Civil and Environmental Engineering

Civil and Environmental Engineering

 

 

Faculty and StaffIt moves to another site in school.

 

Curriculum

 

Research Activities

In order to realize affluent society，it is necessary to improve social infrastructures related to people's　life and production activities. Civil Engneering treats theories and technologies which are used for planning，design, construction and management of infrastructures implemented by public works.

Social infrastructures include transportation facilities， such as roads，railways and airports，disaster prevention facilities，such as dams and river banks，and environmental facilities，such as sewerage waste disposal systems．

Parks，Schools and the water supply system are also included in such infrastructures．

The Department of Civil Engneering has four chairs which are divided into ten groups according to research subjects．Each group consists of several staff members.

Research activities of ten groups are briefly introduced below．

 

STRUCTURE AND CONCRETE ENGINEERING

Concrete Engineering

(C. Hashimoto, T. Watanabe and K. Ishimaru)

Research subjects in this group are as follows．

  • （1）Properties of fresh concrete，Performance based design concept for construction of concrete and concrete structure and Visualization techniques for concrete flow (C． Hashimoto)．
  • （2）Nondestructive evaluations of concrete structure (T．Watanabe)．
  • （3）Experimental research on High volume fly ash concrete (K．Ishimaru)．

Current research topics include evaluation methods of consistency of fresh concrete，high performance of concrete construction machinery, utilization of recycled aggregate and nondestructive testing for concrete defects based on Elastic wave method．

 

Wind Engineering

(F. Nagao and M. Noda)

Our program treats the various aspects of wind engineering field such as the characteristics of local strong wind, the aerodynamic stability of bridges, the wind disaster, the wind tunnel technique to simulate the boundary layer flow and the numerical simulation of flow around an oscillating bridge deck. Experimental research, a strongly emphasized element of the program, is carried out using five different wind tunnels. Some current themes are estimation of local strong wind by micro scale terrain parameters, improvement of aerodynamic stability of plate and box girder bridge decks, simulation of tornado flow and flying debris motion and development of new safer vertical axis wind turbine.

 

Structural Engineering Earthquake Engineering

(Y. Nariyuki, A. Mikami and H. Sato)

Our research interests include structural engineering and earthquake engineering with focuses on the following research topics:

  • （1）Inelastic response analysis of bridges under strong earthquakes (Nariyuki)
  • （2）Stiffness degradation identification of structures using Modal Analysis (Nariyuki)
  • （3）Order of priority of seismic retrofit and repair of bridges (Nariyuki)
  • （4）Development of Tsunami evacuation simulation system (Nariyuki)
  • （5）Automatic extraction of damaged areas from aerial photo (Nariyuki)
  • （6）Seismic soil-structure Interaction (Mikami)
  • （7）Evaluation of dynamic characteristics of structures/ground from earthquake/microtremor recordings (Mikami)
  • （8）Simulation of earthquake ground motions (Mikami)
  • （9）Seismic isolation of structures (Mikami)
  • （10）Structural performance evaluation of traditional timber houses in Japan (Sato)
  • （11）Evaluation of earthquake disaster risk of timber structures based on historical earthquakes (Sato)
  • （12）Reinforcement repair work of existing conventional timber houses (Sato)

 

ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION ENGINERRING

Hydraulic and Hydrology

(T. Okabe and T. Tamura)

Research topic of this group are concerned with rivers and hydrology. Various problems related to the preservation works in the above areas are currently studied from both hydraulic, hydrology and ecologlcal points of view.

  • （1）Technical improvement in ecological Sabo-works；Mathematical modeling of the interrelation between hydraulic condition and riparian ecosystems；Numerical methodology for hydraulic and geomorphic processes in rivers (T．Okabe)．
  • （2）Mathematical modelling of water and solute runoff in forested basins．Forest's function in water and solute is especially stressed． (T. Tamura)

 

Regional Disaster Prevention

(S. Nakano and J. C. Jiang)

This group mainly carries out research and development associated with disaster reduction from both hard and soft aspects. Research interests in this group cover (1) Field investigation and numerical analysis for environmental evaluation of coastal zones and tidal rivers, countermeasures against tsunami and storm surge, and business continuity management for small and midsize companies (S. Nakano) and (2) Three-dimensional static and seismic slope stability analyses, risk assessment of earthquake/rainfall-induced landslides, and shear strengths of landslide soils and slope stabilization design (J.-C. JIANG).

 

GEOTECHNICAL AND GEOENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Geotechnical Engineering

(H. Suzuki)

This group mainly carries out research and development associated with slope stability engineering. Laboratory experimental research on soil properties is also performed. The main research themes are progressive failure analysis of slopes, three-dimensional slope stability analysis, design method for landslide control works, back analysis of strength parameters, seismic slope stability, numerical simulation of rockfall, prediction of earthquake-induced landslides in a wide area, slope stability considering soil strength anisotropy, and laboratory failure tests for small scale model slopes with stabilizing piles.

 

Foundation Engineering

(A. Mochizuki and K. Ueno)

Current research topics of this group are:

  • （1）Development of constitutive soil-models employing a double-yielding surfaces and it's application for numerical analyses;
  • （2）Development of a new shear apparatuses and it's application in research of shear property of soils;
  • （3）Development of a beam type centrifuge and its application for testing of models;
  • （4）Dynamic response analysis of underground structures;
  • （5）Collapse mechanism and bearing capacity of pavement with an underground void.

 

Ecosysytem Management

(M. Kamada, Y. Kawaguchi and Y. Tashiro)

In the Laboratory of Ecosystem Management, studies for conservation and restoration of ecosystems are conducted from perspectives of natural and social sciences. We develop the methods for ecological planning from coarse to fine scales, ecosystem assessment, conservation of endangered species, management of alien species, and social system for encouraging adaptive management. Natural forest, secondary forest, paddy field, irrigation channel, river, estuary and green parks in urban area are all involved in our fields.

 

PLANNING AND DESIGN SYSTEMS ENGINEERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURES

Design and Maintenance Systems Engineering for lnfrastructures

(H. Mizuguchi and T. Ueda)

  • （1）Materials for construction (H. Mizuguchi and T. Ueda): Characteristics of fresh concrete, materials for landscape designed structures and new concept materials for mitigating environmental impact using by-product and wastes (Eco-materials and Eco-concrete).
  • （2）Maintenance engineering for concrete structures (H. Mizuguchi and T. Ueda): Maintenance systems concept and repair and strengthening engineering for damaged concrete structures.
  • （3）Water purification (H. Mizuguchi and T. Ueda): Water purification engineering using porous concrete.
  • （4）Landscape design (H. Mizuguchi): Landscape design for concrete structure.

 

Urban lnfrastructure Design

(H. Yamanaka, S. Namerikawa and J. Sanada)

  • （1）Urban and regional system design (H. Yamanaka and J. Sanada): Regional and city planning for regeneration town center and redesign of rural areas.
  • （2）Urban transport design (H. Yamanaka and J. Sanada): Travel demand management for urban areas, and public transport system for towns.
  • （3）Participatory planning (H. Yamanaka and J. Sanada): Participatory planning for public open space, neighborhood street design.
  • （4）Construction Management Design (S. Namerikawa): Optimal network scheduling.