防災科研　NIED

Center for Advanced Research Facility

Evaluating the latest science and technology for disaster resilience, to make society’s standards for performance

Japan is one of the leading countries worldwide in terms of experiencing natural phenomena, and there is a long way to go still regarding evaluating the performance of science and technology for disaster resilience that is required to stand up to these threats, and to standardize evaluation methods also. We are working on standardization for “experiment process and requirements” for evaluating the performance of new technologies that could soon pervade society.  

4 large-scale world-class experimental facilities can realistically re-produce extreme conditions

  • Miki (Hyogo)

    E-Defense (Three-Dimensional Full-Scale Earthquake Testing Facility)

    The largest experimental facility of its kind in the world, E-Defense can re-create seismic shaking in the three dimensions of back/forth, left/right and up/down, reproducing the process by which life-sized buildings and structures are destroyed.  

    We conduct shock experiments on life-size structures using mega quakes, including reinforced concrete buildings, hospital facilities and school gymnasiums to evaluate their seismic capacity and verify countermeasure technologies.

  • Tsukuba (Ibaraki)

    Large-scale Earthquake Simulator

    Using a 14.5 x 15m large-scale shaking table, this large-scale seismic resistance experimental facility can re-create the shaking such as the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake Disaster.Large-scale Earthquake Simulator 

    Using the large-scale shaking table, we conduct full-size seismic resistance experiments on various facilities including oil tanks and houses.

  • Tsukuba (Ibaraki)

    Large-scale Rainfall Simulator

    Experimental facility that is the largest of their kind in the world, with peerless ability to reproduce hourly rainfall of 15-300mm.  

    This allows us to verify the flight performance of drones or the automated driving conditions under torrential rain.

  • Shinjo (Yamagata)

    Cryospheric Environment Simulator

    The only experimental facility in the world capable of reproducing crystalline snow that is almost indistinguishable from real snow, even in mid-summer. 

    We bring clarity to snow and ice phenomena, and verify the effectiveness of disaster countermeasures regarding roof snow, snow accretion, blizzards, and avalanches.

Utilizing cutting-edge research facilities for utmost limit experiments, to attest performance.

Head of Large-scale Rainfall Simulator Strategy Office SAKAI, Naoki

We are increasingly seeing the potential of drones for surveying conditions during times of disaster. However, will they be able to exhibit the same performance under serious wind and rain conditions? NIED is alone in terms of having cutting-edge facilities capable of experiments at the utmost limits, to certify the performance of technologies. We will continue to work together with related institutions on standardizing evaluation methods and becoming an institute that can issue attestations for performance experiments.

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