Messages from Departments and Centers of NILIM

Efforts for Improvement of Standards in the Building
Sector
MUKAI Akiyoshi, Director
Building Department(Key words)

Project research, Technical standards original draft

1. Introduction
The Building Department has been carrying out
administrative support for structure, fire prevention, andplanning/projection and formulation/revision of eachsector of environment/equipment based on technologicalknowledge of the technical standards such as the BuildingStandards Act, Housing Quality Security Act (law inreferent to the promotion of quality securement), Energy
Conservation Act (law in regard to streamlining forenergy uses). I will refer to the research issues for theimprovement of technological standards for which theBuilding Department has been addressing and thedeliberation system of technological standards originaldraft.
2. Project research
I will indicate the outline of project research for which thebuilding department proactively has been tackling in thefollowing.
(1) Development of urban energy system technology
heading for low carbon/hydrogen energy systemutilization society (2011 – 2014)
Using hydrogen as energy media and heading forstructuring urban energy system where excessive
dependence on fossil fuels can be avoided and safehydrogen piping, in addition, we developed a technology
or the like to realize a reduction in emission volumes ofcarbon dioxide. In respect to these results, we intend tocompile them as a project research report.
(2) Development of seismic capacity evaluation
technology for buildings corresponding to upgrading ofearthquake vibration information (2012 – 2015)
In parallel with the improvement of seismic networks andthe development of seismology, the characteristics at a
random spot are being clarified. Among earthquake
actions observed or forecast, there are those to exceed thelevels of seismic forces assumed by the current seismicdesign. Meanwhile, it is acknowledged that there arecases where seismic forces affecting building structures
decrease to a considerable extent more than cases toregard as seismic vibration on the ground surface input
into building structures as it is. In order to appropriately
evaluate the earthquake resistance capability, it is crucial
to carry out a thorough observation on relations between“seismic vibration” and “seismic force,” in addition toaccurately forecasting earthquake vibration.
Accordingly, this research collects and analyses as many
earthquake observation records to clarify relations
between “earthquake vibration” and “seismic force,” weare tackling the development of more rational earthquake
resistance capability evaluation technology for building
structures.
(3) Research on introduction of new technology forbuilding structures focusing on renewable energy(2013—2015)
In tandem with living standards, the energy consumptionof buildings is on the rise. As well as proceeding with thethermal structure of buildings and instrumental efficiency
still further, it is crucial to utilize natural energies existingin the building premises, and the formulation of new
standards adopting renewable energy has been required
for the future. In this respect, positioning of renewablesolar light and earth thermal are targeted.
(4) Research on safety for timber structure three story
schools (2011 -- 2015)
In October 2010, the law relevant to the promotion forutilization of timber for public architectural structures
came into effect. With reference to this, the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism commenced
research to collect the necessary data for reviewing fire
prevention related provisions of the Building Standards
Act with respect to timber three story schools.
The existing Building Standards Act requires making abuilding fireproof or semi-fireproof according to thenumber of stories or areas requirements for the safety ofevacuation safety of buildings with a multitude of visitors.
For instance, in regard to schools, a three story building isrequired to be a fireproof building structure (majorstructures shall be required to be fireproof or the like.)
and according to the restriction of a major structural part,the use of timbers is restricted as a whole. Furthermore, inreference to a large scale timber structure whose total area
exceeds 3,000m2, due to the risk of extending
tremendous effects on its peripheries, it is stipulated tomake part of the major structure fire resistant. However,in a case when the building satisfies the capability toresist fire until visitors’ safe evacuation/rescue arefinished, even for a large scale timber structure or the like,when the fire spread does not expand to the scale
exceeding 3.000m2, in order to make it a semi-fire proof

building structure for which timber is readily utilized,
deliberations based on experiments have been carried out.
(5) Development of evaluation and design technology forbuilding structure contributing to decrease in the degreeof dependence on electric power (2013 – 2017)
Optimization has been effected byy verifying the effecton peak countermeasures against the peak consumptionof electricity, evaluation technology for the degree ofdependence on electric power for countermeasures,
integrating various technologies such as equipment
system including housing, contraption for frame structure,
introduction of special building members and carryingout the development of revolutionary design system.
Furthermore, in building structures, we have carried out
technological development relevant to methods toevaluate the effect of peak shift and technologicaldevelopment in regard to design method to optimize peakshift, and promoted peak countermeasures in the demandside.
(6)Development of function continuing technology fordisaster preparedness buildings (2013 –1016)
In the Tohoku District Pacific Ocean Coastal Earthquake
which occurred on March 11, 2011, structural damagesby tsunami, loss of continuous using capability in parallelwith damages on nonstructural members (nonstructuralwall, ceiling and so on) and damages on government
office buildings expected to act as disaster preparedness
lodgments emerged. With regard to structural safety
against tsunami, the capability of exterior members
against blown objects by tornado and in respect todamage mitigation method, we will carry out proposals
for new technological development and evaluation
methods with respect to damage mitigation method.
Other than these project researches, we are grappling withthe subjects of research on evaluation method/standards
for seismic resistance of exterior members, research ontechnological standards for structural calculation program
contributing to smoothing of practical business forarchitecture, calculation methods for evacuation safety
capability in building fire of structure and research on thetarget level and so forth.
3. Deliberation/preparation/posting for technologicalstandards original draftIn response to damage of the Great East Japan
Earthquake, we have been carrying out problem
configuration corresponding to individual research anddevelopment
andimplemented
deliberations/preparations/postings for a technologicaloriginal draft.
In particular, as major matters related to the Great East
Japan Earthquake, the subjects are standards relevant tostructural requirements for tsunami evacuation buildings,
technical standards with reference to countermeasures or
the like for ceiling collapses, and deliberations ofcorresponding methods for long-cycle earthquake
vibrations. In addition, as a matter related to research anddevelopment, there is the review and deliberations for thefire prevention standards in regard to large scale timberbuilding structures.
Regarding these, we have established/run the Building
Structural Standards Commission, Building Fire
Prevention Commission which are comprised ofintellectuals from academic society, and we have
improved the system to carry out reevaluations fortechnological standards based on working-level officials.
The Building Structural Standards Commission inparticular has been carrying out Great East Japan
Earthquake related deliberations. The deliberations in theCommission were reflected to in the Review ofGuidelines on Structural Requirements in respect toTsunami Evacuation Buildings, November 2011, andMLITT’s Housing Bureau Director General’s Notice,Technological Standards Announcement for DesignatedEvacuation Facilities based on the Tsunami Disaster
Prevention Regional Creation Act, December 2011,
MLITT’s announcement of the case to prescribe toprescribe a specific ceiling and structurally safe
structuring method for the specific ceiling, August 2013,
and other MLITT announcements.
Concerning these, utilizing the building standards
improvement promotion project (in regard to necessary
matters for the state to formulate/revise technologicalstandards in the building standards act, we publicly
appeal for applicants to carry out collection/accumulationor the like for basic data on experiments, etc. withreference to assignments configured by the State, andsubsidize for its expenses in this project. Established in
2007, deliberations have been carried out.
4. Assignment for the future
As problems related to disasters for the future, there arecountermeasures for long-cycle earthquake vibrations.
With regard to long-cycle earthquake vibrations, although
we carried out an appeal for opinions by offering a draft
proposal for a long-cycle earthquake vibration
countermeasure in December 2008, prior to the Great
East Japan Earthquake, we are carrying out reevaluationof the draft proposal, referring to observation data anddeliberations in the central disaster prevention conference
and deliberations in the earthquake survey researchpromotion headquarters.
[Sources]
1) TECHNICAL NOTE of NILIM No.759 pp. 109 -116
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bcg/siryou/tnn/tnn0759.htm