Protecting Corporate Facilities and Factories from Landslides

In recent years, there have been many landslides caused by short periods of heavy rain, and the human casualties per disaster are also on the rise. How to protect company employees and their families, as well as facilities and factories, from landslides is a major theme for business continuity. However, when it comes to decide where to start specifically, many people say they don't know what to do. We spoke with Takahiro IGASHIRA, who is in Disaster Prevention Dept, Digital Service Div., who is in charge in drafting company disaster prevention plans, business development, and the development and operation of the landslide information service "Doshaburu," and Tatsuyuki HIRANO in the Resilience Promotion Sec., of the same division of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS.

<Pakistan, Punjab Province> Project for Improving Rural Road Network Maintenance Capacity

Punjab province, the most populous province in Pakistan, is said to have a total of 87,700 km of local roads within the province. However, maintenance was a major issue due to a lack of human resources and skills, as well as an underdeveloped database system. At the request of the Punjab provincial government, a JICA technical cooperation project was implemented, and PACIFIC CONSULTANTS participated as the prime company of a joint venture consisting of three companies. Shintaro Muto of Global Company International Infrastructure Development Department was appointed as Deputy Chief Engineer Consultant.

What is TOD?

TOD was first proposed in the United States in the early 1990s. Over 30 years have passed since then, and various TOD initiatives have been undertaken not only in Japan but also around the world, further developing the original concept and adding new elements, with great results and new possibilities becoming apparent. Yasuo KANNAMI, Vice President of Global Company and General Manager of the International Project Management Dept. who engaged in both domestic and internal TOD projects in PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, Masaya NAKANO, General Manager of the Urban and Transportation Sec. of the International Smart Planning Dept. of Global Company, and Hidetoshi TAMAOKA, Chief Project Manager, talk about the present and future of TOD as seen through their initiatives.

What is BIM/CIM?

As improving productivity at construction sites becomes a major issue, the introduction of BIM/CIM has progressed, and the enforcement of the principles has begin since fiscal 2023. Many benefits have become clear, such as smoother consensus building between stakeholders and the ability to check anticipated issues during construction in advance at the design stage. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has adopt BIM/CIM early, and is utilizing it in on-site operations and construction management while promoting and settling the development of related technologies. We talked to four people about the current status of BIM/CIM and its future expansion: Satoshi TOBIOKA from the Erosion Control Dept., Land Infrastructure Div., Masato KIKUCHI from Erosion Control Dept. and Advanced Technology Center, Tatsuji YAMAGUCHI from Ports and Harbors Dept. of the same division, and Miho TANAKA from Ports and Harbors Dept. and Advanced Technology Center.

Taking Responsibility for the "Once In a Century" Shibuya Great Renovation  <Part 2>

The large-scale redevelopment of the area around Shibuya station is said to be a "once in a century" event, not because many skyscrapers will be built. It is because it is an attempt to reinvent the area into a completely new town through cooperation between the public and private sectors, moving the station, changing the flow of the river, and creating a new pedestrian network. Moreover, it is unprecedented in that it will be realized while maintaining the functions of a huge terminal. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been involved in this project since the early planning stages and continues to support it up to day. We talked to five people who have been central persons in the project for many years: Ryuji KOWAKI, Hisashi KUBO, Takayasu NIWA, Yoshio NAMIKI, and Terue KAMINO.

Taking Responsibility for the "Once In a Century" Shibuya Great Renovation <Part 1>

The large-scale redevelopment of the area around Shibuya station is said to be a "once in a century" event, not because many skyscrapers will be built. It is because it is an attempt to reinvent the area into a completely new town through cooperation between the public and private sectors, moving the station, changing the flow of the river, and creating a new pedestrian network. Moreover, it is unprecedented in that it will be realized while maintaining the functions of a huge terminal. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been involved in this project since the early planning stages and continues to support it up to day. We talked to five people who have been central persons in the project for many years: Ryuji KOWAKI, Hisashi KUBO, Takayasu NIWA, Yoshio NAMIKI, and Terue KAMINO.

What is a Final Landfill Site?

Although final landfill site of industrial wastes is an important facility that supports local economic activities, its construction entails great difficulties, including the formation of consensus with local residents. It is difficult for private business sectors to construct a facility by itself, and public-involvement type construction is attracting attention. We interviewed Ko SUGIURA, General Manager of Regional Environment Business Promotion Sec., Resource Circulation Management Dept. and Toshihiko TOKITA, Technical Manager of the same section, who have a great deal of experiences in PACIFIC CONSULTANTS' construction of final landfill sites, about points to keep in mind in public-involved constructio of fifinal landfill site, and points of maintenance and operation, including business support using PFI, a typical method of PPP.

Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga Extension Project Vol.3 ~ Kakehashigawa Bridge ~

The Kakehashi River is a first-class river that originates at Suzugatake in Komatsu City, flows north through the mountains, enters the plains, then changes direction to the west before flowing into the Sea of Japan. The downstream area is surrounded by the Komatsu city area, making it a valuable open space and a place of relaxation for local residents, who go for walks, fishing, boating, etc. It is also in this downstream section that the Hokuriku Shinkansen crosses the Kakehashi River just before Komatsu Station, and because the river is wide, bridge piers must be built across the river channel. As well as flood control, it became more important than anything to reach an agreement with the river manager, who is promoting the development and conservation of the river environment that is loved by local residents.

Integrated Development Project of SAGA Sunrise Park + Eiko Bridge + Saga City Cultural Center - West Square

The National Athletic Meet, which has long been affectionately known as the KOKUTAI (National Sports), will be renamed the "National Sports Festival" and the first tournament will be held in Saga in October 2024. The shift from "physical education to sports" was also reflected in the concept of venue development, and the venue was required to be used as a base for everyday sports and health that would be popular in the local area for a long time even after the tournament ended. To achieve this, a total design that looks to the future is essential, without being bound by distinctions between prefecture and city, architecture and civil engineering, or hardware and software. Ryuji KAMIDE of the Urban Design Sec. of the Osaka Social Innovation Dept., who was in charge of the exterior design of SAGA Sunrise Park and the Cultural Center-West Square, and Shuichi NONAKA of the Structure Sec. of the Kyushu Transportation Infrastructure Dept., who was mainly responsible for the design of Eiko Bridge, looked back on the initiative.