Concrete structures support our daily lives. However, many of them have been deteriorated or damaged due to years of use or natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Our laboratory aims to clarify the characteristics of concrete structures under various loads and environments, such as major earthquakes and fires, through experiments and analysis, and to reflect the results in design standards. By improving the performance and functionality of materials and structural members, we propose durable and long-lasting concrete structures.

Main Research Topics

• Study on mechanical properties of concrete structural members under various loads and environments
• Research on fire resistance of concrete structures
• Shear load carrying capacity of prestressed concrete members
• Improvement of performance of concrete bridge piers

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Recently, in Japan, the steel-concrete composite girder bridge aiming at the reduction of the constructional and maintenance cost, improvement of constructability and construction period is widely employed. For instance, the steel-concrete double composite girder bridges, which has two concrete slabs at upper and lower surfaces of the girder only in the region of the intermediate supports is recognizing as one of medium span bridges. Therefore, we carry out the experimental and analytical research to determine the optimal design method for this type of the bridges.

On the other hand, the fire attack for bridges due to fire from accidents including rollover and collisions, burned fields and so on trends to increase in Japan and in foreign countries. We focus on mechanical properties of the steel-concrete composite girder bridge before and after fire. We carry out the fire test to clarify the distribution of the temperature. Also, we do the static loading test before and after fire to confirm the effect of thermal history on the rigidity reduction and to make clear the judgement temperature of passing propriety after fire.

Main Research Topics

• Structural study of steel-concrete double composite girder bridge
• Experimental study on shrinkage behavior of the steel-concrete composite slab
• Study on shear resistance and fatigue strength of headed stud
• Strength evaluation for connection between steel girder and concrete abutment
• Mechanical properties of the steel-concrete composite girder subjected to thermal history due to fire

• Read More (in Japanese) - Prof. Osamu OHYAMA
• Read More (in Japanese) - Assistant Prof. Yusuke IMAGAWA

Concrete is used in various structures that make up urban infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels. However, recent research has confirmed a serious situation in which a certain type of sand or gravel used as a material for concrete in the piers that support road and rail bridges has expanded under the influence of rainwater, causing cracks in the concrete and cutting the reinforcing bars in the concrete. This phenomenon is called alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and is also known as "cancer of concrete.” Therefore, in our laboratory, we are conducting research on how to properly maintain and manage deteriorated concrete structures.

Main Research Topics

• Research on durability of concrete structures damaged by ASR
• Research on rationalization of shear design method of concrete members

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In recent years, various geotechnical disasters have continued to cause serious damage to society, such as liquefaction of young reclaimed ground in the Great East Japan Earthquake, collapse of residential land development embankments, tsunami-deposited soil, radioactive soil and groundwater, as well as deep-seated collapse and natural dams in the Kii Peninsula Floods. Recently, the western Japan torrential rain disaster also occurred in 2018. In this laboratory, we are conducting research on the following themes: ground disaster prevention, such as prediction and monitoring of the risk of deep-seated collapse during heavy rainfall in the southern part of Nara Prefecture and prediction and monitoring of the risk of landslide disaster during heavy rainfall in the "Masa land belt" in Hiroshima Prefecture; ground environment, such as evaluation of the long-term reliability of soil-based water barrier walls and evaluation of the applicability of recycled waste glass materials as geomaterials; skill evaluation of geomaterials testing and analysis of variation factors. We are also working on themes related to geomaterial testing, such as skill evaluation and analysis of variation factors in geomaterial testing. Particularly, in the area of "Prediction and monitoring of the risk of deep-seated collapse during heavy rainfall in the southern part of Nara Prefecture", our laboratory was required to further strengthen our activities for monitoring the risk of deep-seated collapse during heavy rainfall, following the conclusion of a cooperation agreement between our university and Totsukawa Village in Nara Prefecture on December 18, 2014. In response, the following year, we installed our own rain gauges at three locations in Totsukawa Village (Asahi, Iokase, and Ideya) to strengthen the monitoring system in the village. Currently, we are predicting and monitoring the risk of deep-seated collapse during heavy rainfall at 17 locations in the southern part of Nara Prefecture, based on the risk index proposed by our laboratory. We hope that these monitoring activities will be of some help in strengthening the disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities of this region.

Main Research Topics

• Study on the prediction and monitoring of the risk of deep-seated collapse during heavy rainfall in the southern part of Nara Prefecture
• Study on prediction and monitoring of landslide risk during heavy rainfall in the Hiroshima area
• Research on performance evaluation of soil-based water barriers
• Research on effective utilization of recycled waste glass materials
• Study on skill evaluation and variation factors in geotechnical material testing

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In Japan, the population is rapidly aging and declining. Since towns are also expected to shrink from expansion, new techniques will be needed in addition to the town planning techniques that have been applied in the past. In this laboratory, we would like to contribute to the building of frameworks for what kind of city should be built and how it should be achieved, as the values held by each resident are becoming increasingly diverse. We would also like to contribute to the decision-making process by analyzing the relationship between the movement of people and space using simulations and other methods to select the most appropriate plan.

Main Research Topics

• Research on evacuation simulation using multi-agent and machine learning
• Research on spatial analysis to evaluate the creation of liveliness
• Research on the renewal of urban areas
• Research on securing means of transportation in daily life environment.
• Research on the use of bicycles in urban areas

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Population, assets, social capital are concentrated in the low-lying waterfront area in many cases. These alluvial and coastal areas provide an environment suited to the rich ecosystem because water and soil are adjacent. These waterfront areas are also prone to disasters due to the action of external environmental forces caused by natural events (heavy rains, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.). In this laboratory, we are investigating disaster mitigation measures in harmony with the environment, based on hydrodynamic and geomorphological approaches to complex disaster processes involving fluid and soil (sediment) systems, such as floods and tsunamis.

Main Research Topics

• Identification of flood-prone sedimentary features -Application to floodplain management based on geomorphological processes
• Development of tsunami disaster mitigation facilities using natural forces
• Research on coastal groundwater response incorporating disaster events
• Research on restoration of disaster environment in low-lying waterfront areas focusing on sedimentary features

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We live in a geographic environment in Japan that is prone to natural disasters such as large-scale earthquakes and heavy rains.
In this laboratory, we focus on earth structures that are constructed in such an environment.
1) Research on evaluation of soundness and seismic resistance,
2) Research on the advancement of countermeasure methods, using computer simulations and various laboratory experiments.
Why don't you come in contact with the engineering world of "soil" that is all around you with us?

Main Research Topics

• Research on seismic evaluation of concrete face rockfill dams (CFRD)
• Study on stability evaluation of reservoir embankments under heavy rainfall
• Study on the design method of cement stabilized soil considering the dependence of confining pressure

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Our research aims at improving the urban and regional areas where people live. We study the measures required for better urban and regional areas focusing on various activities, people's behavior & awareness, rules and systems, influence of COVID-19, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, from the four perspectives of liveliness, livability, safety & security, and sustainability. To conduct our research, we use a variety of information including big data and the latest technologies such as statistical analysis and artificial intelligence.

Main Research Topics

• Influence of COVID-19 on people's activities
• Social acceptance and social implementation of autonomous vehicles
• Evaluation of the effects of implementing traffic accident countermeasures
• Regional mobility to support sustainable regions
• Effects of advanced driver assistance systems on elderly drivers

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