Research Agenda

Mission Statement

  • Establishing the technologies that secure the safety of structures against earthquakes by progressing in new methods of advanced seismic design,through research on the dynamic response and collapse mechanism of structural systems subjected to strong ground motions using a combination of theoretical and experimental techniques.
  • The protection of “environment” has become a global topic in our century combining the effort of environment protection for urban living space and earthquake disaster prevention. Our goal is a “harmonious development of environment and disaster mitigation.
  • Training researchers, educators and engineers with advanced knowledge and ethics for balance development of brain, heart and human body.
  • Training people with a good foreign language (English) ability, deep understanding and appreciation of different cultures and those who are willing to communicate and cooperate with others around the world.

Recent Research Areas

  1. Seismic behavior (amenity, functionality, reparability) of structures and mechanisms that lead structures to collapse.
    We try to examine the behavior of structural components and systems up to complete failure by using a variety of experimental methods such as the quasi-static loading test, dynamic loading test, and shaking table test. The obtained data are incorporated into advanced numerical simulation that has been invented for the prediction of seismic performance and vulnerability of structural systems, and new design and construction methods are developed for securing enhanced safety, amenity, functionality, and reparability of our buit infrastructures.
  2. Investigation into recycling and renewal of existing structural stocks.
    In recognition of the increasing difficulties of practice with conventional scrap and built, efforts are made to renew our urban society with the maximum use of existing building stocks. Advanced seismic retrofit technologies are explored in which energy saving, quick construction, environment friendly, longer life, and new materials are seriously taken into account.
  3. Improvement of isolation and control technologies.
    We try to develop new types of base-isolated and controlled structures for the achievement of enhanced amenity, functionality, and safety in our built environment. New devices in which shape-memory alloys, ultra high-strength steel, very low-yield steel, high-strength cement/concrete are incorporated are developed, and their performance is calibrated by detailed experimentation and analysis. Offering practical design guidelines are also the subject of our study.