For two days on October 29 and 31, 2019, we co-hosted a tour with the Kanto Branch of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers at the Kajima Technical Research Institute (Chofu-shi, Tokyo). This event has been held almost annually since 1990 in order to provide children with an understanding of the value and importance of civil engineering. This time, some 320 fifth grade students at nearby three elementary schools participated.

In the tour, personnel described the types and structures of bridges in an easy-to-understand manner using models. There were also three hands-on programs: Learning more about concrete by preparing it, a soil liquefaction experiment in which an earthquake turns the ground into water, and a room that reflects sound.

The participating pupils commented that they understood the difference in strength between girder bridges and truss bridges thanks to the models made of spaghetti, that they were surprised at how fast concrete solidifies, that they gained a solid understanding about soil liquefaction and countermeasures, and that they learned for the first time that people and clothes absorb sound. Participants also engaged in an energetic question and answer session including topics such as how bridge designs are decided and why concrete is durable.