## (1) Total inspections and repairs

Since emergency inspections prompted by the Sasago Tunnel ceiling board fall accident, etc. and intensive inspections that give top priority to eliminating damages to users and third parties virtually completed as scheduled for fiscal 2013, repairs have been promptly initiated on the basis of the results of these inspections.

## (2) Reviewing standards and manuals

Since the formulation and review of various standards and manuals relevant to checkups, their frequencies and so on based on knowledge available to date, inspection results, etc. have virtually completed as scheduled for fiscal 2013, new standards have been put into service since fiscal 2014.

## (3) Developing maintenance, management and upgrade information

The development of a database is underway with regard to the present status of each individual facility, as well as a facility ledger, to impel the implementation of a PDCA cycle relevant to facility maintenance, management and upgrade based on precise information. In fiscal 2013, a prototype of the platform of such information was developed to help share and utilize cross-sectional facility information. Functions of the database are now being configured to launch the database on a limited scale during fiscal 2014.

### (4) Development, introduction, etc. of new technologies

Regarding the development and introduction of the inspection and diagnostic technologies that help speedily locate deteriorated and damaged points, those relating to nondestructive testing, etc. have been field-tested and assessed through public participation by taking advantage of New Technology Information System (NETIS) since 2013. At the same time, a maintenance and management support website focusing on maintenance and management technologies has been opened to elucidate technological characteristics. During fiscal 2013, the Next-Generation Social Infrastructure Robot Development and Introduction Review Panel meeting was also inaugurated to grope for ways to boost robots, etc. to the state of practical usefulness, as by defining needs and applications for them in such fields of social infrastructure maintenance, management, etc. Starting from fiscal 2014, useful technologies have been invited in public from private businesses, colleges and so on and subjected to on-site verifications and assessments by the Next-Generation Social Infrastructure Robot On-Site Verification Committee to further their utilization and development.

In fiscal 2013, the Committee for Reviewing and Promoting Usage of Social Infrastructure Monitoring Technologies met to propel the development, etc. of technologies, as through matching between field needs and seeds in an industry-academia-government collaboration, and to assess and analyze the usefulness of the technologies developed through field verifications. The Committee expects to perform field verifications and assessments on monitoring technologies by public invitation starting from fiscal 2014.

## (5) Aids extended to local governments

While local governments have a large number of infrastructural facilities to manage, they still must work to combat their aging with severe constraints on their financial, technical, human and other resources. Financial aids are granted to these local governments by the disaster preparedness and safety subsidization program inaugurated in the fiscal 2012 supplementary budget to support their facility inspections and repairs and infrastructure service life extension planning. Further, a support desk providing consultation on efforts to combat aging infrastructures was set up at each Regional Development Bureau and elsewhere in July 2013 as a one-stop solution to receiving requests for consultation from the local governments and others. The Ministry’s other ongoing efforts include releasing standards and manuals relevant to infrastructure maintenance and management and promoting then enhancement or refinement of technical workshop and training plans.