8th Japan Construction International Award
Pioneering Activity Category
Creation and Growth of the Road Sinkhole Prevention Business in Taiwan
Activity Overview
- Aging underground pipes and infrastructure, coupled with an intensifying pace of natural disasters, are causing more frequent sinkholes and roadway collapse incidents. GEO SEARCH Co., Ltd. has developed an efficient means to survey for hazardous underground cavities, at normal traffic speeds up to 100 km/hr, using vehicles equipped with high-resolution sensors and AI assisted data analysis. The technology has been successfully deployed for use in Taiwan and the US to address the social challenges of compromised infrastructure.
- In collaboration with municipalities and other road agencies, GEO SEARCH inspects for cavities and voids with its proprietary technology and proactively advises on sinkhole mitigation with invaluable information about potentially hazardous anomalies beneath roadways. In Taiwan, GEO SEARCH has contributed to systematic sinkhole mitigation procedures and construction site investigation protocols in the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung, among others.
Data
Applicant:GEO SEARCH Co., Ltd.
（Company name in Taiwan:巨設地工透視科技股份有限公司）
Period: From February 2018〜（ongoing）
Location:Taipei,Kaohsiung,Tainan,Hualien and other major cities,Taiwan
Highly Evaluated points
- The company volunteered to conduct pro bono technical/engineering compliance inspections in areas affected by heavy rain or earthquake in Taiwan.
- The company is responsible for equipment development and data analysis, while local partners handle on-site work and sales activities, forming a collaboration that won many municipal and government projects.
- Systematic and routine surveys of roads for potential cavities reduce the occurrence of sinkholes by detecting voids before they become hazardous. In the aftermath of a disaster, an area-wide survey uncovers newly formed cavities, preventing secondary disasters and accelerating the pace of disaster recovery.
- Multiple inspection vehicles are available and deployed for quick emergency response in the event of a disaster.
- The company promotes its business by combining underground cavity inspections with its buried object visualization technology to detect and map underground pipes and other infrastructure.
- The company developed a new type of inspection vehicle for Taiwan and introduced new vehicles for local use.
Technical Assistance Project to Establish the Philippine Railways Institute
Activity Overview
- With Japan’s railway technology and operational expertise, the project team supported creation of the institute and assisted in training delivery to strengthen skills in O&M.
- The project established human resource development systems for railway sector by creating training curricula and materials, developing local instructors, and introducing train simulator training, among others.
Data
Applicant: Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd./Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd./Almec Corporation
Period: From May 2018～From September 2024
Location: Philippines,Manila
Highly Evaluated points
- With Japan’s technology and expertise, the institute has established a framework to perform its mandates in the railway sector.
- The project designed training and certification schemes for the railway workforce, building a supply chain of qualified human resources.
- Japanese practices were introduced, covering O&M, simulator training, and safety practices such as the Kraepelin test and pointing and calling.
- Japanese practices introduced through the project are helping to improve railway services affected by accidents and insufficient maintenance.
- A local university has launched a new railway engineering course and provides training in cooperation with the institute.
- The established certification system for railway workforce has encouraged more students to pursue careers in the railway industry.
The Project of rehabilitation of the Matadi Bridge
Activity Overview
- As part of the maintenance plan for the Matadi Bridge, which was constructed in 1983 with Japanese financial aid, a dry air injection system for cables was installed and technical assistance was offered to local young engineers.
- While Japan's assistance was suspended, the Matadi Bridge was maintained continuously by a group called "Les Amis du Pont de Matadi" consisting of two local engineers trained by Japanese during the construction of the bridge and experts formerly dispatched by JICA.
Data
Applicant: The former Japanese OEBK group hoping the Matadi Bridge to be well maintained in long term/
Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd./
IHI Infrastructure Systems Co., Ltd.
Period: From May 2015～(ongoing)
Location: Matadi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Highly Evaluated points
- The project has continued since 1990s in Democratic Republic of the Congo where the presence of Japanese companies is minor.
- While the support from Japan was interrupted, the project continued to support the local "bridge guards" by providing cooperation in terms of technical assistance and equipment procurement.
- The project has offered technical assistance to local engineers for a long time, helping build high-quality infrastructure in Congo.
- A dry air injection system for cables, developed by a Japanese company, was installed to prevent the bridge cables from rusting.
- Congolese engineers continued maintenance work by strictly following the maintenance procedures taught by Japanese.
- Even after the construction was completed, the project team shared data about humidity inside the cables and offered advice and instructions to young engineers on a continuous basis.