BTRI & Outline of Survey and Research
The Building Technology Research Institute
The establishment of the Building Technology Research Institute in 1982 was prompted by a growing awareness of the need for an organization that could more actively monitor social and building industry trends while accumulating technological information and know-how and conducting research and development related to new building technology. The Institute ascertains current needs from a variety of public and private sector organizations, including local government bodies and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It responds to those needs through activities that include the development of building technology, as well as surveys, research and technology development regarding urban land development, district development, and housing policy and planning. The Institute also facilitates the development of building technology through its technology reviews and certification services and technical guidance services. In 1999, the Institute began the BCJ’s agrément services - issuance of approval of innovative building technologies -. The aim of this activity is to facilitate the spread of advanced technology.
The Building Technology Research Institute is determined to respond to the needs of society and of the industry by assessing technology and exploring new areas of research, and by continually refining and fine-tuning its services.
Organization
| President : | Makoto Tateishi |
|---|---|
| Executive Director : | Hiroharu Habu Dr. (Engineering) |
| Director of Building Technology Research Institute : | Tsuneo Okada Dr.(Engineering) Curriculum Vitae : In 1980, Tsuneo Okada was appointed to a professorship at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science, of which he became Director-General in 1989. Other posts have included the presidencies of the Architectural Institute of Japan and the Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering. In 2003, Tsuneo Okada became Director of the Building Technology Research Institute. He is currently also the president of the Japan Building Disaster Prevention Association, and a director of the Association for Earthquake Disaster Prevention. In 1981, a thesis by Tsuneo Okada was selected to receive an award from the Architectural Institute of Japan. |
| Senior Technical Advisors : | Kazuo Saida Tadashi Sugano Dr. (Engineering) Hiroshi Hayamizu |
Organizational Chart
Overview of Activities
Survey and Research Activities
The BCJ conducts research and serveys at the request of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Urban Renaissance Agency, local government bodies, and private sector organizations. There are five research categories; (1) building technology development, (2) urban land development and district development, (3) housing policies and planning, (4) building regulations and ordinances, and (5) the environment and other areas.
These works are carried out by expert committees in collaboration with private sector consultants, technical specialists, design firms, and others.
Research and surveys are conducted in three ways: contract research/surveys, joint research/surveys, and independent research/surveys.
Examples of Recent Surveys and Research
- Tsunami Loads and Structural Design of Tsunami Refuge Building (independent research, 2004-2007)
- Survey of Measures for Sprayed Asbestos (independ survey, 2005-2007)
- Japan-U.S. Joint Research, Development of Structural Systems in Construction with High Intelligence (joint research, 1999-2002)
- Research regarding Safety for Public use of Deep Underground Spaces (contract research, 2003)
- Research and Surveys regarding Chemical Substances in Houses (contract research, 2002)
Review and Certification Services
Review and Certification Services provide review and certification of various new construction technologies developed by private sectors. The scope of review subjects covers overall building technologies, conventional execution technologies and maintenance technologies.
The main achievements in technology
- Technology for remove asbestos from buildings
- Technology for ground improvable
- Other technologies
Approval of Innovative Building Technologies (Agrément Services)
The purpose of innovative building technology approval services is to contribute to the development and dissemination of new technologies, while ensuring the quality of buildings, by certifying the quality of advanced and innovative technologies which are not covered by the Building Standard Law, JIS, JAS or other standards. Particular emphasis is placed on responses to environmental problems. As part of its approval services in this area, the BCJ has introduced environmental assessments, the aim of which is to reduce environmental loads through the use of materials which facilitate the reuse, recycling and reduction of construction waste, and through the development of new design and building technologies.
The approval standards established through these procedures are as follows:
Approval Standard
- Technology for rooftop greening for better environment The outline of approval
- Recycled aggregate for structural concrete used in buildings
- Recycled forms for concrete work
- Recycled organic building products
- Sound-insulation in finished-floor construction
- Building materials that reduce contamination of indoor air caused by volatile organic compounds
- Heat-insulating materials that are not easily ignited
- Non-flon(CFCs) insulator
- Technology for dismantling incinerator plants
BCJ CASBEE Certification Service
BCJ certifies the environmental performance of buildings under CASBEE systems.
CASBEE is a grading system based on assessment of the environmental performance of buildings.
CASBEE is widely used by many private Japanese companies, such as construction companies, design offices, real-estate developers, etc., as a voluntary-basis evaluation tool for assessing the environmental performance of their buildings. Reflecting the growing needs of certification of the assessment results by a third party, IBEC started the CASBEE Certification System in 2005.
BCJ is accredited by IBEC as a CASBEE Certification Organization. We began certification service in July 2008.