| Guide to the Association The role of paving |
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| Transmitting information on road construction, road maintenance and road
paving, which are of particular importance and relevance to the general
public within the social overhead capital. |
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2006 Activities Report
Basic Policy
In accordance with the basic policy of our association, in other words ‘the promotion of road maintenance,’ ‘the improvement of road construction technology,’ and ‘the steady development of the road construction industry,’ we are actively engaging in various activities from both our central and branch offices.
Further, we are working towards the realization of our various goals, as
laid our in our action plan ‘The 2005 Japan Road Contractors Association’s
Mid-term vision for the future: towards a better future in the road construction
industry,’ which includes establishing proper methods to engage with and
react to the fluctuations in the road construction market, the realization
of an environment in which companies possessing superior technological
and managerial capabilities can grow in strength, the steady development
of road maintenance as a whole, the achievement of safety targets, and
the fulfillment of our corporate social responsibility.
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New chairman: Takeshi Hara, President of The Nippon Road Co., Ltd.
New vice chairman: Kikuo Hayashida, President of NIPPO Corporation
The Japan Road Contractors Association held on 19.May 2006 its 58th annual
general meeting at the Grand Arc Hanzomon in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, in Japan.
Amongst the items discussed were the following: 1) 2005 Activity Report,
2) 2005 Balance Sheet, 3) Activity Plan for 2006 and the 2006 budget, 4)
organizational changes in the secretariat, 5) confirmation of the appointment
of members of the board and the Auditor. All items were passed unanimously
by the assembly.
Further, in response to the expiration of the terms of certain board members,
an election of officers was carried out, and as a result Mr. Takeshi Hara,
President of the Nippon Road Co., Ltd, and Mr. Kikuo Hayashida, President
of NIPPO Corporation, were elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.
Message from the new Chairman (Summary)
The circumstances surrounding the road construction industry remain very restricting and severe, and I am aware of the difficult economic situation that many of our members may be experiencing as I take up this new role, heavy with responsibility.
As the new chairman of the Japan Road Contractors Association, I will endeavor
to protect the excellent traditions set in place by our most talented and
dedicated predecessors, and I will be doing my utmost to move towards the
achievement of those goals established when our association was set up,
namely ‘the promotion of road maintenance,’ ‘the improvement of road construction
technology,’ and ‘the steady development of the road construction industry.’
Working towards these goals will help us to create an environment in which
each and every one of our members can grow and develop, and to establish
ourselves as an association that moves on principles that will win us further
attention and respect from society.
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Celebrating the 60th year of our association with the publication of ‘Michi-shoryu’
Our association, commonly known as the Dohkenkyo, celebrated its 60th year on the 1st November 2005. As a follow-up to ‘Mugen naru michi (Endless Roads)’ that was published on the occasion of our 50th anniversary, we have edited and created ‘Michi-shoryu,’ which covers the ten years (1995-2004) since that first publication.
Making of an educational video designed for Elementary and Junior High School children – ‘Roads for All (Minna no Douro)’
As part of the program of events to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the association, a promotional video, ‘Roads for All’ (around 18 minutes) was made with the intention of educating elementary and junior high school children about road construction and maintenance. The video will be donated to the Japan Social Studies Research Association for Elementary and Junior High Schools, to public libraries, and other educational bodies.
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| Guide to the Association |
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The history and Basic Policy of the Assocation
The Japan Road Contractors Association (commonly known as the Dohkenkyo)
was founded in 1945, and since then it has been engaged in a wide variety
of activities dedicated to the improvement and promotion of road construction
and maintenance activities in Japan.
After the end of the Second World War, the roads in Japan were in a terrible state. Few paved roads remained, and those that did were paved with only the most basic of paving, which was easily damaged. Other roads were mere gravel paths.
As developments were made to incorporate modern road paving techniques, with the focus remaining on basic paving techniques, initial and subsequent reconstructions were carried out on national highways, as well as on other routes, express highways were constructed, and repairs and improvements were made on already paved roads. Throughout this process, our association adapted road technologies from developed Western countries such as the US and European countries, added individual and unique functions to these technologies, and thus played a part in the promotion of road construction and maintenance in post-war Japan. It would be no exaggeration to claim that the history of our association is almost the same as the history of road construction within post-war Japan.
This association has undertaken activities based on the three fundamental principles of ‘the promotion of road maintenance,’ ‘the improvement of road construction technology,’ and ‘the steady development of the road construction industry,’ together with the support of 290 leading road contractors throughout Japan, and coordinated through our 10 offices throughout the country. Now, as well as tackling such issues as the promotion of the construction of a network of high-spec roads, the demographic changes accompanying the falling birthrate in our increasingly aging society, and the establishment of road network functions that can support of increasingly information focused society, we are occupying ourselves with the development of new technologies, new construction methods, and new materials designed to achieve ‘safe paving,’ ‘environmentally friendly paving,’ and ‘lifelong paving.’ Further, we are looking to answer the diverse needs of the Japanese public whilst maintaining a focus on reducing total costs, providing high quality products at a low price.
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| The role of paving |
| ■ Paving in our daily lives |
| Basic, gravel paved roads cause significant problems for driving, such
as muddying roads during poor, rainy weather, and grit storms in dry weather.
Not only this, but the areas adjacent to such roads suffer considerable
damage. Proper road paving improves such undesirable condition, and improves
the ease and safety of driving. It also contributes to ensuring greater
protection of the natural environment. Through suitable road paving, the
ease of driving increases, and by giving appropriate skid-resistance on
the surface, safety on the roads can also be increased. Further, paving
techniques that guarantee smoother surfaces increase the longevity of our
roads, and we can expect the frequency at which road maintenance is required
to decrease. |
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| ■ The economic ripple effect |
| By paving roads properly, not only can road maintenance costs be reduced, but smooth driving conditions can be guaranteed to greater effectiveness, damage to goods in transit can be reduced, and transportation costs can be reduced by facilitating shorter transportation time. As such, both travelers and transportation businesses can reap significant rewards. Advantages such as these, and the ripple effect that they will create can be expected to contribute significantly to the development of our national economy. |
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| ■ The effects of environmental improvement |
By selecting proper mechanisms and surface materials, the noise created by moving vehicles and the vibrations caused by traffic can be reduced.
The use of surface materials with high void ratios (porous asphalt pavement) helps improve safety, and can further facilitate a decrease in tire noise.
Further, paving in areas of weak ground helps to increase structural strength, and will serve to decrease traffic vibration to a certain extent.
In recent years, global attention has been focused on the concept of ‘zero emissions,’ seen as key to future environmental safety and protection. This concept centers on the idea of not creating waste material throughout the entire production cycle, from manufacturing all the way through to reconstruction.
Within the field of paving, recycled paving has been used for the past ten years. In addition, the entire construction industry has been intensely dedicated to and involved in the development of recycling technologies. Further measures will be taken to promote the construction of those technologies and systems required in and necessary to the future. |
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| ■ Effects from other paving functions |
New visually-centered paving functions are being developed and applied, such as including colored road paving in city bus lanes, clarifying driving lanes, and maximizing the effectiveness of bus routes. In addition, colored paving can be advantageous to both the physical and mental wellbeing and ease of drivers. For example, it has been reported that using relaxing shades of blue and green on athletic tracks can assist in improving the results recorded by athletes.
Recently, paving functions known as community paving and amenity paving have been developed. These are created to harmonize with the local environment, such as the shape of the roads, or with ponds and streams in the vicinity, and have been utilized in measures intended to increase customer and visitor frequency and popularity.
Paving technologies that have been developed with the intention of responding appropriately to the creation of new environments and atmospheres do not only facilitate psychological reactions, such as the visual effect of colors, but the effect of paving texture remains a field of research that holds great promise. Ideas and responses are encouraged. |
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Japan Road Contractors Association 