JSCE’s Strategies for Priority Issues at
Infrastructure Maintenance and Renewal

1 July 2013

Study Task Force forInfrastructure Maintenance and Renewal

Japan Society of Civil Engineers

1.

Introduction
Japan’s Infrastructure was intensively developed during the years of rapid economic
growth to have received severe aging by now. Various damages and relevant accidents
have been reported accordingly.
Infrastructure is the base for social and economic activities. It will become difficult tomaintain safe and wealthy people’s living and to sustainably contribute to vigorous socialeconomic growth if appropriate maintenance is not carried out leaving the said aging
keeps going.
To cope with this issue, Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) established the Study Task
Force for Infrastructure Maintenance and Renewal (chaired by Kotaro HASHIMOTO,President, JSCE) in December 2012 to work on JSCE’s priority issues, basic approaches, anddraft action plans, and has completed classifying the draft coping strategies on 29 March2013.
JSCE further advanced substantiating the action plans to conclude “JSCE’s Strategies forPriority Issues at Infrastructure Maintenance and Renewal” with views on activities andfuture directions at investigation and research committees.
The priorities are put at the following five (5) issues:
1) Systematize the knowledge on infrastructure maintenance and renewal
2) Secure and train researchers and engineers
3) Establish legal and financial systems to support maintenance and renewal endeavors
4) Adjust bidding system and contracts5) Seek people’s understanding and cooperation

2.

Strategy
PI 1: Systematize the knowledge on infrastructure maintenance and renewala) BackgroundThe knowledge and technologies on infrastructure maintenance and renewal has
been neither well developed nor systematized.

Differing from the cases of initial construction, maintenance and renewal works
have been regarded to contain highly individual characteristics and have notbeen integrated. In the most cases, the knowledge and technologies have beenaccumulated at each category and each operator of facilities and information
sharing across them is not sufficient.
In addition, while integration efforts are supposed to have been undertaken
between civil engineering and other industries such as machinery engineering,
information has not been sufficiently shared either.

b) Plans set out

Based on the investigation and research activities, we will address the issue ofsystematization of knowledge on infrastructure maintenance and renewal(hereinafter referred to as “knowledge systematization”).

For knowledge systematization, we will promote not only cross-cutting efforts in
JSCE but also work on collaboration and exchanges with other fields and industries.

Based on the knowledge systematization, we will establish “Infrastructure
Maintenance Engineering” from a perspective of the work flow of infrastructures’planning, design and construction and the management methodology, thus
promote standardization of maintenance and renewal technologies and further
clarify the direction of technology development should take.

c) Actions to takeClassify and systematize basic principles, terminology, technology, assessment
methodology and define “Infrastructure Maintenance Engineering”.

Compile maintenance and renewal knowledge into textbooks/handbooks
complying with the knowledge systematization and use them for training througheducation and on-the-job training.

Provide opportunities for information exchange across JSCE committees andworking groups.

Organize seminars and workshops with other fields and industries.

Support reviewing the standards/criteria for inspections, structural diagnosis andjudgment methods and the like.

Promote researches including ones to explore the benefits from the technology
development for maintenance and renewal, utilizing the outcomes from thecommittee activities (e.g. improvement and utilization of inspection/monitoring
methodology).

PI 2: Secure and Train Researchers and Engineersa) Background

Researchers and engineers who carry out infrastructure maintenance and renewal

are required to have well-versed expertise in specific area such as structural design,construction methodology, maintenance record compilation, environmental
constraints and the like; however, such expertise are based on experience innature to need to work out technology succession.
In addition, though such researchers and engineers are in need of being qualified
with interdisciplinary wide-ranging knowledge and attention, there are not enoughresources who meet such demands.

There is a shortage of in-house engineers of public work sectors who can develop
plans for maintenance and renewal, and play leading roles at comprehensive
judgments. There are many small municipalities even without such engineers orbarely handling administrative matters only. Such shortage expands inresearchers in higher academic institutions or public/private research institutions aswell as engineers in contractors which execute the works.

Technical capabilities of maintenance and renewal are not always sufficient on at
both public work administrators and contractors, and it makes smooth and steady
implementation of the works be difficult.

Qualification for inspectors is inconsistent among infrastructure administrators
including the cases of no qualification implemented.

In many cases, inefficiency from mismatch between what needs to be technicallyinspected and who executes such inspection can be seen. In particular, theengineers who can make highly specialized decisions are in short.

The current disipline and specialization of each maintenance and renewal field
and the circumstance in cooperation among academe, government and industry
are not necessarily formed in a framework to contribute to enhance “Infrastructure
Maintenance Engineering” to train engineers.

For the above reasons, there are not sufficient researchers and engineers who cantake up important roles in maintenance and renewal to practically solve technicalmatters in any of academe, government and industry.

b) Plans set outSort out the needs for employment of civil engineers and carrying out on-the-job
training for them, especially, in local governments.

Clarify capabilities and responsibilities required for engineers and draft new policies
for training them, ushering in a new era of infrastructure maintenance and renewal.

Establish “Infrastructure Maintenance Engineering” to educate students andresearchers and train engineers utilizing continued professional development(CPD) to secure resources. This requires to train to procure not only many site
engineers for inspection with minimum qualification but highly qualified engineerswho can make the final decisions at site engineers’ no decision cases.
Train engineers by mutual technology enhancement in collaboration among
academe, government and industry including the owners/operators of thestructures, because “Infrastructure Maintenance Engineering” is developed byexamining actual structures.

Enhance organizational capabilities for infrastructure maintenance and renewal
by securing and training resources in the manner described above.

c) Actions to take

Develop the program and scheme of school and continuing education and highqualification training.

Work out on a framework for civil engineers with sufficient knowledge on“Infrastructure Maintenance Engineering” to work on contributing for the society
through infrastructure maintenance and renewal.

Work out another for the same to easily participate in JSCE activities, especially inthe ones at JSCE Chapters, thus provide opportunities for technologicalimprovement and enhancement.

Promote classification and integration of qualifications in the maintenance andrenewal field, especially, for needing higher technical decisions and disseminate it
to utilize the qualified engineers.

Decide on a framework to consult specialists with knowledge and experience forplanning and reviewing maintenance and renewal of infrastructures among
academe, government and industry, and for intending mutual improvement andenhancement of technology.

Obtain additional participation and support from retired engineers, for example, inaddition to public-private-academia formation up till now. Also, discuss among
the above plus New Public each roles for maintenance and renewal efforts.

PI 3: Establish legal and financial systems to support maintenance and renewal endeavorsa) Background

Legal and institutional obligations under existing circumstances for inspection,
diagnosis, soundness decisions and the like are not sufficient for some infrastructure.
Needed financial source for maintenance and renewal is not duly secured.

Organizational approaches are not sufficient for establishing system, frameworkand mechanism to duly implement maintenance and renewal.

Initial construction works have been the main business in any organizations.
Authorization given at maintenance and renewal sections is very limited inpromoting their works.
In local governments, the number of civil engineers are not adequate in eachorganization where they manage disproportionately many infrastructural facilities.
In addition, the system to secure needed fund is not well established.

b) Plans set outEstablish systems and support organizations in order to maintain asset values ofinfrastructure.

As to systems, take aim to establish and manage organizations and their systems forsurely executing maintenance and renewal for all infrastructure by examining theenforcement of legal and systematical obligations.

As to organizations, without enough resources and established systems, propose
the arrangements which enable receiving technical supports from the outside,
implementing the works via larger area administration, and transferring them toother organizations and so on.

Through these efforts, secure budgets with system endorsed and enhanceorganizational capabilities for infrastructure maintenance and renewal.

c) Actions to takeExamine the approaches to disseminate international management standardized
skills like ISOs and asset management skills complying with corporate accountingsystem.

Review and introduce on that account overseas examples andinnovative domestic examples towards the institutionalization of ISO registry attenders and the obligation of implementing certified public accountant system.
Research organizational structure which facilitates technological know-how on
initial installation through maintenance and renewal to be efficiently utilized
including the followings:
Research and analysis on present situation and institutional difficulties inmaintenance and renewal, and examples of innovative approaches

Research on institutional approaches for securing funds for maintenance andrenewal (e.g. expansion of government funding, review on budgetary system,and utilization of private funds)

Research on organizational management and administrative procedures forenabling maintenance and renewal

Research on enforcing legal obligation for maintenance of infrastructure, anddatabase compilation and updating inventory

Assess the structure and roles of the following supporting organizations formaintenance and renewal of regional infrastructure:
System for securing support to maintenance and renewal by local

governments such as enhancing set up of Technical Centers at prefectures.
Establishment of a new qualification system to enhance bringing up capableconsultants for maintenance and renewalInquiry counters at JSCE, especially, JSCE Chapters to support local
governments and private companies



System to maintain facility developed by different regional administrations,such as local roads, farm roads, forestry roads, etc. in larger areamanagement



System to carry out wide-range support by appointing local people, NPOs,and retired engineers, and by collaborating with universities

PI 4: Adjust bidding system and contractsa) BackgroundCompared with new development projects, maintenance works are relatively
small and complicated. It makes efficient implementation difficult for contractors.

Since the project’s individuality is high, it is difficult for public works administrators todraw up specifications and to properly evaluate the engineers’ capability. Thus,
even in a case where a high level technical judgment is required, there may be thecases appropriate evaluation is not made.

In competitive bidding in a single fiscal year, it is difficult for contractors to getskilled for providing high quality outcome and secure profits.

b) Plans set outPropose procurement schemes which ensure efficient and effective technicalimplementation from private sectors.

Propose practical plans to secure such implementation; 1) private fundprocurement, 2) blanket contracts throughout survey/investigation, design,execution and maintenance works, 3) contracts with locality consideration, 4)
contracts during multiple fiscal years, 5) fair technical evaluation, etc.

Incentivize expansion of securing trained engineers and technical development,
and promote private sector’s sound to be sustainable developmentc) Actions to take

Understand public works administrators’ needs against infrastructure aging andprivate sector’s potential technologies to contribute to them.

Also, research

practical procurement system to introduce such technologies in accordance withnot only the scale of the works but the feature of each technology.
Create the guidelines for the contracts of comprehensive maintenance projects

applying PPP/PFI schemes.
Create the guidelines for the contracts of infrastructure maintenance extending
over certain long enough periods for local contractors to take up by creating thesystem with locality consideration.

Create the guidelines for multiple-year contracts which enable consistent
implementation such as 1) design-build-maintenance or 2) inspection, diagnosis,survey/inspection, repairs and evaluation.

Train and procure competent engineers of advanced technical judgment as toinspection, diagnosis, repairs and reinforcement. Also, examine institutional andmethodological approaches for appropriate mobilization of them such as
qualification system and insurance.

PI 5: Seek people’s understanding and cooperationa) BackgroundJapan’s infrastructure was intensively developed during the years of rapid
economic growth. It has been widely recognized that new installation is the major
and only stream of construction.

Accordingly, maintenance and renewal projects for already-built infrastructure
have not gained people’s sufficient understanding although the efforts in thatregard have actually been undertaken.

Especially, social recognition that infrastructure is the people’s assets is stillinsufficient, and maintenance and renewal projects have been badly dealt with.

Further, it is not well known that infrastructure’s maintenance and renewal isdifferent from that of machinery equipment and about the culmination of hightechnologies such as deterioration assessment, external force assumption, futureforecast and so on.

Importance of infrastructure maintenance and renewal has just recently started togain people’s understanding.

The understanding is not sufficient and theevaluation is in low appraisal.

b) Plans set out

Recognizing infrastructures as our common asset that support our life, advertisethat to attain and to improve asset values leads to secure people’s safety andbeneficial life.

Cause people understand that the efforts for infrastructure maintenance andrenewal are attractive and prideful works and get broad supports from the society.



Keep people be informed that technology necessary for maintenance andrenewal is the culmination of high level technologies and get supports fromcompanies and organizations interested in such technologies.
Enhance attractiveness of maintenance and renewal works by obtaining people’sunderstanding and cooperation widely through the above mentioned plans and,
consequently, aim at securing human resources.

c) Actions to take

Evaluate the situation of infrastructure maintenance and utilize them for appealing
to as well as sharing the information with the people as to the necessity ofmaintenance and renewal including source of funds issue (take examples of the“Report Card for America’s Infrastructure” by ASCE ).

Work on drawing up concrete measures for publicity strategy of maintenance field.

Establish award system for maintenance field (e.g., leave out from establishedaward targets, grant awards for high level technology development).

Enhance attractiveness by creating a story of the maintenance world (e.g., focus
on people in maintenance field and transmit the story of his/her experiencethrough various media including the JSCE journal).

Propose easy ways of explanation when we ask for people’s understanding andcooperation as follows,

An analogy between maintenance and renewal, and medical service.

Simulate inconvenience in the case where appropriate maintenance andrenewal is not provided

3.

To conclude
Implementing efficient and systematic maintenance and renewal of Infrastructure as anational asset is an important role of civil engineers. JSCE will put 5 Priority Issues examinedby the task force at the heart of its activities and further carry its program forward. Thisincludes i) research and study committees cooperate with to take over the taskforce’s
coping strategies, and ii) a special committee is set up to promote a cross-cutting
approach in compiling the textbook of “Infrastructure Maintenance Engineering” and intraining and procuring human resources.
JSCE will try through these activities to make maintenance and renewal works attractive to
get more support from the people.