Research Fields
Building Materials
Ensuring quality by utilizing materials and construction technologies that reflect various needs
Considering the construction sites of the near future, we are researching and developing ICT-based concrete-pouring management systems, AI-based estimation of concrete compressive strength, improvement of productivity by using floor-finishing robot technology, environmental consideration through CO2 reduction and effective use of by-products, globalization, and building maintenance and preservation-oriented material construction. Specifically, in the field of construction using reinforced-concrete (RC) material, our research includes concrete incorporating powdered blast-furnace slag in accordance with the concepts of environmental friendliness, high quality, and cost-effectiveness as well as technology for estimating the compressive strength of concrete during acceptance inspection at construction sites. In the field of finishing materials, our research includes technology for quantitatively evaluating the quality and lifespan of materials such as tiles, coating materials, and waterproofing materials as well as technology for maintaining air quality and combating mold caused by building materials.
Research Cases
Reduce CO2 with environmentally friendly concrete
Three types of concrete made with powdered blast-furnace slag
Evaluating quality of concrete during acceptance inspection
Estimating compressive strength of fresh concrete by using electrical conductivity
Rapidly evaluate weather resistance of coating materials
Kajima’s own method for estimating service life of exterior coating materials
Building Structure
Improve structural performance of buildings and productivity at construction sites
Technologies for evaluating and improving the performance of architectural structures during long-period seismic motion or extremely large earthquakes, like the Tohoku Pacific Coast Earthquake and the Kumamoto Earthquake, are needed. Moreover, as the construction of skyscrapers continues, mainly in metropolitan areas, technologies to streamline construction and improve productivity and quality are also needed. To meet these needs, we are researching and developing (i) technologies for evaluating building performance experimentally and analytically, (ii) repair and reinforcement technologies for improving building performance, and (iii) highly productive structural technologies for steel structures, reinforced-concrete structures, composite structures, underground structures, foundation structures, and others. We are also verifying building safety by reproducing building shaking using a large shaking table (called W-DECKER) and researching and developing wooden structures toward a zero-carbon future.
Research Cases
FR Wood makes it possible to build new fire-resistant wooden buildings of “visible wood”
Pure wood fire-resistant laminated lumber (FR Wood: fire-resistant wood)
Our large-scale shaking table reproduces massive earthquakes, and our long-period shaking table reproduces the shaking of high-rise buildings.
High-performance 3D shaking table (W-DECKER)
Evaluating structural performance of architectural structures by using nonlinear finite element method (FEM)
Nonlinear-analysis program “CARC-ASe”
Building Environment
Construction of a building environment, including factors such as acoustics, vibration, heating and cooling, energy conservation, equipment, and lighting
To build a future “sustainable society,” energy-saving buildings such as ZEB (zero-energy buildings) are required. Also, it is necessary to improve the quality of the indoor environment in buildings such as offices, production facilities, and medical facilities. To meet these needs, we are researching and developing a wide range of indoor environments, including factors such as acoustics, heating, lighting, and energy conservation. In recent years, we have also been researching and developing “wellness-conscious” indoor spaces, which meet the need to create not only such environments but also spaces that are comfortable and healthy for the people who spend time in them and promote high intellectual productivity.
Research Cases
Provide a space for promoting wellness
SOTOBEYA (Outdoor Room)
Build your own 3D sound system and apply it to architectural spaces
3D sound by OPSODIS
Detailed understanding of air flow around windows, temperature distribution, etc.
Airflow-visualization experiment
Architectural Planning
Exploring rational architectural-planning methods suited to human behavior and psychology
We live in an age in which buildings that consider “the quality for the user,” through universal design, for example, are needed. To meet that need, we are researching to (i) support circulation planning, scale planning, and design planning by organizing the correspondence between human behavioral requirements and spatial performance and (ii) communicate the design intentions and reasons to clients in an easy-to-understand manner. We are also researching and developing topics such as behavioral surveys, questionnaire analysis, and evaluation of plan proposals in offices, hospitals, and educational facilities, behavior monitoring and data analysis of space users, behavioral simulations to evaluate user movements in planned spaces, and impression evaluations using VR. In recent years, we have also been taking the challenge to make spaces smarter using IoT and AI technologies.
Research Cases
Measuring pedestrian trajectories in architectural spaces and understanding behavioral characteristics
Behavior monitoring using laser radar
Predict pedestrian behavior in a planned space and evaluate validity of traffic-flow plans
Office simulation using multiple agents
Measure the subject’s gaze in a VR space and evaluate the appeal of the approach space
Impression evaluation using eye-mark recorder
Pick Up Technologies
Sensuous wellness space
SOTOBEYA (Outdoor Room)
Achieving 3D sound for multiple listeners simultaneously
OPSODIS Stereophonic Sound
Biodiversity and Greening
Providing high value-added spaces for people by integrating the diverse functions of living organisms and the natural environment with construction technology
Our lives depend on the blessings we receive from mother nature. For a sustainable society, it is essential to maintain harmony with the “water,” “greenery,” and “living organisms” that make up nature. Moreover, it is important to not only protect and nurture biodiversity and greenery but also develop social infrastructures that make the most of their functions.
We are striving to resolve issues as we move toward implementing the SDGs by utilizing our knowledge and experience to create green environments that contribute to biodiversity and implement measures to reduce the impact of construction on plants and animals.
Research Cases
Restoring and creating wetlands and waterside areas
Technology for creating a firefly biotope
Monitoring of flora and fauna and assessing their impact on ecosystems
“Ikimono Note”: animal, plant and environment monitoring system
Creating comfortable green spaces
Artificial lightweight culture soil: “K-SOIL”
Ever Cool Garden: Rooftop greening with enhanced evapotranspiration
Related Information
Pick Up Technologies
Surveying the habitat of fireflies from 1 liter of water
Firefly Monitoring Using Environmental DNA
Tool to realize a recycling society
Technology to generate energy from organic waste (biomass)
Seismic Motion
Advanced-input evaluation of seismic motion for
improving seismic safety
As a means of ensuring the safety of structures against future major earthquakes, it is necessary to predict the behavior of structures during earthquakes by using numerical analysis. To meet that necessity, the seismic motion that acts as an external force must be accurately evaluated. Aiming to evaluate the seismic motion at construction sites when anticipated earthquakes occur, we are developing evaluation technologies such as numerical simulations of the seismic motion transmitted from faults to construction sites and statistical evaluation of seismic motion based on earthquake observation data.
Research Cases
Using numerical calculations to predict long-period earthquake motion
Simulation of motion of long-period earthquake
Evaluating seismic motion for designing structures
Evaluation of input seismic motion
Understand seismic characteristics of the ground
Subsurface-structure model
Fire
Improving structural safety of buildings in the event of a fire and evacuation safety of occupants
In terms of protecting human life and property, fire safety for buildings is just as important as earthquake safety. To ensure that people inside buildings can evacuate safely in the event of a fire, we are researching and developing technologies to improve the structural safety of CFT (concrete-filled steel tube), steel frames, reinforced concrete, and wooden components (pillars, beams, etc.) at high temperatures as well as technologies to improve evacuation safety by precisely reproducing and predicting the movements of each individual and the effects of smoke and heat on people. These technologies are used not only in buildings but also in civil-engineering structures (shield tunnels).
Research Cases
Animation of evacuation behavior
“PSTARS”: evacuation simulator linking people, heat, and smoke
Predicting smoke and heat flow during a fire
Fire simulator “FDS”
Testing and evaluating the performance of structural and interior materials in the event of fire
Technology for evaluating fire-resistance performance
Wind
Evaluating wind effects and providing safe structures and comfortable living and wind environments
To ensure wind resistance and safety of wind-sensitive structures such as skyscrapers, large-space structures, and temporary scaffolding, we are researching evaluation of wind load on structural framing and exterior materials by using one of the largest wind tunnel facilities in the construction industry and cutting-edge numerical-simulation technology, and we reflect the results of these evaluations in design and construction. We are also researching and developing themes related to wind, such as predicting and evaluating environmental problems such as “building wind” around buildings, occupant performance associated with wind swaying in high-rise buildings, and wind noise.
Research Cases
Evaluating wind load on buildings, wind environment around buildings, and performance of occupants in buildings
Technology for measuring wind pressure and velocity through wind-tunnel experiments
Prediction and visualization of wind conditions and wind pressure around buildings
Numerical-fluid-analysis technology
Predicting wind noise and vibration noise from exterior materials
Technology for measuring wind noise and vibration noise by using wind-tunnel experiments
Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
Research and development to facilitate smooth implementation of business continuity plans (BCPs) for our own company and our customers
In recent years, owing to climate change, severe disasters are more frequent. Moreover, earthquakes that have a high probability of occurring, such as the Nankai Trough earthquake and an earthquake directly beneath Tokyo, can occur across Japan. In such a disaster-prone country, formulating a business continuity plan (BCP) is essential for companies. Our team handles a variety of BCP-related events, including not only earthquakes but also typhoons, floods, and fires. For example, we have recently been researching how to utilize information on rainfall, strong winds, heatstroke, and typhoon paths.
Research Cases
Mash-up of various hazard information, real-time damage information, and one’s own information by GIS
Disaster-information-sharing system, online hazard maps
Evaluating employee assembly time in the event of a disaster
Employee-assembly system
Predicting flooding conditions from moment to moment during heavy rains
Urban flood-prediction and analysis system
Infrastructure
Digital twin for future forecasting and operational support of infrastructure
To develop local economies and improve living environments, future infrastructure development must make effective use of “stock effects” (effects accrued over the medium to long term from the functions of infrastructure). Also, with the increasing frequency and severity of disasters, risk assessment and information provision from the perspective of disaster prevention and mitigation measures are also required.
To meet these requirements, we are promoting the digitization of infrastructure information and researching and developing “infrastructure stock-effect evaluation technology” incorporating economic-evaluation models and “wide-area, time-series evaluation technology” for multi-hazards (such as earthquakes and wind and flood damage) as well as climate change, which is the root cause of the recent increase in wind and flood damage.
Research Cases
Simulating earthquake motion at each point in a city and damage to all buildings and structures
Integrated earthquake simulator (IES)
Comprehensive analysis of storm-water runoff and discharge phenomena by simultaneously considering both external and internal flooding
Urban flood-prediction and analysis system
Understanding the benefits of infrastructure development in regard to local communities and industrial structures
Technology for evaluating stock effect of infrastructure
Pick Up Technologies
Consolidation and sharing of diverse disaster information
Disaster Information Sharing System
AI/Data Science
Unlocking the potential of data to solve problems and create value
We are pursuing research and development that contributes to improving safety and productivity and ensuring and improving quality by applying AI (artificial intelligence) technologies such as machine learning. In many cases, we are building systems that predict, judge, evaluate, and optimize inputs by having them learn from large amounts of accumulated numerical and image data. Currently, we are focusing on research themes such as speeding up design analysis, automating construction work, automating quality control, drafting and optimizing construction plans, and forecasting weather and ocean conditions.
Research Cases
Speeding up computationally intensive analysis of wind environment by utilizing machine-learning models
Speeding up computational fluid analysis by utilizing machine learning
Instant, highly accurate evaluation of construction quality of concrete structures from photos
Technology for evaluating concrete quality by utilizing data science
Highly accurate forecasting of waves that affect the feasibility of offshore construction and improving safety and productivity
Wave-prediction technology utilizing convolutional neural networks
Smart Production of Buildings
Reforming all production processes related to construction work and improving productivity
The environment surrounding the construction industry is expected to become more severe year by year. It is particularly important to address the shortage of construction workers and to take steps to realize work style reform. Kajima aims to build new production processes and improve productivity by proactively introducing the latest technologies, such as ICT and AI, and reforming on-site management methods through the development of robotics technology.
With those circumstances in mind, we are researching elemental technologies and developing robots to enable smart production as well as developing new tools to reform on-site management methods.
Research Cases
Power-assisted work suits make work easier
Power-assisted work suits
Automation and labor saving concerning welding work at construction sites
Articulated on-site welding robot
Streamlining management and operations regarding materials and equipment
Digitalization of information about materials and equipment
Pick Up Technologies
Construction system through autonomous operation of
construction vehicle machines
A4CSEL (“quad axel”)
Total concrete volume acceptance management system using video analysis
Construction management automation technology useful for ensuring quality
