Infrastructure Engineering Social System
Integrated Information Technology
The field of Integrated Information Technology is responsible for promoting innovation by integrating "information technology" and peripheral technologies and utilizing digital technology to address issues related to the promotion of safety and security, regional revitalization, and organizational DX.
Our main work covers a wide range of areas, including planning of DX strategies for organizations, basic conceptualization of data centers, development of remote control systems for infrastructure facilities, platform development and operation (disaster prevention information, infrastructure maintenance and management), development and operation of automated driving support systems, IoT equipment development, 5G and other communication network development, support for digital technology demonstration experiments, AI solution development, development and utilization of digital twins, and planning and promotion of new services utilizing ICT.
We not only develop information systems, but also conduct business analysis as necessary to formulate basic concepts from the viewpoint of how and in what situations information can be utilized, create contents such as information content and delivery methods, and propose total information utilization strategies from operational aspects. We always keep in mind what is truly useful information and systems, and provide better services to contribute to our customers and to society.
Disaster Management
In recent years, natural disasters have become more frequent and severe, causing damage on a large scale and over a wide area. While it is important to protect against these disasters with facilities, there are limits to what can be done alone. We are committed to resolving issues centering on the "soft" aspects of disaster management to protect the lives and livelihoods of local residents from all aspects of "public assistance" and "self-help and mutual aid".
We also provide technical services such as disaster resilient community planning to minimize damage, preparation of advance recovery plans, disaster and crisis management plans for disaster resilient organizations, business continuity plans, disaster response manuals, timelines, planning and management of disaster drills and training, risk communication to build disaster resilience, and support for disaster education for children. We also provide technical services such as risk communication for building disaster resilience and disaster education support for children. Through these efforts, we aim to build a sustainable society in which disaster prevention and mitigation are mainstreamed with the participation of residents, businesses, and government agencies on a daily basis.
Engineering Services
In order to introduce DX promotion, it is important not only to apply digital technologies such as BIM/CIM and i-Construction to current operations, but also to review the human resource development of the organization and business processes. It is also important to review the organization's human resource development and business processes.
We provide services that accompany the organization from the formulation of the organization's DX strategy to the planning of human resource development, trial and verification of the application of digital technologies such as e-learning, and the actual application of such technologies.
With the development of ICT, the types and volumes of data being handled continue to increase, and there is a need to manage this data appropriately and utilize it to create value and establish competitive advantage as an organization.
We provide solutions from basic conceptualization to implementation and operational support to build data centers that serve as platforms for data management and utilization.
We provide consulting services that effectively utilize Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to help our clients solve problems in developing countries, such as improving educational standards, alleviating poverty, improving transportation problems, and increasing the efficiency of administrative services.
We propose optimal solutions that also contribute to the advancement and efficiency of public services by utilizing Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) such as Internet-based e-learning, ETC, real-time road traffic information, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
With the frequency of torrential rains on the rise in recent years, the role of river management facilities that function to prevent flooding and other disasters is becoming increasingly important. High reliability and safety are required for monitoring and control facilities because accidents such as discharge accidents due to gate mishandling or delayed operation can threaten the property and lives of the public.
In addition, many local operators who were engaged in the operation of sluices and land locks were killed in the Great East Japan Earthquake, and there is a shortage of operators in some areas.
- Planning and design of control and treatment facilities for dam and weir management
- Planning and design of remote monitoring and control facilities such as sluice gates and land locks for tsunami and storm surge countermeasures
- Planning and design of remote monitoring and control equipment for sluice gates and drainage pump stations for flood control
- Study and design of water management control equipment for agriculture
BIM/CIM is becoming a requirement for bidding in public procurement in Japan and abroad. BIM/CIM is rapidly progressing, including the application of BIM/CIM principles by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and an immediate response to market changes is required. This allows for smooth consensus building at the time of design. We believe that this will contribute to the improvement of people's lives through better infrastructure development and maintenance.
We use BIM/CIM models of the layout of the large display in the disaster control room and the operation consoles for dam and weir control systems, the visualization of the images, and the temporary construction conditions during construction to create a concrete and easy-to-understand design.
- Disaster response room visibility of images, placement of fixtures, and flow line study
- Study of equipment layout in the operation room for dam and weir control systems, etc.
- Drawings and quantity calculations utilizing BIM/CIM models
To solve problems in the fields of various disasters and water resource management, which have been intensifying in recent years, we are building operational systems for dam and sluice gate operations by combining and applying AI, which has been attracting attention in recent years, with big data such as observation equipment and sensors. In particular, practical applications are in progress in the following fields.
- Developed AI to predict river water levels by effectively utilizing rainfall distribution information from radar rainfall obtained at various locations.
- To determine the amount of snow water in mountainous areas, we proposed a method to determine the spatial distribution of snow depth using deep learning based on real-time observation information such as snow coverage and actual values at observation points obtained from satellite data as input.
- Developed AI to extract water bodies from aerial photo images to automate and improve efficiency in understanding the status of river channel changes.
The use of 3D space for regional development and tourism promotion is progressing: a digital mall in a metaverse space constructed using BIM data, a "virtual walk" that visualizes the city center with a 360° camera, and a social networking site that connects citizens and visitors, as well as a social networking site that utilizes video and web-based We are building an environment to analyze the interest, behavior, and access status of citizens and visitors by developing an information platform that integrates and grasps distribution logs and the history of the above services. In the future, we will continue to analyze the dynamics of visitors and the access orientation of information transmission, which have been difficult to grasp, and implement developments that will lead to an increase in EC services, various revenues, and visitors, as well as to the development of the infrastructure for the realization of an automated society.
In order to properly assess the condition of a river, areal and quantitative monitoring of the entire river channel is considered effective. Therefore, there is a need to accumulate 3D topographic data and utilize it for river management. We are constructing a three-dimensional river map (platform) that can be used as an intra-river map of water systems and management sections, with the aim of improving the efficiency and sophistication of river management operations. The 3D river maps are equipped with functions such as displaying 3D point cloud data, superimposing various data, volume measurement, cross-sectional display, data output, etc. Examples of applications of the 3D river maps are as follows.
River administrator
The system makes it possible to visually and quantitatively determine the river environment, enabling efficient understanding of the site when ordering river-related construction work. In addition, it is possible to create visually easy-to-understand materials in a short time, such as public relations materials for summarizing and reporting the results of inspection tours and the damage situation.
Nongovernment organization
The 3D pipe maps will be used to share information between flood prevention teams and river administrators, provide simulated inundation forecast results, and conduct joint disaster drills with flood prevention teams and local governments using the digital maps, leading to the accumulation of simulated flood prevention experience.
People living in the watershed
We will contribute to the improvement of disaster preparedness by releasing a web application of 3D inundation area maps and highly realistic inundation damage information using 3D simulation analysis to encourage evacuation behavior.
As the importance of road maintenance and management is pointed out, a road information platform is being constructed to manage road structure information among the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, local governments, and highway companies. The road information platform will enable road administrators to utilize the centrally collected data for road policy studies and on-site management, as well as to disclose the database as much as possible, promote technological development by private companies, etc., and thereby further streamline maintenance and management.
We are designing and building a platform to share a variety of information about roads, including
- Allows road administrators to register, search, browse, and download data without having to maintain their own databases.
- The results of inspections of road facilities managed by other organizations can be checked and used as a reference for similar cases of repair and maintenance.
- It contributes to the reduction of operating costs for proprietary systems and the reporting of inspection results to the government.
- Research institutes, private companies, etc. can use the screen UI and API to acquire various types of centrally aggregated and open data for analysis, processing, and various other applications.
- Further efficiency and sophistication in road maintenance and management can be expected through the use of input/output applications for inspection results by various research institutes and private companies, as well as AI-based diagnosis technology.
To build a disaster-resilient organization, we support the creation of action plans and response manuals that will enable smooth and rapid response in the event of a disaster. Plans should be verified through the PDCA cycle and be actionable. In addition, the content should be easy to read and understand, taking into consideration periodic personnel changes and other factors. In addition, the key to a plan or manual lies in the process of preparation. While it is important to read the plan as a plan, it is also important for the staff members who will be operating this plan to participate in its preparation and recognize their own issues. We support the creation of plans and manuals based on our numerous experience in creating such plans, including the creation of mechanisms to encourage the participation of each person in the creation of such plans.
In order to protect the lives and property of residents from disasters such as earthquakes, windstorms, floods, and volcanoes, the concepts of self-help, mutual aid, and public assistance are important. In terms of public assistance, the national government, prefectures, municipalities, and other administrative agencies must respond in accordance with their respective roles and work together. For this reason, we plan and operate initiatives during normal times to build face-to-face relationships on a daily basis and thereby improve disaster response capabilities. For example, we will organize disaster drills and coordination meetings where all related organizations get together, and create a "coordination manual" that summarizes the results of these activities as rules. In addition, we will conduct training on response actions based on lessons learned and experiences from past disasters, or on the theme of anticipated disasters. For the initiatives shown here, a web conference system can also be used.
The basis for protecting lives from disasters is to have a deep understanding of the disaster risks of the place where you live, and to take actions such as evacuation methods and daily preparedness according to the disaster risks. To enable residents and students to take action to protect their own lives, Nippon Koei supports risk communication between residents and government officials, which is necessary to improve the disaster preparedness of society, by planning and operating workshops such as the My Timeline workshop and providing disaster education support such as teaching plans and teaching materials for teachers at elementary and junior high schools. We support risk communication between residents and government officials, which is necessary to improve the disaster preparedness of society.
In order to create a town that is resilient to earthquake, tsunami, flooding, landslide, and other disaster risks and that also takes regional sustainability into consideration, we will conduct quantitative and qualitative assessments of disaster risks, formulate a direction for town planning, study land use and a comprehensive combination of hard and soft measures, plan and manage council meetings for planning, provide support, and grasp the opinions of diverse actors through workshops, open houses, and other events. The project will also support the planning and operation of councils, etc., to develop the plan, and will hold workshops and open houses to obtain opinions from various entities, and prepare a "Disaster-Resilient Community Development Plan," "Location Optimization Plan (Disaster Prevention Guidelines)," "Pre-Reconstruction Plan," and "Tsunami Disaster Prevention Community Development Promotion Plan. In addition to the preparation of these plans, we are also engaged in efforts to improve the effectiveness of the plans by preparing plans for the development of evacuation facilities, etc. for commercialization, supporting local disaster prevention activities, and reflecting the plans in related plans such as regional disaster prevention plans.