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Penta-Ocean Construction Co., Ltd.

Tokyo, Japan - February 21, 2024 -Penta-Ocean Construction (President Takuzo Shimizu, hereinafter POC) received the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication Award on excellent utilization of information and communication technologies (Technology Development Category), for its “Total System for Maintenance and Management of Port Structures Using 3D Image Processing and AI” at the Seventh Infrastructure Maintenance Awards.

The Infrastructure Maintenance Awards are presented for outstanding initiatives and technological developments related to infrastructure maintenance in Japan to promote the efforts of infrastructure maintenance companies, associations, and researchers to revitalize the industry and spread the philosophy of infrastructure maintenance more widely. Mr. Uno and Mr. Mizuno of POC Institute of Technology attended the awarding ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s office residence on January 18, 2024, where the two were awarded the commendation certificate from Mr. Fujino, Director General at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication.

Port structures are usually constructed on the sea; thus, they are subject to severe deterioration due to salt damage, particularly on the underside of a pier superstructure. Concrete cracking, rust juice elution, concrete surface delamination and spalling are often detected(figure-1). Due to the fact that this section is not readily observable by human eyes, degradation may go unnoticed for an extended period of time. In the event of an earthquake, these aged piers may suffer irreparable damages and result in sudden corruption. From a BCP perspective, it is extremely important to undertake periodic inspections and assessments of these structures and incorporate the results into their maintenance and rehabilitation plans.

This system consists of: 1. technology that precisely models the geometry of the target structure in 3D using series of photographs of the underside concrete of the pier structure (figure 2), 2. image processing technology that automatically extracts and displays cracks and rust juice from photographic images, 3. technology that uses AI to automatically determine the degree of deterioration for each component in accordance with the “Guidelines for Inspection and Diagnosis of Port Facilities”, 4. AI-powered technology that predicts how and where the deteriorating concrete of the pier structure will be damaged during an earthquake and displays the results on a 3D model, and 5. technology for predicting age-related deterioration level after 5 years, 10 years, etc.

The system enables for easy diagnostics of the pier’s deterioration level during an earthquake, as well as the optimal timing of rehabilitation and reinforcement to keep the pier in continuous operation, enabling port managers to draw up a more systematic maintenance program.

Going forward, POC will strive to contribute to infrastructure maintenance through technological developments.

Related links:
Development of AI-based Technology to Evaluate Residual Structural Performance of Piers (May 10, 2022)

Penta-Ocean Construction Developed a System for Inspecting and Diagnosing Pier Undersurfaces: Supporting Maintenance Work Management of Piers with ICT and Image Processing Technology (January 16, 2018)