Improving infrastructure through technological developments in concrete
- The joys of being a specialist
Chief,Construction System and Materials Department, Technical Research Institute, Obayashi Corporation P.E.Jp(Civil Engineering). Authorized Chief Concrete Engineer, Authorized Concrete Diagnosis & Maintenance Engineer
Keisaburo Katano
Struggling to decide whether to go overseas. The professor who gave him the direction he needed.
In the fall of his senior year, Katano applied for a job at a major construction company despite earlier plans to go to graduate school. Unsure of what to do, Katano visited Professor Hisada, who advised him not to rush into employment. It turned out to be the right decision. “If I had found employment then, I wouldn't have come across the job I have now,” he says. “The reason I can work as a researcher is because I have the knowledge that I gained in graduate school. I am truly grateful to Professor Hisada.” In graduate school, he conducted research into the practical application of the technology that removes salt from the concrete. His research seemed like an infinite cycle of making concrete, coming up with an electrical circuitry and adjusting the concentration of ions. The work was tedious and repetitive and he occasionally felt like giving up. Thanks to the encouragement of his lab mates though, he persisted. Although it was tough, he says, he never felt alone. “I think that my ability to patiently respond to time-consuming research and work was fostered during this time. It was an invaluable experience that shaped me into the person I am now.” During his second year of graduate school, he once again had big decisions to make. He had interviews with a few companies involved in plant construction, but he wasn’t convinced that it was the field he wanted to be in. He also hadn’t given up on his hopes to go overseas. Once again, he turned to Professor Hisada for guidance, and learnt of a company that was looking for a concrete researcher. That company was Obayashi Corporation, a major construction company that was leading R&D in construction technology.
The path to becoming a researcher. An occupation to be proud of.
“I had interned at Obayashi Corporation during my first year of graduate school,” says Katano. “I spent two weeks at a dam construction site in Akita Prefecture with Obayashi Corporation engineers, literally eating and sleeping together. They showed me what a real civil engineering site was like. I didn’t have any anxieties about the company because I was familiar with the general atmosphere and the work on-site. But as I had never imagined being a researcher, I couldn't decide right away.” In the end, he was encouraged to take the position after a conversation with an associate professor at his lab, who had had experience working at a private company. He strongly recommended Obayashi. No longer hesitant, Katano chose to embark on the path of a researcher. During his first year at Obayashi Corporation, he conducted basic research on concrete at a lab in Tokyo, then went to Ehime Prefecture in the fall of his second year. Over the course of about 10 months, he was involved in tunnel construction in a project to install natural gas and other storage tanks. Following this, he experienced providing on-site technical support at the head office; and at the start of his fourth year, he went back to research work at a lab. “After I went back to the lab, I took part in removing ceiling panels in an aging tunnel. It was after the incident of ceiling panels falling in Sasago Tunnel, so we were careful to put safety first as we proceeded with the work. “The removal took seven hours longer than we had initially planned, but we were praised by our clients for allowing the tunnel to reopen safely and without incident. It was a job that I felt proud of.”
The joy of being a specialist. Learning from each encounter.
The subject of his current research is concrete production using seawater. “It is commonly understood that although seawater can enhance the durability of concrete, it also causes the reinforcing steel inside to rust,” explains Katano. “However, research into rust-resistant reinforcing steel is advancing. “Concrete is composed of cement, water, gravel and sand. If there were production technologies that could build strong concrete and rust-proof reinforcing steel, it would be possible to reduce the time and cost of building safe roads in places where freshwater isn’t easily available. This would include remote islands, coastal areas and disaster affected areas.” Katano is now involved in many national projects and research on civil engineering materials - a cornerstone of infrastructure. He also travels overseas regularly to attend conferences. “What I find rewarding is being needed as a specialist. I feel happy to be relied on for knowledge and skills that only I possess, regardless of my age, from sources inside and outside the company,” says Katano about his work as a researcher. “Behind the person that I am today is the six years that I’d spent learning at Tohoku University. My encounter with civil engineering, meeting fellow researchers, conducting research under the tutelage of the renowned Professor Hisada, and being mentored by many alumni after graduation – I don't think I would have had all this if it weren't for Tohoku University.”
Chief,Construction System and Materials Department, Technical Research Institute, Obayashi Corporation P.E.Jp(Civil Engineering). Authorized Chief Concrete Engineer, Authorized Concrete Diagnosis & Maintenance Engineer
Keisaburo Katano
Katano graduated from Asaka High School in Fukushima Prefecture in 2002. In 2006, he received a degree in Civil Engineering from the School of Engineering at Tohoku University, and stayed on to do graduate studies at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. After completing his graduate degree in March 2008, he joined Obayashi Corporation in April of the same year. Soon after, Katano worked on installing energy storage tanks in tunnel construction and in removing ceiling panels in an aging tunnel. He is currently pursuing the latest in concrete research at Obayashi Corporation's testing center.