Oct. 1, 2014

Japan Society of Civil Engineers
International Activities Center

IAC News No. 24
INSIDE JSCE series3 Activities of Concrete Committee
In September 1928, the Concrete Research Committee of the Japan Society ofCivil Engineers (JSCE) was established to develop the first Japanese code forconcrete structures. The committee later evolved into today’s JSCE Concrete
Committee. Since publication of the first edition in 1931, the JSCE’s “StandardSpecifications for Concrete Structures” has been revised multiple times and is
widely used in Japan.

In the 1986 edition of the Standard Specifications, the basic design method wasupdated from the allowable stress design method to the limit state design
method. In 2001, a Maintenance section was included in the Standard

Junichiro NIWA
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Chairperson of theConcrete Committee

Specifications, and the 2002 edition shifted from specification-based design to performance-based design.

The Standard Specifications outlines a concrete engineering system and acts as a foundation for otherJapanese codes. Revision of the Standard Specifications remains one of the main activities of the Concrete
Committee, with a subcommittee on revision of the Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures overseeing
the revision work.

Other activities of the Concrete Committee include the establishment of subcommittees for research on
selected themes; the organization of lecture meetings, seminars and symposia; the development ofrecommendations; the standardization of concrete materials; and the unification of terms and symbols.

Draft recommendations based on subcommittees’ research outcomes have been published as "Concrete
Library" since 1961. Concrete Library No. 143 is the latest issue (as of September 2014). In addition, important
topics and research results on concrete technology that require investigation in the future are put together andpublished as the “Concrete Engineering Series"; this has been published since 1992 and ConcreteEngineering Series No. 105 is the latest issue (as of September 2014).

International activities are also one of the JSCE Concrete Committee’s major interests. The Subcommittee on
International Activities disseminates information about the Concrete Committee and Japanese concrete
technology to the world. An English-language newsletter (Fig. 1) is released four times a year and sent to over2000 readers around the globe. The contents of the newsletter summarize newly released standards edited bythe Concrete Committee, the activities of various subcommittees, summaries of excellent papers that receive
JSCE awards, information on disasters in Japan, and so forth, while the New Year issue always featuresspecial articles on Japanese concrete technology. The Subcommittee on International Activities also organizes
joint seminars (Table 1) with academic societies that have an agreement with JSCE in order to develop mutual
understanding between the leaders of concrete engineering in other countries.

Recently, the Concrete Committee has also been working to promote use of the JSCE Standard Specifications
for Concrete Structures in ASEAN countries. The specifications cover the latest technologies, such as methodsof controlling early-age cracking for the quality assurance of concrete structures, pioneering standards for themaintenance of concrete structures, the latest technology for seismic design, and so forth. The Concrete
Committee hopes that the use of the Standard Specifications and the latest technology in ASEAN countries willcontribute to the construction of high quality concrete structures with reduced future maintenance costs.

The JSCE Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures has been revised to reflect developments inJapanese technology. In promoting the specifications outside Japan, therefore, it is necessary to consider thedifferent cultures and environments of the various ASEAN countries. To this end, joint seminars have been
held recently in ASEAN countries to introduce the standard specifications. Through these seminars andcommunications with engineers in the host countries, the Concrete Committee is working to boost recognitionof the specifications and understand the needs of those countries. An English edition of the 2007 edition of theStandard Specifications was prepared for worldwide use, and is available for free download.
Strong, flexible, and sustainable structures are required to protect not only people in Japan but also people
around the world from natural catastrophes, as well as from new types of disasters arising from climate change
and other environmental issues. In order to help meet people's need for safety, the JSCE Concrete Committee
will do its best to develop and disseminate Japan’s world-leading concrete technology.
Fig.1 Newsletter

Table1 Joint Seminars

Participate report of2014, Korea・Japan・Taiwan Joint Conference

Korea・Japan・Taiwan Joint Conference on Civil Engineering was held by KSCE Busan・Ulsan・GyeongnamSection, JSCE Seibu Chapter and Taiwan Society & Public Work (TSPW) at Pukyong National University inPusan, South Korea on August 29th, 2014.
The 1st Joint Seminar held in Kumamoto in 2012, co-hosted by the KSCE Pusan Section and JSCE Seibu
Chapter, and the TSPW joined co-host those two societies this Joint Conference. The Seibu Branch held theJoint Conference as part of JSCE’s 100th Anniversary Celebration commemorative events.
In the conference, the civil engineering professionals and students of Japan, Korea and Taiwan madepresentations on diverse fields from environment to disaster preparedness and prevention. Prof. Myung-Pil
Shim the KSCE President and Emeritus Professor Toshimitsu Komatsu of Kyushu University delivered opening
addresses, followed by the keynote lectures given by Prof. Koreyoshi Yamazaki, the Seibu Chapter President
and Prof. Jong-Chool Lee the Pusan Section President. The conference was conducted in English theconference’s official language. Twenty members of the Seibu Chapter participated in the seminar, who wereProf. Yamazaki, Emeritus Professor Komatsu, 13 students and 5 leaders from Kyushu University, Kumamoto
University and Miyazaki University. For those students it was the very first opportunity to discuss their research
projects in English abroad. Many of them held their heads up high and spoke fluently; at the same time, somemight have had a hard time discussing in their second language. They also received and responded to sharpquestions and insightful comments from those professionals, which would give them useful clues to improvetheir studies and researches in the future, and they kept the conversational ball rolling nicely. That should havebeen a good experience for them. Dr. Higuchi an Kyoto University graduate came from Taiwan and gave aspeech. His participation should have given the students motivation to excel in their academic and future
professional endeavors. It should not be forgotten to mention that Mr. Kawamata Consul, Consulate-General ofJapan in Busan joined the conference.

Emeritus Prof. Komatsu of Kyushu
University delivers an opening address.

A student member of JSCE Seibu
Branch discusses his research project.

The Joint Conference is one good example that international cooperation and technical exchange aredeveloped even between sections. Promoting and developing the communication between JSCE’s regional
chapters and their overseas counterparts generates multiple effects upon not only academic and technicalprogress, but also the introduction and transfer of Japanese technologies and infrastructures.
Many thanks are owed to Emeritus Professor Lee, Dong-Uk, the JSCE Korea Section President, Assist. Prof.
Ko, Wu-Te, Secretary General of JSCE Taiwan Section, and Prof. Jong-Chool Lee Busan・Ulsan・Gyeongnam
Section President for the success of conference.
Thank you very much.

All participants pose for a photo after the conference.

【Kazuya EGAMI, Dr. ICC Korea Gr. Leader】

Brief Summary on 2014 JSCE Annual Meeting-International Program
2014 JSCE Annual Meeting was held at OSAKA University Toyonaka Campus from September 10th to 12th,
2014. during which, the international program hosted by IAC was held.
１．Report on the Sixteenth International Summer Symposium
The Sixteenth International Summer Symposium was held on September 10, 2014 in Toyonaka Sogo Hall on
the Toyonaka campus of Osaka University. The International Summer Symposium is held by the International
Students Network Group of the JSCE International Activities Center as part of its activities to support

international students. Again this year, it was held as an international portion of the annual academic
conference of the Annual Meeting, with the goal of promoting international exchange and mutual
understanding by providing opportunities for international students and engineers currently living in Japan topresent their research findings in English at the JSCE Annual Meeting. The International Summer Symposium
received support from the JSCE International Scientific Exchange Fund, a charitable trust.
This year, 65 papers were presented at a total of 11 international sessions of the academic conference. There
were also speeches by three young engineers and students who werevisiting Japan on a Study Tour Grant.
In the rooms where the international sessions were held, many
audience members participated in lively discussions, and valuable
exchanges of information occurred among the participants. Following
the International Summer Symposium, an icebreaker session
organized by the International Workshop for Young Engineers washeld in the evening to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the foundingof JSCE. Participants engaged in lively conversations, further
promoting international exchange and mutual understanding.

Presentation during the International
Summer Symposium【Written by International Activities Center】

２．Report on the research discussion organized by the International Activities Center at the 2014 JSCE
Annual Meeting, on the theme of "What We Learned in Japan: Messages from Leading Civil Engineers
Who Have Studied in Japan"
On September 10, 2014, a research discussion organized by the International Activities Center was held at theCenter for Education in Liberal Arts and Sciences (CELAS) on the Toyonaka campus of Osaka University,
during the 2014 JSCE Annual Meeting, on the theme of "What we learned in Japan: Messages from former
international students now working abroad as engineers."
The two engineers who were invited to present topics for this year's research discussion were Lee, Dong-Uk
president of the JSCE Korea Section and professor emeritus at Pukyong National University, who was named
an honorary member of JSCE this year; and Ko, Wu-Te, secretary general of the JSCE Taiwan Section andassistant professor at Cheng Shiu University, who received the JSCE International Collaboration Award. In
their talks, both included comments about their experiences while studying in Japan and advice for current
international students. Following the topic presentations, a discussion panel was held with the participation ofcurrent international students as well as former international students who are now working in Japan as young
engineers.

Topic presentation by Dr. Lee

Topic presentation by Assist.

Discussion panelProf. Ko【Written by International Activities Center】

３．International Workshop for Young Civil Engineers
The International Workshop for Young Engineers was held by the International Students Network Group, incollaboration with the International Subcommittee of the JSCE 100th Anniversary Executive Committee, at theJSCE Annual Meeting (in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture) on September 10–13, 2014. On the theme of "Facing
the Challenges of Our Future Society," workshop participants considered future expectations for the year 2050
and discussed the roles of civil engineers in that context and their own roles. A detailed report will appear in thenext issue (JSCE International Activities Center News, No. 25).

Group photo of workshop participants【Written by International Activities Center】

４．Report on the 2014 JSCE Study Tour Grant
Every year, outstanding students and engineers who have been recommended by AOC counterpart societiesof other countries are invited by JSCE to visit Japan, with support from the International Scientific Exchange
Fund. This year, three visitors – Si Thu Win (Myanmar), Engin Nacaroglu (Turkey), and Ankhbayar
Ulziidiidermaa (Mongolia) – visited Japan from September 7 to September 15. They observed construction
sites (bridge and road construction for NEXCO East and road construction for NEXCO West), visited research
institutes (Public Works Research Institute and Kajima Technical Research Institute), and attended the JSCE
Annual Meeting, where they presented at International Summer Symposium. All three seemed to be highly
impressed with Japanese civil engineering and expressed an aspiration to learn more about the latest
Japanese technologies in the future.

Observing construction work on theShin-Katsushika Bridge of NEXCO East

Observing construction work on the Ibaraki-kita
Interchange of NEXCO WestMembers of the Study Tour Working Group of the International Scientific Exchange Fund Administration
Committee:Kazunori Wada (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), Hiroshi Takagi (Tokyo Institute ofTechnology), Yasuyuki Suzuki (CTI Engineering Co., Ltd.), Satoru Kawauchi (Obayashi Corp.), Seizo Ueno(Taisei Corp.), and Hiroyuki Yanagawa (JSCE).
(Titles omitted.)【The STG Working Group, JSCE International Scientific Exchange Fund Committee】

What’s Happening●2014/10/7～11・・・・・ASCE Global Engineering Conference 2014 （Panama City, Panama）
http://content.asce.org/conferences/annual2014/●2014/10/22～24・・・・・KSCE Annual Conference 2014 （Daegu-Gwangyeoksi, Korea）●2014/11/13～15・・・・・PICE Annual Conference 2014 (City of Legazpi ,Philippines)≪Topics of JSCE 100th Anniversary Event≫●2014/11/19・・・・・・3rd Round Table Meeting on Disaster Management (JSCE HQ, Tokyo)
http://jsce100.com/node/248●2014/11/20・・・・・・International Forum on “Contributions of Infrastructure to Life of Affluence”(JP Tower Hal l& Conference, Tokyo)

http://jsce100.com/node/249●2014/11/20・・・・・・JAPAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS 100th Anniversary International Workshop
on Sustainability and Resilience of Infrastructures Based on Maintenance andManagement Organized By Structural Engineering Committee, JSCE (JSCE HQ,Tokyo)

http://www.jsce-int.org/node/289

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. 38
http://www.jsce.or.jp/committee/concrete/e/newsletter/Newsletter.htm

Journal of JSCE
The Journal of JSCE is the collection of research papers which can be viewed on the JSCE website.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/journalofjsce

JSCE 100th Anniversary Postal Stamp was released in September, 2014.
http://jsce100.com/node/250（Japanese Only）

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.

Editor's postscript
It has been one month since the large-scale landslide in Hiroshima. Many lives were lost and many
residents lost their houses. In 1999, a torrential rail hit some areas in the Hiroshima city and caused over
30 deaths and missions. Soon after that disaster, Sediment-related Disaster Prevention Law was enacted.
Responding to that, local municipalities should have conducted surveys and researches on the areas anddrawn hazard maps. Aren’t those efforts effective enough to increase residents’ awareness andpreparedness of landslides and sediment disasters? Or do the residents believe that they would be safe,and protected by unseen power, I’m wondering.

【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