FeatureTechnology for the “New Normal”
The spread of COVID-19 infections has led to the need for new behaviors
and lifestyles (the so-called “new normal”)—that is, avoiding the “three Cs” (namely, closed spaces,
crowded places, and close-contact settings) and being aware of physical (social) distance.
Technologies to help us cope with this new normal are described in the following.
Technology for handling infectious diseases
Understanding the air flow in actual buildings
To prevent so-called “micro-droplet infection” and “airborne infection” recognized as means of spreading tuberculosis and measles viruses, it is necessary to determine the ventilation conditions. As for actual buildings, using this technology, we can measure the ventilation volume to determine the ventilation conditions, visualize the air flow and stagnation in the building through computer simulation, and provide advice on how to reduce the risk of infection.
Setting indoor conditions
Visualization of concentration distribution of a person’s exhaled breath on the basis of indoor conditions
Understanding trends in droplet behavior
In response to the first infectious-disease epidemics since SARS in 2002, since 2011, we have been researching and developing virus-droplet simulations in indoor environments, and we have accumulated know-how in architectural and facility planning considering droplet infection by using our own proprietary programs, in-house supercomputers, and visualization-experiment equipment.
In 2020, we were the only construction company to take part in the COVID-19 countermeasure project called “Prediction of viral droplet infection in indoor environments and countermeasures” (representatives: RIKEN/Professor Tsubokura of Kobe University), which utilizes supercomputer “Fugaku” and is being promoted by the National Research and Development Agency RIKEN in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
As part of this Fugaku project, we are providing our unique know-how concerning simulation of indoor environments, creating computational models, and giving our advice on infection-risk assessment. Through our participation in the project, Kajima is contributing to solving the social issue of “preventing the spread of infection,” and we will continue to support infection prevention and countermeasures by utilizing new knowledge gained through our activities.
Example of droplet simulation
Visualization experiment of the state of dispersed droplets
Mechanization, automation, and smart technologies
for construction sites
Mechanization, automation, and smart construction sites are effective technologies for increasing productivity while protecting the health of workers working on site by avoiding the 3Cs. We are therefore promoting technological development to achieve our goal of “transforming the construction site into a factory” in regard to civil engineering and realize our “Kajima Smart Future Vision” in regard to architecture.
Kajima Smart Future Vision
(Link to press release: Japanese Version)
