[Satoshi Fujii] If the Kawabe River Dam had been built “as planned,” many of the victims would have been “saved” (The God of Construction)
*This article is based on content originally published in the newsletter “Takaaki Mitsuhashi’s ‘New’ Keisei-Kaimin Shimbun” (July 11) and has been edited with the author’s permission and additional input. The Kuma River Breach That Caused Widespread Damage: The “July 2020 Heavy Rains,” caused by the stalled rainy season front over the Japanese archipelago, brought various impacts across the nation…
The chance of rain on the concrete pour date is 30%… Should we pour or postpone?
Roof Waterproofing Work Where the Weather Determined the Outcome: Nowadays, with the widespread use of the internet, we can check weather forecasts in real time, but when I was young, we had to rely on newspapers and TV, so I think it was harder to predict the weather back then than it is now. The weather is the one thing that never goes the way you want it to…
[The Downfall of a Family-Run Business] The Bankruptcy of Okui Construction, a Long-Established General Contractor in Tokyo: Sloppy Construction Management and Lax Management
"There’s No Way They’d Go Bankrupt": The Shock of a Major General Contractor’s Collapse Okui Construction Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 2-9-4 Umeda, Adachi-ku, Tokyo; President: Hirohiro Okui) filed for bankruptcy with the Tokyo District Court on March 23 and received a bankruptcy commencement order on the same day. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Okui Construction had been actively pursuing projects such as reconstruction work in the Tohoku region…
Every time an accident happens, this general contractor churns out posters. Can a piece of paper really reduce accidents?!
Do you really think a single piece of paper can reduce accidents? I’m currently at a plant site. The architectural and civil engineering work I’m in charge of is already nearly complete. The actual construction work on-site is being carried out by a super general contractor working as a subcontractor, but from what I’ve heard, there’s been a string of accidents recently…
Design Outputs Are Useless! Is There Any Point to the Work of Consultants Who Don’t Know the Field?
The Reality I Saw at a Certain Traffic Congestion Mitigation Construction Site I (Sekisan Shiroto) would like to express my gratitude for the many comments I received on the article I posted the other day (”How Do You Set the ”Daily Work Volume’ Used in Schedule Charts?”). I read through every single one, and I am truly grateful. …
How much longer will the media continue to report in a biased manner, referring to them as “civil engineering workers”?
The Hidden Prejudice Against Civil Engineering That Permeates Society What kind of image do people have when they hear the term “civil engineering worker”? The other day, I saw a news report about a “civil engineering worker” who was arrested in connection with a certain incident. I currently work as a civil engineering construction manager, but before that…
Calling for Firsthand Accounts from the Construction Industry: “Starting at 30,000 yen per month” to Protect Japan, a Country Prone to Flooding. Will the Installation of Water Level Gauges Become Standard Practice in River Construction Projects?
Can you install a water level sensor for as little as 30,000 yen per month? Amnimo Co., Ltd., a Yokogawa Group company that provides sensor- and cloud-based solutions, announced its “Simple Wireless Water Level Measurement Service” in January 2020. This all-in-one package—including a wireless water level sensor, communication, and cloud services—comes with no initial costs…
The Paradox of General Contractors: Pushing Tedious Work onto Subcontractors While Rushing to Serve Their Clients
The Arrogance of General Contractors: “Just Pass the Troublesome Work Off to Subcontractors” This happened at a construction site for a general contractor I used to work for. I was in charge of construction management, and my job involved reviewing plans for upcoming projects with my supervisor and preparing the necessary documentation, such as progress inspections. So…
"The Fusion of Sports and Construction Sites": Why Were Mizuno Work Boots So Well-Received by Tradespeople?
Why Mizuno Makes Work Shoes Mizuno Co., Ltd. is a long-established sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1906. Although the company is strongly associated with sports, it also manufactures work shoes for a wide range of industries, including civil engineering, construction, and transportation, and is currently rapidly expanding its…