NAT L INST. OF STAND 4 TECH

mot) 3 1 s a a Reference

IMBSIR 84-2834

Construction Research in Japan

H. S. Lew

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Bureau of Standards

National Engineering Laboratory

Center for Building Technology

Structures Division

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899

September 1984

*°»eAu o*

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

10G

j

, 1)56

84-2334

1984

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

' RATIONAL

OF STAN’ us-aa

NBSIR 84-2834

CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH IN JAPAN

H. S. Lew

U S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Bureau of Standards

National Engineering Laboratory

Center for Building Technology

Structures Division

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899

September 1984

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Malcolm Baldrige, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS. Ernest Ambler. Director

BU?E.

PREFACE

The writer has had a number of opportunities to visit Japan during the past

several years. He has visited many major government research facilities and

university laboratories. In October 1981, he visited several large

construction firms where significant R & D efforts are being carried out to

develop new construction technologies. Some of the technical and statistical

information on Japan's construction industry was obtained from the Library of

the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and the Public Works Research Institute (PWRI),

Ministry of Construction, Government of Japan. The visits to construction

firms were arranged by Dr. Tadayoshi Okubo, Director-General of the PWRI. Hi6

assistance and those managers and researchers who gave generously their time

for meetings are gratefully acknowledged.

iii
ABSTRACT

The construction industry is one of the key industries in Japan. The annual

volume of business of the industry accounts for over 20 percent of the GNP of

Japan. Partially due to large investments in the public works projects by the

Japanese Government, the industry maintained a steady growth during the past

two decades. During this period of steady growth, many large construction

firms established research laboratories to place themselves in a favorable

position in the domestic, as well as international, construction market.

The construction machinery industry of Japan also grew steadily during the

same period, and their share of the world market increased significantly. In

order to meet foreign competition, the industry has also made significant

investments in their R & D efforts.

This report examines the R & D efforts of Japan's construction and

construction machinery industries and their trends.

Keywords: Construction; construction machinery; Japan; laboratories;

research; R & D.

IV
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

PREFACE iii

ABSTRACT iv

LIST OF FIGURES vi

LIST OF TABLES vi

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 2

a. Early Construction Technology 2

b. Imported Technology 2 c. Advances in Technological Developments in Construction 3

3. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRENDS 4

4. CONSTRUCTION R & D 7

5. CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY 15

6. CONCLUSIONS 17

7. REFERENCES 19

V
LIST OF FIGURES

Page

1. FOREIGN CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS WON BY JAPANESE FIRMS 6

2. LAYOUT OF RESEARCH LABORATORIES OF KAJIMA INSTITUTE OF

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY 9

3. ORGANIZATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS RESEARCH INSTITUTE 12

4. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING RESEARCH INSTITUTE 13

LIST OF TABLES

1. MAIN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY RESEARCH INSTITUTES 8

vi
1 . INTRODUCTION

At the end of World War II in 1945, Japan had suffered near total destruction

of its industrial complexes and over 40 percent of its urban areas destroyed

from the bombing. It was estimated that over 4 million dwelling units were

needed throughout Japan at that time. During the recovery period, most

construction companies which survived the war were engaged in reconstruction

activities, particularly in construction of dwelling units to meet the

immediate need of sheltering of millions of urban populace.

With a steady and phenomenal growth of economy in Japan during the 1960's and

early 1970's, the construction industry expanded rapidly in both building and

public works areas. The industry made a significant stride in developing

innovative contruction methods for building as well as underground

construction. Today, the technological level of Japan's construction industry

is considered to be among the highest in the world. Much of the technological

developments have been carried out by Japan's large construction firms (about

20) through their research and development (R & D) establishments.

In this report, Japan's construction industry and its R & D efforts are

reviewed and its trend examined. Much of the material for this report was

obtained during meetings with employees of R & D laboratories of large

construction companies, government research institutions, and university

laboratories

.

1
2 . HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

a. Early Construction Technology

Throughout its history, Japan has shown an aptitude for the assimilation of

foreign ideas and the adaption of foreign techniques to its own tradition. As

early as the third century, Japan was strongly influenced by the continental

culture of China and Korea. In later years, the Japanese stopped copying

continental models and developed their own models. The existence of dual

models can be seen at surviving temples, where both continental influences and

distinct Japanese forms of architecture are evident.

Because rice grown in wet paddies has long been the staple of their diet, the

Japanese have historically placed great importance on controlling water. From

ancient times, construction of irrigation and drainage facilities, land

filling, and water use and control have been vitally important. The results

of extensive Japanese experience in these areas can be seen today in

construction, dredging and land reclamation.

b. Imported Technology

The influence of Western technology surged into Japan after the collapse of

the Shogunate and the Meiji Restoration in 1867. At that time, Japan used the

West as a model for modernization of its economy, industry and society in

general. With this influx came the latest construction technologies.

Railroads were built with English technical guidance, river and harbor works

were carried out with technologies developed in France and Holland, and

waterworks and sewerage systems were constructed with U.S. technology.

Brick and stone masonry was introduced in Western-style building construction,

primarily for public buildings. Steel-frame and reinf orced-concrete

2
construction were imported at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the

twentieth centuries. As a result of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which

destroyed much of Tokyo and surrounding areas, Japanese construction

technology developed especially in the direction of seismic resistant

structures. By the 1930's Japanese construction technology had caught up with

that of the Western countries

c . Advances in Technological Development in Construction

Real advances in modern construction technology came only after World War II.

Faced with near devastation of industrial complexes and urban areas of large

cities, Japan began to apply available technologies, domestic and foreign, in

reconstruction efforts.

During the high economic growth period of the 1960's and early 1970's, the

construction industry flourished both in housing construction and in national

land development projects. In the public works area, highway construction led

the volume of the civil engineering projects followed by harbor works, land

reclamation and railway construction, including the Shinkansen super express

railway Japan had made significant advances in developing new

contruction technologies out of the sheer necessity of meeting the demands of

rapidly expanding domestic construction projects. For example, through

laboratory research, Japan made significant advances in the seismic resistance

design of buildings and bridges, underground construction techniques, and

construction methods for offshore structures.

3
3. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRENDS

The annual construction investment in Japan exceeded $200 billion in 1980

r o I accounting for more than 20 percent of Japan's GNP 1

. This was a

significantly greater percentage of the GNP than that of the U.S. U.S.

construction investment in 1980 was $229 billion

^

which amounted to about 9

percent of the U.S. GNP. Recognizing the importance of the construction

industry in the overall economy, the Japanese government deliberately made

large investments in public works projects during the 1970's despite economic

setbacks due to oil crises in 1973 and 1977. As a result, the construction

industry maintained a steady annual growth of 11 to 13 percent. Since 1980,

however, there has been no increase in public spending by the Japanese

government, and the rate of increase slumped to only 5 percent.

To recover from the depressed construction market, large construction

companies have directed their R & D efforts to the development of new types of

structures which are expected to have an increased market demand in the

future. Large construction firms, particularly the five largest firms -

Kajima Corp., Taisei Corp., Shimizu Ltd., Ohbayashi-Gumi Ltd., and Takenaka

Komuten - are now competing to gain a large share of energy-related facility

construction such as nuclear power plants and inground LNG tank construction.

Since the design and construction of these structures required advanced civil

engineering technologies, construction firms made substantial investments in

their R & D efforts to capture a share of this market.

While the domestic construction market has experienced sluggish growth in

recent years, the overseas Japanese construction market has been growing

steadily.

4
A survey of the Overseas Construction Association of Japan (figure 1) showed

that foreign contracts awarded to its 58 member firms amounted to ¥537 billion

($2.25 billion) in 1979 However, this is still about only 1 percent of

domestic construction investment. Construction projects in the Middle East

accounted for about 56.5 percent of the total revenue of overseas activities

followed by construction projects in Southeast Asia which accounted for

about 35 percent. The remaining percentages included construction projects on

the South and North American continents.

Because of advanced construction methods developed in many of their domestic

projects, Japanese construction firms have successfully out performed stiff

American and European competition. Japanese firms even began to penetrate the

U.S. market. It was thought that foreign contractors could not successfully

compete in the highly competitive and complex construction market in the U.S.

However, for example, using the earth pressure balance shield tunneling

system, Japan's fourth largest contractor Ohbayashi-Gumi Ltd., has won three

tunneling contracts in recent years, one municipal government project and two

Federal government projects, for a total value of $45.5 million. On one

project, Ohbayashi-Gumi not only completed the project with a net profit, the

firm also finished ahead of schedule at a $3.87 million savings to U.S.

taxpayers

.

The Overseas Construction Association of Japan projects that overseas

activities of their member firms will increase in the years ahead. Advanced

knowledge and know-how in construction methods will allow Japanese firms to

participate in the area of underground tunneling construction, in the

construction of offshore structures and in mass transit rail system

contruction.

5
Source: Overseas Construction Association of Japan, Inc.

Figure 1. Foreign Construction Contracts

Won by Japanese Firms

6
4. CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

In 1980, about $120 million was spent on R & D by private Japanese

construction firms and about $60 million was spent by government and

university laboratories. These R & D expenditures were about 0.1 percent of

the 1980 construction cost

Much of the R & D effort in construction technology is carried out by large

private firms. These large construction firms, inmost cases, handle all

phases of construction, from site planning and engineering design to actual

constuction. They maintain research laboratories especially dedicated to

solving problems at hand and developing strategies for meeting future market

demands. Most of the major laboratories are listed in Table 1. For example,

Kajima Corporation maintains a large research complex known as Kajima

Institute of Construction Technology which has a research staff of about 220,

many of whom have received training in the U.S. Figure 2 shows a general

layout of this research complex. The laboratories include such testing

facilities as a biaxial earthquake simulator, large structural testing

fixtures, 58 m long wave basin, boundary layer wind tunnel, anechoic chamber,

and other unique testing facilities. There is no single U.S. civil

engineering institution (public or private) which has facilities equal to the

ones at the Kajima Institute.

The types of research carried out by these firms can broadly be classified

into three categories

(a) Problems that arise from ongoing construction activities which

require near-term solutions,

7

Table 1. Main Construction Company Research Institutes

Company

name a)

1980 capital in millions of yen

(2)

Location of institute

(3)

Date established

(4)

Land area,

in square

meters

(5)

Building area in square meters

(6) Staff

(7) Researchers(8)

1980 budget

in millions

of yen

(9)

Ohbayashi

Gumi

,

Ltd.

24,460 Tokyo 1945 75,543 8,739 194 110 1,290

Shimizu

Const.

Co., Ltd.

27,500 Tokyo 1946 28,997 15,182 214 128 1,750

Taisei Corporation

38,600 Tokyo 1958 34,822 12,439 166 109 1,500

Kajima

Corporation

36,300 Tokyo 1949 23,577 20,406 362 210 2,648

Takenaka

Komuten

Co., Ltd.

50,000 Tokyo 1959 11,066 12,097 251 185 1,850

KumagaiGumi , Ltd

.

14,520 Tokyo 1962 400 180 150 870

Hazama-Gumi

,

Ltd. 10,000 Tokyo 1945 2,600 4,038 84 80 1,528

Toda Con- struction

Co., Ltd.

7,500 Matsudo,

Chiba

1958 5,360 1,550 65 30 513

Nishimatsu

Const.

Co., Ltd.

15,800 Yamato, Kanagawa

1955 7,062 843 24 20 160

Fujita

Corporation

6,160 Yokomhama,

Kanagawa

1970 12,427 2,737 128 05 1,020

Okumura

Const.

Co., Ltd.

15,800 Osaka 1964 2,400 2,300 73 62 665

Maeda

Const.

Co., Ltd.

5,060 Tokyo 1963 6,200 3,077 107 98 800

Sato Kogyo

Co., Ltd. 6,913 Atsugi

,

Kanagawa

1963 7,000 2,500 65 55 395

Mitsui

Co., Ltd 6,050 Tokyo 1967 8,210 2,582 53 36 1,087

Penta-Ocean

Const.

Co., Ltd.

14,072 Yokohama 1967 3,139 2,175 60 — 400

Toa Harbor

Works Co.,

Ltd

8,860 Yokohama 1970 420 1,200 55 48 530

Tokyu Const.

Co., Ltd. 6,259 Kawasaki

,

Kanagawa

1968 2,044 1,088 47 37 272

The Nippon

Road Co.

,

Ltd.

3,300 Tokyo 1958 3,329 1,772 51 40 169«

Aoki Const.

Co., Ltd. 5,815 Tokyo 1959 7,000 1,000 40 35

Konoike

Const.

Co., Ltd.

5,000 Osaka 1963 6,000 1,500 46 40

Japan Gasoline Co.

,

Ltd.

2,154 Yokohama 1960 23,500 9,190 178 147
Table 1. (Continued)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. 1,958 Higashimatsuyama, Saitama

1960 27,400 1,500 50 35 400

Ohbayashi

Road

Const.

Co. , Ltd.

1,200 Urawa, Saitama

1975 18,150 480 23 20 38a

Taisei Road Construction

3,388 Urawa, Saitama

1971 9,057 2,542 51 45 241

Zenitaka

Corp.

3,675 Tokyo 1976 24,888 1,025 33 28 257

Nippon

Tetrapod

Co. , Ltd.

1,156 Tsuchiura,

Iharaki 1968 24,257 6,974 68 53 89

Toyo Const.

Co., Ltd. 8,173 Tokyo 1976 2,640 605 12 8 85

Maeda Road

Const. Co. 3,190 Tokyo 1965 7,970 1,830 20 17 126

Japan

Devel op.

Co.

4,100 Tokyo 1970 4,800 773 33 29 250

Misawa Howes

Co. 2,094 Tokyo 1973 3,139 9,241 84 78 968

Raito Kogyo

Co. 2,145 Funahashi

,

Chiba

1973 1,853 1,492 28 21 158

a budget in 1974
Total Site Area — 23,577m 2 Total Floor Area of Buildings — 20,406m 2 O Head Office, Building Eng. Dept., and Mechanical Eng. Dept.

© Radio Isotope Lab. ©~® ©~ ®

Geotechnical Lab., Materials Lab., Environmental Eng. Lab.,

and Mechanical Eng. Lab. @©

Large Structure Testing Laboratories.

© Civil Eng. Dept.

© Hydraulics Lab.

Figure 2 Layout of Research Laboratories of

Kajima Institute of Construction

Technology

9
(b) applied research to develop new technologies to increase future

competitiveness in domestic and overseas market, and

(c) basic research which may not bring immediate pay-offs but may

provide the firm with a competitive edge in future construction

projects.

A significant amount of effort is spent on category (b). For example, the big

five - Kajima, Taisei, Shimizu, Ohbayashi-Gumi and Takenaka Komuten - each

independently carried out research on structural performance of nuclear

containment structures subjected to earthquakes having magnitudes of 6-7.

Today, the big five virtually monopolize the market for nuclear reactor

containment construction. The knowledge gained from this research also

enabled them to dominate in the design and contrue t ion of most of the highrise

structures in Japan. Research in the slurry-wall construction method by

Kajima, Shimizu and Ohbayashi-Gumi gave them a competitive edge in getting a

Tokyo Gas Company contract to build the world's largest underground LNG tank

having a capacity of 130,000 liters.

National government laboratories carry out both basic and applied research

programs primarily designed to support national policies and public welfare.

Government laboratories also carry out testing and special projects to solve

specific problems of other branches of the national government, prefectural

governments and public corporations such as the Japan Highway Corporation and

the Japan Housing Corporation.

Much of the governmental, construction-related research is carried out at the

Public Works Research Institute (PWRI) and the Building Reseach Institute

(BRI) of the Ministry of Construction, and to a lesser extent at the National

10
Research Center for Disaster Prevention (NRCDP) of the Science and Technology

Agency. These research organizations are all located in Tsukuba Science City,

about 60 km to the northeast of Tokyo.

Both PWRI and BRI have extensive research facilities. The 1981 research

budget for these two institutes was $38.2 million ($32.8 million for PWRI and

$5.4 million for BRI) which does not include the salary for employees. The

salary is treated as a separate budget item which is not included in the

research budget The organization charts of these two institutes describe

their functions (figures 3 and 4).

The PWRI is the national center for civil engineering and deals with problems

related to rivers, dam construction, erosion control, waste water treatment,

construction methods and equipment, highways and structural engineering. The

institute has a research staff of 310 and 48 buildings which house research

laboratories and administrative offices. The institute has a large variety of

testing facilities for materials, structures, soils, structural dynamics,

aerodynamics , hydraulics and water quality.

The BRI has a research staff of 121 and 20 buildings. BRI's research complex

includes a large structures laboratory where full-scale buildings up to eight

stories can be tested under horizontal static and dynamic loads; a full-scale

fire test facility; a building elements laboratory; a building materials

laboratory; an environmental research laboratory; a wind and rain testing

facility and a geotechnical laboratory.

The NRCDP has an annual budget of about $10 million (1980). It has testing

facilities to deal with earthquake and snow load effects on structures,

landslide, runoff, tsunami and storm surge. At the present time, it has the

second largest operating shaking table (15 m x 15 m) in Japan.

11
-Assistant Director-General

-Geotechnical Counselor

r-General Affairs Department

-Planning and Research

Administration

Department

-Geology and Chemistry

Department

[-Personnel Investigator

r-Personnel and Welfare Division —General Affairs Division

-Accounting Division

rDam Construction Instructor

-Planning Division

Research Information and

Library Division

-System Division

*- Research Facilities Division

-Geology Division

-Chemistry Division

-Concrete Division

Director Deputy

General —Director

General

-River Department

- River Hydraulics Division

-Urban River Division

-Hydrology Division

-Flood Disaster Prevention Division

L Coastal Engineering Division

-Water Quality Control

Department

[-Sewage Works Division

-Advanced Waste Treatment Division

-Ultimate Disposal Division

L Water Quality Division

-Dam Department

-Erosion Control

Department

-Dam Structure Division

-Fill Type Dam Division

-Dam Hydraulic Engineering Division

L Water Resources Engineering Division - Erosion Control Division - Landslide Division - Slope Failure Division

-Road Department

-Traffic Engineering Division — New Transportation Systems Division

-Traffic Safety Division

-Traffic Environment Division — Pavement Division — Tunnel Division

L Planting Division

-Construction Method andEquipment Department

-Structure and Bridge

Department

-Construction Equipment Division

--Construction Method Division

-Soil Mechanics Division — Soil Dynamic Division

i— Foundation Engineering Division

-Structure Division

L Bridge Division

-Earthquake Disaster r- Ground Vibration Division

Prevention Department *- Earthquake Engineering Division

*— Niigata Experimental Laboratory

Figure 3 Organizational Chart of the Public Works

Research Institute, Ministry of Construction

12
Organizational

Structure

of

BRI

Figure 4 Organizational Chart of the Building Ru.-.e.i rrh

Institute, Ministry of Construction

13
University laboratories are supported mainly by funds provided by the national

government (Ministry of Education). Their research efforts are primarily

aimed at solving generic problems related to construction. Laboratory

facilities of many of the national universities, including Tokyo, Kyoto,

Osaka, Tohoku, Nogoyo, Tsukuba, and Tokyo Metropolitan University are not as

extensive as those laboratories of national government institutes and large

construction firms. While some universities have unique testing facilities

such as wind tunnels at Tokyo and Kyoto Universities, by and large, most

university laboratories do not have the most up-to-date equipment.

14
5. CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY

Japan's construction equipment industry grew steadily during the period of

high economic growth since 1955. Although it experienced a slump right after

the oil crisis of 1973, the total output reached ¥1,197 billion ($5 billion)

f3 1 in 1981 1 J , and the industry is now regarded as one of the major industries

in Japan. Exports account for about 30-40 percent of the total production

volume However, the percentage of export is expected to increase as

domestic demands remain constant.

Well over 200 construction equipment manufacturers compete to expand their

share in export markets including Komatsu Ltd., ranked as the world's second

largest equipment manufacturer after Caterpillar Tractor Co. Exports include

almost every type of construction equipment from hydraulic excavators,

bulldozers, and cranes to foundation work equipment and road construction

machinery.

In the beginning, the development of Japan's construction equipment industry

depended upon technologies obtained from western countries. In addition,

Japanese manufacturers had linked themselves with western European and

American manufacturers for capital investment and technical support. This

link also gave Japanese manufacturers opportunities to export their products.

At the present time, Japanese construction equipment is highly competitive

with those manufactured by U.S. and European companies.

Most of the Japanese domestic demands for construction equipment depends

largely on the level of activity in the domestic construction industry. For

example, during periods of high economic growth, large engineering projects

such as new town and highway construction demanded heavy construction

15
equipment such as bulldozers, hydraulic excavators and cranes. With a recent

change in public works spending (since 1980) from large-scale new construction

to readjustment of the living environment such as improvements in sewers,

roads and sanitation facilities, the demand for hydraulic shovels has

increased while the demand for heavy equipment has declined.

In order to offset the decline in domestic sales, Japanese manufacturers have

expanded their efforts to obtain foreign sales. To improve their export

position by removing territory restrictions, a number of large Japanese

manufacturers have cut their ties to foreign firms such as Bucyrus-Erie Co.

and Koehring Co. in the U.S. and Yumbo S.A. of France.

Japan's construction equipment industry expects to capture a significant part

of the international market. In order to meet foreign competition, the

industry has made significant R & D investments in the following areas

1. labor-saving and unmanned automated and robotic systems (radio

controlled and amphibious bulldozers);

2. electronic systems to control mechanical functions (mechatronics)

;

3. energy-saving and anti-pollution engines;

4. "component type" and "module type" products; and

5. equipment for marine engineering projects.

16
6 . CONCLUSIONS

The construction industry is one of the key industries in Japan. The annual

volume of revenues of the industry accounts for over 20 percent of the GNP of

Japan. Recognizing the importance of the health of the construction industry

to its economy, the Japanese government fosters the construction industry

through government spending on public works projects during slump periods.

Over 50 large construction firms maintain research laboratories to maintain a favorable position in the very competitive construction market. The

laboratories serve as a resource for solving immediate field problems; and,

more importantly, they serve as a marketing tool. Research is an integral

part of large construction firms. Benefits from investments in research

laboratories by large construction firms are not limited to the large firms

alone, but benefits also accrue to many medium and small firms as research

results are published or become known. As a result, construction technology

in Japan has advanced.

The Japanese international market share of construction equipment has grown

steadily. The Japanese construction equipment industry expects its exports to

grow further in coming years. Having severed their ties with equipment

manufacturing firms in the U.S. and Europe, Japanese firms will be relieved

from restrictions on marketing territories. While energy-saving engines and

automated equipment have given Japanese manufacturers a competitive edge in

the international competition, manufacturers are moving ahead cautiously to

avoid international trade frictions.

17
The following summarize the findings in this report:

1. Nature of Construction Industry

o In terms of the GNF share, Japanese construction volume is about

twice that of the U.S.

o The Japanese government makes a special effort to boost the

construction industry by means of increased public works projects.

o In the international market, Japanese construction firms provide

primarily engineering and contruction services, but the current

situation is expected to change as they move into construction

management

.

o The volume of Japanese construction equipment manufacturing is

second only to the U.S. at the present time. However, the gap is

being narrowed rapidly through Japan's increased share of the world

market

.

2. Construction Research and Development

o The investment in construction R & D by private and public sectors

in Japan is about 0.1 percent of annual billing of the construction

industry.

o Industry, universities and government cooperate in construction

research.

o Private construction R & D efforts contribute directly to

productivity improvement.

o The Japanese government provides tax incentives for private

contruction research.

o Private construction firms have active research in construction

automation by applying industrial robotic technologies.

18
7. REFERENCES

[1] Furukawa, 0., "The Japanese Construction Industry Today," The Overseas

Construction Association of Japan, Tokyo, 1980.

[2] "Statistical Handbook of Japan, 1981," Statistical Bureau, Prime

Minister's Office , Tokyo 162, Japan.

[3] MacAuley, R., "Economic Trends in the Construction Industry,"

Construction Review, May/June 1981, U.S. Department of Commerce,

Washington, D.C.

[4] "1981-1982 Directory of Research Institutes in Japan," (in Japanese),

Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan, 1982.

[5] "Japan Economic Yearbook 1981/1982," The Oriental Economist, Tokyo,

Japan.

[6] Egoshi, H., "Construction Machinery Industry in the 1980's," Digest of

Japanese Industry & Technology, No. 144, Tokyo, Japan, 1980.

[7] Pulson, B. C., "Research in Japanese Construction Industry," Journal of

the Construction Division, American Society of Civil Engineers, March

1980, New York.

19
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1. PUBLICATION OR

REPORT NO.

NBSIR 84-2834

2. Performing Organ. Report No. 3. Publication Date

September 1984

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH IN JAPAN

5. AUTHOR(S)

H. S. Lew

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SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

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11.

ABSTRACT (A 200-word or less factual summary of most significant information. If document includes a significant

bi bliography or literature survey, mention it here) The construction industry is one of the key industries in Japan. The annual volume

of business of the industry accounts for over 20 percent of the GNP of Japan.

Partially due to large investments in the public works projects by the Japanese

Government, the industry maintained a steady growth during the past two decades.

During this period of steady growth, many large construction firms established

research laboratories to place themselves in a favorable position in the domestic,

as well as international, construction market.

The construction machinery industry of Japan also grew steadily during the same

period, and their share of the world market increased significantly. In order

to meet foreign competition, the industry has also made significant investments

in their R & D efforts.

This report examines the R & D efforts of Japan’s construction and construction

machinery industries and their trends.

12.

KEY WORDS (Six to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalize only proper names; and separate key words by semicolon s) Construction; construction machinery; Japan; laboratories; research; R & D

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