuenn Chen (former President of National Taiwan University ofScience and Technology, Minister of Public Construction Commission) to Prof. Liang-Jenq Leu (Professor ofNational Taiwan University) was held(Photo 2).

Mr. Ono delivers a presentation atthe General Meeting

Prof. Shi-Shuenn Chen (right)
hands over the presidency to Prof.
Liang-Jenq Leu(left)

The CICHE Annual Meeting offers parallel discussions on civilengineering-related themes while does no research presentationsin specialized fields. The International Round Table Meeting, one ofthe parallel discussions, was carried out with international guest
speakers in English. Its theme was “Sustainable Innovation:
Low-Carbon Design and Eco-City” and three presentations wasmade by speakers from Taiwan, Korea and Japan.
Dr. Sone makes a presentation

Dr. Sone, one ofthe speakers, delivered the speech “Development of Life Cycle
Assessment Methodology for infrastructure” and shared his views

and opinions (Photo 3). His discussion made an excellent impression on the audience, which resulted inshowing that Japan had maintained high standards in research.

JSCE-VCA joint seminar for introduction of JSCE’s Standard Specifications forConcrete Structures and latest technologies
The Concrete Committee of JSCE and Vietnam Concrete Association (VCA) jointly organized a seminar in
Hochiminh city for introduction of JSCE’s Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures and the latest
technologies on Sept. 19 & 20. It is the second time that a joint seminar on the same topic is held in Vietnam,
following the first time in Sept. 2012 in Hanoi. Physical distance between the North and the South as well as
strong request from Vietnamese engineers has led to this second seminar.
In the past, Concrete Committee of JSCE had organized joint seminars inmany countries, including Taiwan, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, Sweden,
Greece and Turkey for sharing information on common issues anddeepening the relationship with oversea colleagues.

The JSCE Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures can be said toDr. Le Quang Hung, president ofVCA, emphasized the importance of
this joint activity in his opening
speechbe one of the most well developed specifications of its type in Japan. First
developed in 1931, the specifications have been periodically updated
every five years since then. JSCE has translated the specifications of2007 version into English so as to make it available to international users

by allowing free download.

http://www.jsce.or.jp/committee/concrete/e/newsletter/std2007/top.html
This time, presentations from 7 Japanese leading experts including Prof. Hirotaka Kawano (Kyoto Univ.), Dr.
Hideaki Taniguchi (Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd.), Dr. Yoji Ogawa (Nippon Hume Corp.), Assoc. Prof.
Shingo Asamoto (Saitama Univ.), Mr. Katsuhiko Tada (Taiheiyo Cement Corp.), Mr. Koji Okuyama (Denka) andMr. Yoshikazu Suzuki (Japan Pile Corp.) was interpreted by Dr. Phan Huu Duy Quoc (Shimizu Corp.) who isquite familiar with Japanese concrete technologies.
Japanese experts introduced not only the JSCE’s well-developedStandard Specifications and the latest technologies in Japan, but also
Japan’s past failures, such as durability or quality control problems,
hoping that Vietnam will not make the same mistake in the process ofrapid infrastructure development.
Presentations and discussions from Vietnam side revealed current
hottest issues: lack of Vietnam-made technical standards and temporary

Prof. Kawano, head of JSCE delegation,
answered a questionuse of various foreign standards for infrastructure development.
The number of 150 participants is an indication of Vietnamese engineers’ thirst for information about concrete
technology as well as their trust in Japan’s civil engineering. Therefore, Concrete Committee of JSCE plans tocontinue this meaningful activity in the future especially in developing countries like Vietnam.
Financial and logistic supports from International ScientificExchange Fund of JSCE, Vietnam Ministry of Construction,
Hochiminh City University of Architect, Vietnam Federation of Civil
Engineering

Associations,

andenterprises

likeShimizu

Corporation, DENKA(Japan), BASF(Vietnam), Sika Ltd.(Vietnam),Phan Vu Investment Group and Nghi Son Cement Corporation are
All participants are relaxed after theseminar

greatly appreciated.
Shingo Asamoto (Saitama University)
Phan Huu Duy Quoc (Shimizu Corporation)
JSCE Concrete Committee

What’s Happening●2014/2/12・・・・・1st IAC Symposium ( JSCE HQ, Tokyo)●2014/3/7～9・・・・26th ACECC ECM in Hawaii, USA●2014/3/12・・・・・Seminar on Japan Indonesia Civil Engineering Technology ( JSCE HQ, Tokyo)●2014/5/31・・・・・Joint Company Information Session in Civil Engineering for International Students( JSCE HQ, Tokyo)

Updates

The summary of feature articles in the JSCE Magazine is available on the JSCE website.
http://www.jsce-int.org/pub/magazine

Concrete Committee International Newsletter No. 35
http://www.jsce.or.jp/committee/concrete/e/newsletter/Newsletter.htm

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Y’s Murmuring
A few days ago I went to Kashiwanoha Smart City in Chiba. A Tsukuba Express train took me from the very
crowded Akihabara Station to a relaxed, spacious Kashiwanoha Campus Station for 30 minutes. I noticed a
shopping mall, movie complex, office buildings, and colleges, tall condominiums, gardens and farms aroundthe station. The smart city is a modern IT-based life, surrounded by green trees and farms. Hang on、how
about Ishinomaki and Kamaishi in Tohoku? The residents had the places to live, the sea to work, and farms togrow vegetables. The cities, self-sufficient, self-governing, are the first smart cities, aren’t they? I’m wondering
if the ideas and technologies to build the new smart city can be applied to reconstruct those tsunami-hit cities.

【Comments and Questions】
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