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Principal Investigator

Objective

• Development of systems for gathering opinions and facilitating understanding for utilizing scientific grounds when formulating policies
• Development of a deterioration prediction method and a lifecycle cost evaluation method based on inspection data owned by administrators
  → To establish a method for indicating scientific grounds that support the formulation of policies
• Experimental adoption in the process of formulating policies for lengthening the lifespan of infrastructure (to design a plan for lengthening the lifespan of each facility)
  → To reduce the cost for lengthening the lifespan of infrastructure
• Provision of back data for the process of formulating policies for inspecting infrastructure
  → To optimize the inspection cycle based on scientific grounds and secure safety
• Creation of the data science × management field surpassing the management of infrastructure
  → To hand down new technologies, share knowledge, and create new business formats in the civil engineering field
  → To discuss applicability to other public infrastructure policies, educational, medical, and financial policies, etc.
  → To create a new field of science and technology with the aim of achieving co-evolution of policies and science
• Publication of a book that summarizes the above contents systematically
  → Publicity of this field and provision of reference material

Outline

As the deterioration of infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and tunnels, became evident and a social issue, the importance of management policies for repair and renewal is growing. However, current management policies are formulated based on the long years of experience, instinct, and knowledge of veteran engineers (especially, the capabilities of evaluating the soundness of infrastructure at the site by visual inspection and finding the good timing of investment and of predicting deterioration and lifespans). This cannot avoid the criticism that such policy design is based on previous cases and experiences, and there is a practical issue that it will be difficult to allocate resources appropriately, amid the dramatic changes in infrastructure and the environment surrounding it, including (1) the simultaneous deterioration of Japanese infrastructure, which was constructed in the rapid growth period, (2) the downsizing of the Japanese society (shrinkage of human and budgetary resources and screening of existing infrastructure), and (3) the coexistence of experience and knowledge of veteran engineers and innovative technologies, such as sensors, drones, ICT, and AI. Accordingly, it is important to establish a methodology for designing policies based on scientific evidence, achieve economic rationalization of repair and renewal of deteriorated infrastructure, and secure the safety and security of infrastructure users.

In this project, we will develop a methodology for predicting the deterioration curve, lifespan, demand for repair and renewal of infrastructure (giving scientific evidence), with the data science technology using big data on inspection accumulated by veteran engineers. In addition, we will design a process for formulating management policies for deteriorated infrastructure, by utilizing the results of deterioration prediction and lifecycle cost assessment. Furthermore, we will discuss whether the fusion of data science and management will create higher value than the design of repair and renewal plans and whether it is possible to apply to other public infrastructure policies, educational, medical, and financial policies, etc.