IPA Newsletter

We are pleased to welcome to you the IPA Newsletter’s latest publication, Volume 10, Issue 2. On behalf of the editorial panel, we gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the authors and IPA secretariat for yet another remarkable newsletter. 

This issue introduces a wide variety of research and development topics. “In an era of rapid change, such as the current one, it is important to consider that remaining unchanged is not a matter of ‘maintaining the status quo’ but rather a matter of ‘decline’”. Professors at Ritsumeikan University emphasized issues the civil engineering and construction industry are likely to face over the coming decades, particularly labor shortages, as a result of the total annual population decline that is being faced globally. Case studies related to the development of innovative piling techniques that have been essential to the growth and development of Vietnam were presented, as well as the use of the Combi-Gyro piling method for a temporary embankment in Japan, and research activities by its young members investigating scour on coastal piles on sloping seabed. The global challenges that are being faced today, whether that this population decline, skills shortages, political instability, will impact the role of the civil engineer in developing practical, safe, robust and applicable solutions to better support and advance society’s needs.  Therefore, it is crucial that innovation and technological advancements remain the focus of our attention to overcome the rapidly evolving societal challenges that we will continue to face. Press-in Methods have been developed to address such issues, and further discussions will support its application across a more diverse range of construction challenges.