Professor Feng Zhang's final lecture and retirement party
On March 25, Professor Feng Zhang's final lecture and retirement party was held. The title of the lecture was "長江後浪推前浪 江山代有人才出" which is meant to encourage our younger generation. The lecture was not only about his research, but also about his life, and we could fully feel the personality of Professor Zhang.Thank you very much for […]
Attending a final lecture by Prof. Junichi Koseki of the University of Tokyo
On March 7, I attended the final lecture of my former supervisor, Professor Junichi Furuseki of the Department of Social Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo. The title of his final lecture was "Deformation Strength Properties of Geomaterials and Seismic Behavior of Soil Structures: Research History and Remaining Issues at the University of […]
Utilizing EPP (Expanded polypropylene) block for a soil structure
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is widely used as a lightweight fill method for filling on soft ground, backfilling structures, and widening road embankments. On the other hand, EPS road embankments on steep slopes were reported to have been partially damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. Although the road embankment has not completely collapsed, the blocks were […]
Seismic resistance of retaining wall and bridge abutments reinforced by EPS and geogrid
Ground reinforcement methods such as geogrid reinforced soil retaining walls, which have been proven to have high seismic resistance, increase the resistance of retaining walls to seismic motion. On the other hand, a method to reduce seismic earth pressure on the back ground, which is the main cause of movement, is to use expanded polystyrene […]
Finishing final defenses for Master's and Bachelor's degrees
As of yesterday, I have completed the review of my master's thesis and graduation thesis! The review at the University of Tokyo, my former affiliation, was finished about a week ago. I would like to thank Mr. Muto for his master's thesis, Mr. Hijikata for his bachelor's thesis, and Mr. Hirayama for his support. Thank […]
Gathering laboratory members!!
We have had regular seminars since we were assigned to the laboratory, but for various reasons, we have not been able to get together with all the members face-to-face. Today, we finally got together!We hope that the students will gradually realize the fun of research from now on.
Interpretation of osmotic consolidation phenomena through local measurements of displacement and cation concentration
Swelling clays such as bentonite are layered minerals composed of negatively charged clay crystals. Cations in the pore water are attracted to the negatively charged mineral crystals. The difference in ionic concentration between the crystals (inside the interlayer) and the pore water generates osmotic pressure, which causes water to move between the crystal layers and […]
Tour of a construction site: Tokai-kanjo Expressway
Thanks to NEXCO Central Japan, members of our laboratory visited the construction site of the Tokai Ring Expressway.We visited the cut-and-cover construction site at the Yamagata Interchange for the full opening of the ring road, and the construction sites of the Kakita Tunnel and the Kukuri No. 2 Tunnel for the increase of the number […]
Receiving a prize "Kakehashi-sho by the selection committee of Tanaka prize"
I received the "Tanaka Award Selection Committee Kakehashi Prize" from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers in recognition of the content of my lectures on Applied Project IV, which I taught during my tenure at the University of Tokyo.（https://committees.jsce.or.jp/tanaka_sho/node/70）I was very deeply moved by the opportunity to be involved in the conception of the lecture. […]
The 6th Workshop on "Bentonite"at Waseda Univ.
On January 20, I attended the 6th Bentonite Study Group held at Waseda University. I found myself discussing for four hours straight in a group where we could discuss for the pursuit of truth without hesitation. It was a very meaningful time, as we found new insights and issues.