Disaster Prevention Technology Division

Profile

Our division is composed of Meteorological Disaster Prevention laboratory, Geo-hazard & Risk Mitigation laboratory and Geology laboratory. Prevention of natural disasters along railways due to raining, strong wind, snow, and weathering is our mission. In addition, researches related to ground environmental problems are progressed such as assessment and evaluation technology related to geographical features, geology, and ground water and ground vibration by train running.

Introduction

Japan is under severe topography, geology and climatic conditions, and can suffer from various natural disasters.
Also, we are concerned about disasters caused by large-scale earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and weather phenomena which are assumed to the unprecedented due to climate change accompanying global warming.
The disaster prevention technology research division consists of three laboratories: "Meteorological disaster prevention", " Geo-hazard & Risk Mitigation ", "Geology".
In each laboratory, to protect the railroad from natural disasters such as rain, wind, snow and volcanic eruption, we are working on unique research and development ranging from fundamental research to practical and technical development.
So far, we have developed a hazard mapping technique to quantitatively show disaster hazards.
Currently, we are advancing R & D aiming at the sophistication of disaster prevention / reduction technology, such as the development of a method of evaluating disaster hazards in real time by inputting weather radar observation information into the hazard map.

Osamu Nunokawa - Director, Disaster Prevention Technology Division

Laboratories and their field

Meteorological Disaster Prevention

The Meteorological Disaster Prevention laboratory is in charge of the elucidation of the mechanism by which various weather phenomena, such as strong wind and snow, bring about the disruption of train running, and the research on the prevention and mitigation of the damage caused by them.

Geo-hazard & Risk Mitigation

The Geo-hazard & Risk Mitigation laboratory is in charge of researches on the prevention and mitigation of ground disasters such as a sloop disaster and a bridge scour disaster which are mainly caused by raining, earthquakes, or river level rising and flooding.

Geology

The Geology Laboratory is in charge of R&D related to ground water problems in construction, the construction and maintenance of tunnels, rock slope stability, the quality of ballast, and prediction of and the countermeasures against ground vibration along railways.

Research Division

Select