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The aims of the New Three-Year Plan that Kajima has
been pursuing since fiscal 1999 were to build up the Group's revenue
base and improve the Company's financial structure. By fiscal
2001, the final year of the plan, the Company had broadly succeeded
in achieving the performance targets originally set. As in other
areas of corporate endeavor, prioritizing and achieving greater
efficiency in R&D activities were key factors for selecting
research subjects. Cost-reduction technology for winning more
work was the first priority as an urgent research subject in addition
to newly increased research needs in environment, renewal and
life-cycle engineering (LCE). The result was a 28% reduction in
the number of technology development topics, from 226 in fiscal
2000 to 162. Research investment totaled 12.5
billion, which was 0.94% of net sales.
Organizational restructuring and system configuration were also
key topics for the R&D Division in the New Three-Year Plan.
The Company adopted a more strategic and efficiency-driven approach
to the R&D system in general, in response to internal and
external change precipitated by the emergence of new areas of
need and the effects of the economic downturn, seen in greater
cost competition, a shrinking construction market, leaner companies,
and reduced R&D expenditure. The Company's R&D system
was restructured for relaunch in fiscal 2002.
The main themes of technological development for the Company as
a whole in fiscal 2001 included a method of building large-section
tunneling in urban areas; renewal technology for civil engineering
structures; technology to widen and enable branching in shield
tunnels (the octopus shield tunneling method); a new method for
constructing underground building frame: intelligent structural
oil-dampers (HiDAX); methods of designing for earthquake resistance
and fire prevention in accordance with performance-based specifications;
contaminated soil treatment technology; and organic waste treatment
technology (Metakles). The Company is working hard to achieve
application and commercialization of emerging technologies, including
the new construction method of tunnel boring machine (TBM); an
automatic system for excavating caissons in bedrock; free-plan
housing technology for high-rise residences; concrete-filled steel
tubular (CFT) structures; seismic retrofitting methods for existing
reinforced concrete structures; and the Air Refrigerant System
(AIRS).
The Kajima Technical Research Institute, which is the core of
Kajima's R&D, undertook R&D projects on 53 topics (including
12 priority topics) defined by the business strategy for research
laid down for the Group. The major topics were analysis of subterranean
cavities in bedrock; high-durability lightweight concrete; LCE
technology for existing civil engineering structures; flat plate
frames; dew proofing and moisture control systems; photovoltaic
engineering assessment tools; effective use of construction and
industry by-products; environment-friendly revegetation technology;
creation of coastal environments; and control of electromagnetic
environments.
Some of the key R&D achievements of fiscal 2001 were as follows.
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Large-Section Tunneling in Urban Areas
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The importance of auxiliary tunneling methods is
growing as tunnels with generally larger sections for urban region
construction. Particular effort has been invested in developing
facing stabilization and forepiling, which gives a high degree
of control of ground surface settlement.
The division developed the Multi Ground Forepiling (MGF) method,
which improves the control of ground surface settlement by increasing
the thickness of improved zones. It also put forward the cylindrical
shell theory as a design calculation method that enables forepiling
deformation characteristics to be evaluated. The efficacy of the
construction method and the reliability of the theory have been
confirmed in model testing using the geotechnical centrifuge and
on-site measurements.
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Photovoltaic Engineering Assessment Technology
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In this era of heightened concern for conservation
of the global environment, photovoltaic systems are winning increased
acceptance as a source of clean energy. There is a growing number
of practical examples in the building field. A part of the Company's
development work on photovoltaic system engineering has been involved
in linking such systems with CAD to develop a basic planning tool
that enables the power generation performance of photovoltaic
systems adapted for a variety of construction forms to be evaluated.
The tool visually displays yearly power generation characteristics,
and is useful both in presentations for project clients considering
the introduction of such systems, and as a design support tool.
The division is currently developing a practical design tool for
optimum system design.
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Treatment Technology for Contaminated Soil
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The division developed a way to design an efficient
vacuum extraction method for use in the treatment of VOC-contaminated
soil, which led to improvements in the efficiency using the Kajima-developed
sequenced foaming method for treating soil contaminated with oil.
The development also led to cost savings. A further achievement
was the practical application of bio-remediation technology to
treating soil contaminated with low concentrations of oil. The
technology was applied to treatment of soil contaminated with
crude oil and benzene. Kajima participated in a technology development
project under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to conduct
verification trials and verify the effect of technology to treat
in situ organisms.
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Effective Use of Construction and Industry By-Products
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One of the technologies for recycling waste products
that the division has developed and applied is a synthetic multi-function
aggregate, the primary raw material for which is coal ash from
thermal power plants (60%). The aggregate clears JIS standards
for lightweight structural concrete aggregate, and is 30% cheaper
than traditional synthetic aggregates. The division has also developed
an external cladding tile and paving blocks that are made from
waste incinerator ash, and waste glass or waste ceramics. The
raw material for both products is between 50% and 80% waste, and
the division has further developed and is marketing tiles that
are coated with a dirt-resistant, photocatalytic film. The products
have all been awarded an Eco Mark.
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New Fire Safety Technology for Performance-Based
Specifications
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Amendment of the Building Standard Law has seen
the introduction of performance-based specifications to design
for fire safety, and performance labels. The new legislation has
made it essential for the Company to improve its technical capabilities,
boost its capability to deal with disputes and litigation, and
secure the cost of warranties. The division is therefore working
on three fire safety technologies: (1) a support tool for performance
design; (2) a method of assessing the cost associated with the
risk of fire safety; and (3) a tool for reaching agreement on
the fire safety performance of residential structures. The example
of output at left depicts part of (3), developed using virtual
reality technology. It is an experiential tool that allows potential
clients to experience via a computer screen how the spread of
fire changes according to the safety measures they choose. The
tool depicts what would happen when a fire from oil for deep frying
breaks out in the kitchen and smoke spreads to the lounge.
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