Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017

Special Contribution

A New Stage of Construction in Japan ― i-Construction
Kazuyoshi Tateyama
College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University
E-mail: tateyama@se.ritsumei.ac.jp
The population projection for Japan suggests that the working-age population, ages 15 to 64, will drop to 70% or less ofwhat it is today by 2045. In the field of construction, such a rapid reduction in the working-age population will bring abouta severe loss in the number of engineers and workers as well as budget cuts for infrastructure investments due to thedecrease in tax revenues. At the same time, the infrastructure which has already been created, will soon be due formaintenance as its facilities and systems are approaching their renewal dates. In addition, disaster prevention measuresagainst active natural disasters, such as earthquakes, heavy rainfalls and volcanic activities, will need to be strengthened
and/or updated. Therefore, the task of providing a stable infrastructure for society on into the future will be more difficult
than ever. In the field of construction, more complex projects will have to be carried out with limited manpower andlimited budgets. This problem will be addressed not only by an extension of the existing means, but also by innovations
in construction technology. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism started a new system, referred toas “i-Construction”, in April 2016 to cope with this situation. ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is one of
the major measures in i-Construction; it is expected to play an important role in improving construction productivity.
The present article gives an overview of i-Construction and discusses the current conditions and future prospects for a
new construction model utilizing ICT in Japan.
Keywords: i-Construction, productivity, ICT, intelligent construction, construction robot, unmanned construction, GNSS,
production cost, environmental load
1. Sophistication of Construction - “i-Construction”

150

Nowadays, the subject of changes in demographics is very prominent
in terms of the future of Japan. Figure 1 shows a population projection
published by the Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunications [1]. The total population of Japan as of 2015 was
126,597,000, and the population between the ages of 15 and 64 (theworking-age population) was 76,818,000. This projection indicatesthat both the total population and the working-age population will
decrease in the future, and predicts that the working-age population
will fall to 69.7% of what it is today by 2045. If this prediction isaccurate, a working-age population of less than 70% of that of today
will have to support Japanese society 30 years from now.

Population (million)

1.1 Rapidly changing social conditions
Total population
100

Decrease of 30%

50

Working-age population
Real number Estimation

0
2000

2010

2020

2030

2040

2050

2060

Year

Figure 1 Population projection in JapanA reduction in the working-age population will have a great impact on the construction industry. There are concerns thatthe decrease in the number of construction engineers and workers will accelerate. At the same time, a drop in
construction investments will also be a problem. That is, tax revenues and infrastructure revenues will be reduced,
resulting in a forcible shrinking of budgets for public investment.
While it is predicted that the rate of new construction of the physical infrastructure will slacken as the total populationof Japan decreases, the number of construction projects required to maintain the infrastructure that supports theactivities and the lives of people will increase in the future. In addition, disaster prevention measures must be
strengthened and/or updated in response to active natural disasters, such as earthquakes, heavy rainfalls and volcanic
activities.
1.2 Current situation of construction industry in Japan
Figures 2 and 3 show comparisons of the average annual wages and the average annual working hours, respectively, byindustry [2]. The wage level in the construction industry is sluggish at only 79% of the all-industry average. People in theconstruction industry work for longer hours, by 16%, than the all-industry average. Figure 4 shows the number of deaths
while working [2]. It is seen that the total number of fatalities for occupational accidents in construction comprises up to2Volume 2, Issue 2 June 201734% of all industries. Although labor conditions have improved, in comparison with the past, the construction industry
can still not rid itself of this negative situation.

1,976

1
0.5

1,784
Construction

1.5

2,081

0

Figure 3 Comparisonof averageannual working hours by industry

Yen/(person x hour)6

All industries

Number of deaths while working

2

972

8

4

327

2

Construction

0
Figure 2 Comparison of averageannual wages by industry

16%

Manufacturing

1

4,327

2.5

All industries

2

4,614

Average annual working hours (1000hr)

3

21% lower

Construction

4

5,477

Manufacturing

5

All industries

Average annual wages (million yen)

It is noted that the downturn in labor productivity in the construction industry is one of the major reasons. Figure 5 shows
a comparison of the changes in labor productivity by industry [2]. While productivity in the manufacturing industry has
more than doubled, through the introduction of factory automation technologies, that of the construction industry has
continued to decline over the past twenty years. It cannot be said that the construction industry has enough potential toplay an important role in providing further infrastructure to Japanese society by an extension of the existing situation.
10
60
Figure 4 Number of deaths
while working

Manufacturing

All industries
Construction

Productivity=Real gross added value/(Number of employed persons x Total labor
hours per year)

Figure 5 Comparison of changes in labor productivity by industry
1.3 Three major strategies in i-Construction
Under such a situation, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport started a new policy of i-Construction [3], inwhich high wage levels, sufficient holidays and a safe labor environment can be realized through remarkable
improvements in productivity. The ministry established three major steps for such improvements, namely, the aggressive
use of ICT in construction, the standardization of the specifications used in construction to avoid the inefficiency causedby single-item production and the balancing of orders throughout the year regardless of the season. Among these steps,
advanced construction technology utilizing ICT is expected to play the most important role in realizing the final goal.
This report introduces the present situation and future prospects of ICT utilization in i-Construction.
2. Utilization of ICT in Earthwork
Earthwork is a generic name for the works in which soil and rock are moved for excavation, transportation, compaction
and so on in order to build earth structures, such as roads, fill-type dams and levees. Figure 6 shows the stages of theearthwork process, which consists of surveying, design and construction planning, construction, inspection andmaintenance.
DesignSurveying
Construction
Inspection
Maintenance
Planning
Figure 6 Stages of earthwork process3Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017

In i-Construction, the configuration information of earth structures is grasped and treated as 3D data and various ICT
tools are effectively introduced at each stage of the earthwork process to deal with the 3D data, as follows.
2.1 ICT in surveying
The configuration data of earth structures are
grasped as 3D data through 3D laser scanner
surveying or aerial surveying with a UAV. UAV isthe abbreviation for unmanned aerial vehicle.
Figure 7(a) shows an example of a UAV. One typeof UAV, called a “drone”, is often employed to
examine structures, such as bridges, which are
difficult to approach due to being located at highelevations. Figure 7(b) shows aerial surveying witha UAV. The 3D configuration data of a landform are (a) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(b) Principle of photogrammetry
measured with the principle of photogrammetry
Figure 7 Aerial surveying with UAV
by overlapping photographic shots taken with
the UAV.
Figure 8 shows the 3D landform data for an
excavation site obtained by UAV aerial
surveying. A UAV can execute 3D surveying
from comparatively low-flying heights; andthus, it is able to accurately measure small
areas. Through the periodic measuring of a site,changes in the landform can be grasped and thevolume of soil to be excavated can berecalculated during the construction
progress.

(a) Landform of site(b) Quantification of landform

Figure 8 Aerial surveying of landform with UAV

Table 1 Effect of introduction of UAV in surveying（Kajima Co. Ltd.）
Methodology

Area

Time

Human works

Cost

UAV

2ha

1hour

1 man day

3D Laser scanner

2ha

1day

2 man day (2days)

4.0

Electro-opticalmeasurement

2ha

3day

10 man day（5days）

5.6

1

Table 1 shows a comparison of UAV surveying and other surveying methods. The case here involves the surveying of a2ha land area. It is seen that time, labor and costs can be remarkably reduced by UAV surveying.
2.2

ICT in design and planning

Figure 9 is the completed drawing of the interchange of ahighway．This figure is not a bird’s-eye-view, but a plan
made with the accurate coordinates of all the points.
The design and construction planning stage has been madewith 2D planar draughts of cardinal points. Although no
difficulties may be encountered in the case of a simple
straight alignment, the engineers have done the job byimaging 3D conceptual drawings from many 2D plans in thecase of a complicated structure, as seen in Figure 9. By using
Figure 9 Utilization of 3D data in design and planninga 3D data set, not only can the 3D conceptual drawing be（from web site of NPO Cooperation Green Earth）
directly obtained, but the 3D data can also be used for various
applications．For example, 3D images can be obtained precisely for each step of the construction. Through their use,
the steps of the construction can be confirmed in advance, and the design and construction planning stage can be made4

Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017

to be more exact by finding defects which are likely to occur at a certain stage of future construction and addressing them
beforehand. The images can also be used to explain the construction to people residing near the site, showing them thevisual 3D images of each step of the construction. These uses are the target of CIM（Construction Information Modeling）*; and thus, it is said that i-Construction is a system which includes the concept of CIM.
* CIM is referred to as BIM (Building Information Modeling) in many foreign countries.
2.2 ICT in construction
A typical example of the ICT introduction to construction is the sophisticationof machine control, which can be classified into MG and MC. MG is theacronym for Machine Guidance; it is the technology with which the ease ofmachine operation or the accuracy of the construction can be improved bysupplying the information on the construction to operators. MC is theacronym for Machine Control; it is the technology with which some parts ofmachines are automatically controlled.

Trench excavation
Figure 10 shows typical jobs that are done with a hydraulicshovel. In the laying of sewage pipes, for example, theworkers must confirm the depth and the inclination of thetrench through surveying and then give the shovel
operator the precise modifications for the excavation. In
completing the excavation of slopes, workers set thefinishing stakes to inform the operator of the working formof the slope.

Slope works
Figure 10 Typical works with hydraulic shovel

Figure 11 presents a hydraulic shovel with the MG function. This shovel is equipped with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite
System) for grasping its accurate position in the field and sensors to measure the inclinations of the bucket, arm andboom. The accurate position and inclination of the bucket are displayed on a monitor in the cabin. The shovel is also
equipped with a computer into which the data with the working form of the structures are input; they are also shown on
the monitor. Therefore, the operator can control the machine by confirming the relative positions of the working form
and the bucket, which means that no additional surveying or finishing stakes are necessary at the construction site.
Figure 12 presents a bulldozer that has a function to control its blade by using RTK-GNSS (Real Time Kinematic-GNSS).
This bulldozer has an in-vehicle PC that is inputted with data for the final finished surface of the site. The bulldozer also
has the MC function that measures the positions and the inclinations of the bulldozer and the blade, one of the bulldozer’s
working parts, using GNSS and a sensor, and controls the blade so that the final ground shape is automatically formed [4].
[GNSS box]
[Controller][Tilt sensor][Image on the monitor][GNSS antenna][GNSS antenna][Monitor]

From Topcon
Figure 11 Example of shovel equippedwith MG function[Tilt sensor][Control box]

Figure 12 Blade automatic control system in bulldozer

5Works for setting sticks
Works for soil spreading

52% decrease
46% decrease

Working

These types of machines not only bring about a
big improvement in efficiency, accuracy andworking time, but also a reduction in theenvironmental impact caused by the construction.
Figure 13 shows the results of a field experimentin which the working times for a soil-spreading
job were compared between manual control byan operator and an MC machine [5]. In theexperiment, the working times were measured
for a skilled operator and an unskilled one under
the same field conditions to discuss the effect ofthe difference in experience on the results.

time

Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017

Manual control
MC
Skilled operator

Manual control
MC
Unskilled operator

Figure 13 Comparison of working times in soil-spreading job
The results clearly show that the time for the spreading job is reduced by appropriately half in the case of the MC
bulldozer regardless of the skill of the operator. This experiment proves that even an unskilled operator can level theground with almost the same accuracy as a skilled operator.
It is seen that the productivity in construction can be remarkably improved by utilizing ICT from different viewpoints thanthose introduced above. In this report, the precise management of construction through the effective utilization of ICT
and the introduction of robot technologies to construction will be presented with some examples.
3. Enhanced Management in Construction

Construction conditions

The infrastructure in Japan has been developed based on asystematized concept of structural design according to thoroughBadconstruction standards and manuals. Thanks to this concept,
Supposition
Flexible changes in the plan
Japan has efficiently accomplished infrastructure developmentin planningwith a uniquely high level of quality. This is undoubtedly abenefit of across-the-board controls using standards andmanuals. At the same time, however, across-the-board control
methods are problematic in terms of excess, resulting from theunavoidable unpredictability of uncontrollable factors, because
Real conditions
across-the-board controls must comprehend the effect ofindefinite factors, such as weather and geological conditions,the performance of the machines and so on. Therefore, plans
Time, PlaceGood
made through across-the-board control methods should offer
assurance that jobs can be completed even if the realconstruction conditions are not favorable. This means that a
Figure 14 Graphic image of flexible
margin of error must be built into the plans. However, evenresponses using information
when the construction conditions are not so unfavorable, it is
not unusual to pump in more materials, more machinery and/or more labor than is actually necessary, according to theoriginal plan. If the real on-site conditions can be grasped and the original plan can viewed with some flexibility, basedon the real conditions, the input of materials, machinery and labor can be reduced to the true level of necessity, as shownin Figure 14.
Today, there are increasing demands for the efficient use of limited resources, the mitigation of the environmental effects
from construction work and an improvement in the quality of structures. Across-the-board controls based on standards
and manuals are not enough to meet these demands. Following the standards and manuals is important, but relying too
much on them should be avoided. Flexibility is necessary for construction works to be as sophisticated as on-sitesituations demand. By using a variety of sensors and other ICT devices to grasp the specific situations at a site, intelligent
construction can induce work that conforms to each unique site. Summaries of some successful introductions ofintelligent construction tools at work sites are herein presented in accordance with this principle.
3.1 Introduction of intelligent construction into large-scale earthwork [6]The above-mentioned principle was introduced to a large-scale earthwork. Figure 15 shows an outline of the construction
process. At the site, a hill was excavated by blasting or by mechanical excavation using hydraulic shovels. The excavatedsoil was loaded on dump trucks with loaders or shovels and then carried to crushers. The rock masses, larger than 20 cm
in size, were crushed by the crushers and then carried to a pier for loading onto a ship by a conveyer belt. The soil was
loaded on barges and then transported to the construction site of an offshore airport. The size of the construction site
6

Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017

was 2 km in length by 1 km in width. The total field area was 149 hectares and the total volume of excavated soil was
50 million m3.
In general, the work efficiency at earthwork sites depends on
various factors, such as weather, geological conditions,geographical features and machine performance, and thesefactors can change in an unsteady manner with the progress ofthe construction work. To improve the work efficiency, it isnecessary to flexibly change the construction methods, such as
the arrangement of heavy machinery, the blasting method andso on, in accordance with the changes in the above factors.
Doing so requires the creation of a system that collects
information on the construction site conditions in real time andsupports the site engineers in making good decisions for
improving the construction method properly and flexibly,
corresponding to the changeable site conditions.
A great deal of information on the geologicalconditions, the geographical features, theworking performance of the machines andother construction conditions at the site was
precisely collected by the ICT tools equipped on
the construction machines or at the site, andthen commonly shared with a plural number ofoffices and site stands related to theconstruction after being unified and analyzed
by the construction management system
shown in Figure 16.
This system brought about quick decisions
regarding the improvement of the construction
process, and it produced good results in termsof improvements in construction efficiency anda reduction in the environmental impact
brought about by the earthwork.
Figure 17(a) shows the production volume
per day. The results are presented as acomparison of the intelligent construction
method to the conventional method
employed before implementing the new
system. It can be clearly seen in this figurethat the daily supply volume increased by
26%. In addition, as shown in Figure 17(b),there was a 26% reduction in environmental
impact (emission of CO2) through the efficient
operation of the construction machinery andby saving on the amount of explosives.
3.2 Introduction of intelligent technology
into tunnel construction

Excavation, Loading
Crushing
Stockyard

Carrying

Ship loading
Conveyer belt
Figure 15 Outline of construction process

GPS satellite

DGPS
Mining site

Intelligent Construction
Feedback to construction

DGPS

Japan Coast Guard beacon
stationGPS antenna
Information
for correcting
location

Hauling road
DGPSRadio control
terminal

CCD camera

Beacon receiver

Site office
Support systemfor engineers’
decision making
Monitors for CCD
camerasDatabase for mining
management
Databasefor

DGPS
Soil hopper
CCD camera

Crusher

LAN (optical cable)

Stockyard

Crusher

Information on construction

CCD camera
LAN (optical cable)

Belt-conveyor
Ship loading

Figure 16 Information and communication equipment introduced
into large-scale soil collection and construction work(a) Production volume per day(b) Environmental load due toconstruction work

Figure 17 Effect of introduction of intelligent construction

To maintain a proper working environment inside a tunnel that is under construction, ventilation is necessary. Ventilation isconducted with a large fan by circulating the air between the inside and the outside of the tunnel; the fan must work constantly.
However, the air quality, or the cleanliness, depends on the type of work being done, namely, blasting, shotcrete, mucking orother types of operations. Therefore, the air volume of the ventilation facility at a site needs to be adjusted according to thetype of work being done inside the tunnel, based on the measurement results for CO2, the dust volume, the oxygen
concentration, poisonous gas and so on (Figure 18). The electric energy consumed in a ventilation facility can be successfully
reduced by controlling the air volume at an output of 100% only when the tunnel air is dirty and at 70% when it is less dirty [7].
7Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017

Case B: air is clean:
Electric power:70%

Case A: air is dirty:
Electric power:100%

Electric power (MWh)

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
6:00

8:00

10:00

12:00

14:00

16:00

18:00

Figure 18 Control of air volume in accordance with air environment inside tunnel （Shimizu Co. Ltd）
Other than that, a CO2 reduction was achieved at this site by introducing energy-saving awareness through thevisualization of various work situations, such as helping the dump truck operator understand how braking andacceleration impact energy efficiency [7].
Due to the introduction of intelligent construction, detailed control of the construction, based on the situation at the site,
generally promotes work efficiency and reduces the environmental load resulting from the construction. Significant costs
are usually incurred for general manufacturers to achieve energy savings. However, improvements in productivity andsavings in energy can occur simultaneously by introducing the idea of individual evaluation into across-the-board controls
in the field of civil engineering. Depending on the focus, there are many opportunities to utilize new technologies.
4. Introduction of Construction Robots
The introduction of robots in construction is said to lag behind that ofmanufacturing by 20 or 30 years due to the unpredictable situations inconstruction. Figure 19 shows the difference in working conditions between
manufacturing and construction.
In manufacturing, the form and the materials are clearly specified in the designof products and the working environment is stable because the work is doneindoors. Objects come to robots on a conveyer; and thus, robots do not need tomove around in the factory. In construction, on the other hand, the materials
are soil and rocks; and thus, their properties are not constant, but variable.
Machines must work outdoors, and the working conditions are very muchaffected by the weather. For example, machines cannot move smoothly acrossmuddy soil after a heavy rain. The working objects are mountains, rivers and soon; and thus, the machines arrive at them after traveling across a huge field.
Therefore, the robots in construction should have a function to determine theirown action flexibly and in accordance with the situation at each construction
site. This means that it is much more difficult to introduce robots to construction
than to manufacturing.
4.1 Progressing introduction of construction robots

Manufacturing

Construction

Figure 19 Difference in working conditions between
manufacturing and construction

In spite of the difficulties of introducing robot technology to construction, some robots have been practically used atconstruction sites. Figure 20 shows some examples of robots used in the field of maintenance. [a] and [b] are inspection
robots for drain and water supply pipes, respectively. [c] is a UAV used for checking the heights of the slabs of bridges, etc.
[d] is a robot that searches for any faults on the surface of a spherical gas tank, sticking and moving along it with suckers.
These robots are employed in cases where people cannot enter or approach the site for reasons of narrowness or danger.

[a] Drain pipe inspection[c] UAV for height inspection8Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017[d] Gas tank inspection

Robot inspecting the inside ofwater pipe without suspensionof water supply
CCD Camera
CCD Camera

Highly bright LED[b] Water supply pipe inspection
Figure 20 Robots used in field of maintenance of infrastructure
Figure 21 shows robots used at the recovery construction site of a natural disaster. In the case of a slope failure due to an
earthquake or heavy rain, etc. or in the case of an area being covered by ashes or earth and sand due to a volcanic
eruption, the ashes or earth and sand must be removed immediately for lifesaving or retrieval purposes. However, if thesituation continues to be dangerous after the occurrence of a disaster, no one will be allowed to enter the site in orderto prevent a secondary disaster. In such a case, an unmanned construction system is often employed. The heavymachinery applied for such work is operated from a control room, located at a distance from the site, using visual
information transmitted from the site and displayed on monitors. These kinds of unmanned construction systems havebecome popular and reports of their track records have increased. It is said that these systems comprise indispensable
technology for Japan where various natural disasters often occur all over the country.
GPS satellite
Compaction management

GPS satellite
Camera vehicle

Spreading management
Check dam
Blade control

Forming work

Dump truck guidanceDebris exclude

Unmanned survey
Construction roadPHSantenna
Control radio 429MHz
Image radio 50GHz
Data transmitter radio
1.9GHZ

Wireless station

Control room

Figure 21 Robots used in the recovery works from natural disaster

9

4.0

3.3

Construction0

All industries
average

12.

Pharmacy

Rate (%)

Figure 22 shows a comparison of the rate of the budget for research and 14
development to gross sales by industry. The pharmaceutical industry
spends more than 12%, while the manufacturing industry spends about 4% 12of their gross sales for the research and development of new products. On
the other hand, the construction industry spends just 0.4% of its gross 10
sales for the development of new technologies. In spite of the small
budget for research and development, various advancements have8
been made in construction, as shown in Figures 20 and 21.
In the construction industry, the development of new technologies has
6
often been tackled during actual construction projects with theirbudget. Therefore, the technologies developed here must certainly
4serve the projects well and lead to the development of extremely practicaltechnologies rather than the development of highly sophisticated 2
technologies. This is the reason that most construction robots can be0effectively used in actual construction projects.

Manufacturing

Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017

0.4

Figure 22 Comparison of rate of budget for researchand development to gross sales by industry.
4.2 Recovery project from volcanic disaster in Mt. Unzen Fugen
When the development of unmanned construction systems is discussed, the recovery project from the volcanic disaster at
Mt. Unzen Fugen should not be excluded.
In November 1990, Mt. Unzen Fugen suddenly erupted. In the aftermath of thisConstruction site
eruption, many researchers and mass media personnel came to investigate thevolcano. Unfortunately, due to a second eruption in 1991, 43 of these people either
lost their lives or went missing. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
made a plan for sediment control work in which a check dam would be constructedat the foot of the mountain to protect the neighboring villages from the ensuingdebris flow. However, the dangerous situation continued due to the potential for asudden succeeding pyroclastic flow and people were prohibited from entering theControl roomsite. Thus, it was requested that a construction method be developed whereby a dam
could be built at the site while keeping people out of the area. The development of
the unmanned construction system, explained in
Figure 21, was started in 1993. It has been
Sabo works at Mt.Unzen Fugen
continued for more than 23 years and has led to
Heisei new mountainPossibility of debris flow or large
scale slope failure
improvements in technologies which have been
Lava dome
applied to actual construction jobs at dam sites.
These efforts have made this system quite
Restricted areapractical, and its usefulness was clearly provenafter the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power
Check damplant due to the tsunami disaster following theGreat East Japan Earthquake of 2011. The
unmanned construction system was introduced tothe site just after the accident and it worked
smoothly to remove debris and to demolish a
Separation levee
Check dam
Check dam
damaged house, as shown in Figure 24. It is said
Monitoring stationthat the system’s technologies had been refined
Check dam
while being used in an actual construction project;
Check dam
Blue line: Form of check dams
and thus, it could be used quite smoothly as anextension of the existing technologies. This meansthat the technologies generally used as common Figure 23 Recovery project from volcanic disaster at Mt. Unzen Fugen.
methods are really effective in emergency
situations; and therefore, efforts should be madeto refine all technologies even in the usual works.

10

Volume 2, Issue 2 June 2017

Control room
Tip mount camera

Optical fiber cable

Remotely controlled
demolition machine

Remotely controlled
demolition machine

Fixed position
cameraRemoving debris

Fixed position
cameraStaging

Staging
Reactor building
Remotely
controlled crane

Relay vehicle

Control room

Optical fiber cable

Figure 24 Unmanned construction system employed in accident of Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Conclusion
In the promotion of the i-Construction policy, it is worthy of special mention to state that the criteria and manuals for thispolicy have been largely modified. Although intelligent construction was introduced more than 10 years ago, it has not
sufficiently prevailed because these criteria and manuals had not been modified. It has been impossible to adequately
demonstrate the high ability of ICT under the conventional criteria and manuals. The new criteria and manuals havebeen introduced by assuming the utilization of ICT; and thus, the potential of ICT can now be demonstrated sufficiently.
However, both ICT tools themselves and the way in which they are to be used have not yet been established. In the near
future, however, they will be established for practical construction sites. It is highly anticipated that technologicaldevelopment in this area will soon gather momentum at construction sites.
References[1] Web site of Statistic Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
[2] Japan Federation of Construction Contractors: Handbook for Construction Industry 2016.
[3] Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: Committee Report on i-Construction, 2016.
[4] The Japan Geotechnical Society: Technologies for Environmental Conservation in Construction, Chapter 8, 2009.
[5] Sagara, Y., Obitsu, M., and Fujishima, T.: JCMA Report-Effect of utilization of informatics construction, Journal of
JCMA, Vol. 67, No. 8, pp. 105-109, 2015.8. (in Japanese)[6] Tateyama, K. and Omae, N.: Precision Construction in Japan, -Utilization of Information and Communication
Technology–, Proceedings of the International Workshop on ICT-Geo Engineering, 31-40, 2012.
[7] Nikkei Construction，pp. 41～44，No. 522, 2011 (Jun 27).

◆A brief CV of Dr. Kazuyoshi Tateyama
Dr. Kazuyoshi Tateyama is a professor in the college of science and engineering and an executive
trustee of Ritsumeikan University, Japan. He graduated from Kyoto University with Bachelor in Civil
Engineering and took the Doctoral Degree in Kyoto University in 1988. He has taken on the researchand development on the rationalization of construction for many years and engaged in a lot ofcommittees of governments and academic societies. He is now the chairperson of the committee forconstruction robotics in Japan Society of Civil Engineers and Council for Construction Robot Research.

11