Shibaura Institute of Technology

It is the second time we visit the Shibaura Instute during this study tour, this time it is for the Institute itself. The Shibaura Institute is a private university, with a Civil Engineering department of around 500 students. Some of the professors from the same department joined us in the meeting and after a quick introduction by Professor Nakagawa, the floor is ours. We were asked to present about the our research and in particular, the micro studies. So, Luuk kicked off and told the audience about the University of Twente and the purpose of this study tour. First up was Koen Reef and hier research into the morphological behaviour of storm-induced breaches, after that it was time for the reason we came to Japan. Our microstudies. Daan talked about the BIM maturity levels at construction companies in Japan and showed the VR-experience we had at the JR East railway company, the professor told that the Japanese are now using laserscanning and drones in order to make a pointcloud. After a short discussion the group of Ramon, Joost and Athina was up for the microstudy into the Shinkansen. Their experiences were little, because we will travel to Kyoto tomorrow by Shinkansen. The professors stated that the IC-card, the local OV chipcard, was for the metro only. In order to travel by Shinkansen you have to have a creditcard, or pay cash. But the Japanese do use the IC-card for more functions, like paying with it at other stores. Then the Urban Water Management group talked about their experiences with flood defenses in the Tokyo area, mainly the findings were that the inhabitants of Tokyo are informed well. In the local supermarkets maps are placed which show the flows of water in the area. Also the height of the ground is shown in the different areas, to show were people are safe. In the lower regions the metro stations are sealable, in case of tsunami floodings. This is also because of the higher risks the Japanese are willing to take, in cases of flooding. And the final presentation of us was about the resilience to planned and unplanned events. After our presentations three professors who attended the meeting presented their research and workfield. Professor Nakagawa started by taken us in the world of Geoinformation services, and told us about the point cloud data which they are collecting using terrestial laserscanners and using aerial images. Also the cultural heritage modelling. The second speaker was doing his research in the field of reclaimed aggregate from concrete, by carbonizing the low quality reclaimed material the strength of recycled concrete will increase. The third professor was mr. Miyamoto, he told us about his research into river engineering. The main focus was on the vegetation dynamics in the Kinugawa river, obtaining knowledge about the seed arrivals into surface layers of the sandbars. Combining river management with ecological research. The research could help in river management, because vegetation overgrowth and forest expansion is a problem in fluvial flood plains. After the presentations we were welcomed to come see their concrete canoes and gather for some Japanese snack and drink.