Project News

Holding a seismic diagnosis class

A seismic diagnosis class was held online by an expert Miyamoto (associate professor at Kagawa University) on September 24th and 29th. Participants were counterparts of the Department of Culture (DOC), Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs and Department of Engineering Service (DES), Ministry of Work and Human Settlement. On the first day (24th), the flowchart for seismic diagnosis of the masonry building, the parameters for structural calculation and their coefficients were explained, and calculation example was also presented. In order to deepen their understanding, the participants worked on the structural calculation, a task given to them after the theory class. They took the course on the second day (29th), and it was more of a question-and-answer session where doubts of each particpants were clarified. The counterparts are later expected to train the district engineers in October on the same training content.

Expert Miyamoto giving a lecture
(The photo is from screen shots)

Q & A session
(The photo is from screen shots)

Holding a shaking table operation class

On September 24, 2021, a shaking table operation class was held remotely at the Department of Culture (DOC) of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs. The operation class started with trial and error to turn on and off the power of the machine, referring the operation manual and guidance from Japanese expert. After several attempts, they were able to learn a series of operations safely. This device can create earthquake motions that have occurred in the past by inputting a previous earthquake data. This time, they learned to operate the shaking table by inputting the program prepared by Japanese researchers. Later, they will learn how to make a vibration program, input it, and practice how to operate it. In addition, they will be organizing an earthquake simulation program, where people will sit on the shaking table machine to experience the real earthquake. In future, shaking table test will be conducted for the test specimen under the initiative of the Bhutanese counterparts (remote support from the Japanese side).

Learning operating the shaking table
(Photo provided by the DOC)

Input program
(Photo provided by the DOC)

Holding of Working Group meeting

Working group meeting was held on September 10, 2021, participated by four counterpart organizations- Department of Disaster Management (DDM) and Department of Culture (DOC) under Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Department of Engineering Service (DES) under Ministry of Work and Human Settlement, and Department of Geology and Mines (DGM) under Ministry of Economy Affair. While Japanese researchers were unable to travel, the meeting was held with the intention of exchanging and sharing the schedules, plans, data, and knowledge of each department. At the meeting, opinions were exchanged on the timing of the pilot site surveys, the schedule for creating hazard maps and risk maps, and so on. There was also an exchange of opinions on the software for creating those maps. In September, the trainee of JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program who have studied microtremor measurement will return from Japan and take the lead in the pilot site surveys. More specific discussions will take place at the next meeting. The working group meeting will be held frequently to ensure effective collaborations among the departments.

2nd Video material released by the Department of Culture, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs

On 6th September, SATREPS Series titled "Construction of Test Facility - SATREPS-Bhutan video series - Episode 1" was released on YouTube.

• Construction of Test Facility - SATREPS-Bhutan video series - Episode 1 (YouTube, external link)