Newsletter Volume 11, Issue 2 June 2026

 

IPA Secretariat
 

IPA Board Member Dr. Yukihiro Ishihara, of GIKEN LTD., has been awarded the 2026 Maeda Engineering Award in the field of Civil Engineering.
 
About the Maeda Engineering Award
The Maeda Engineering Award was established to honor researchers who have made outstanding contributions to academic research in civil engineering and architecture. In the selection process, doctoral dissertations are evaluated, as they provide a comprehensive reflection of a researcher’s achievements while ensuring clear individual contribution. Emphasizing fundamental research and the development of young scholars, the award has been presented based on this policy since its inception in 1994.
In 2026, one recipient was selected from each of the following fields: Civil Engineering, Architecture, and i-Construction.
 
Awarded Research
Dr. Ishihara was recognized for his doctoral dissertation titled “Use of Press-in Piling Data for Estimating Subsurface Information and Pile Performance.” His study presents a methodology for utilizing press-in piling data to estimate geotechnical conditions and the vertical load-bearing capacity of piles, and has been highly regarded for both its academic contribution and practical applicability.
 
Message from Dr. Yukihiro Ishihara

I am honored to receive the 2026 Maeda Engineering Award. This research was driven by a fundamental challenge in construction: although projects proceed from investigation to design and construction, subsurface information is inherently limited, and discrepancies often emerge on site. Through extensive field observations, I was deeply impressed by the dedication of engineers who address these challenges, while also recognizing the need to formalize such tacit knowledge and generalize the interpretation of piling data. The technology is now applied in practice, and I aim to further expand its use in disaster response and new construction fields.