During the boom years of the 1960s, Japan began a program of rapid construction of roads, tunnels and bridges that will all need upgrading at the same time. If new techniques can be developed that use innovative composite materials, which are ultralight, high-strength and strongly corrosion-resistant, disaster-resistant public infrastructure with maintenance costs close to zero can be achieved. If the main features of these innovative composites can also be utilized, namely their light weight and high strength, then it will also be possible to reduce the time for construction using onsite construction technologies that integrally form the large construction members together with the high rise buildings.
The most important features of the Organization for Advancement of COI Research, Kanazawa Institute of Technology (COI-KIT), which aims to build an active, sustainable society for a decade from now, are clarification of new and innovative applications for public infrastructure, building and house infrastructure and offshore structure, promotion of research and development of the required innovative materials and innovative manufacturing process technologies, and promotion of application implementation technologies.
There is an urgent need to respond to the issues of an increase in elderly people living alone and communities struggling to survive (communities with over half the population aged 65 or older); issues associated with the increasingly serious issues of an aging society and low birth rate. Innovative materials enable flexible design that can adapt to changes in society, and after construction can be easily relocated or recycled.
Japan has the world’s sixth largest exclusive economic zone, with the seas immediately surrounding the country being regarded as holding some of the largest reserves of methane hydrate in the world, and being a rich repository for natural gas. Offshore wind power generation is an additional technology essential for realizing energy independence for Japan.
Technologies still do not exist for large and long pipes required when drilling in deep waters of between a few kilometers and six kilometers, or for large turbine blades required for generating offshore wind power, so R&D of innovative materials (lightweight, high strength and corrosion-resistant) is essential.
