Civil and Environmental Engineering

Our goal is to foster engineers and researchers who will be responsible for "building a safe and secure society" and "creating a sustainable society that is friendly to people and the environment”.

What you can learn and research in this course?

In Japan, we have so many natural disasters. We need comprehensive countermeasures to prevent and reduce disasters in terms of both disaster-resistant hardware (structures) and human-environmentally friendly software (disaster-prevention training, environmental awareness). Meanwhile, the structure of society is changing rapidly. In rural areas, besides the decentralization of public facilities, depopulation is advancing due to the falling birthrate and aging population. We need to consider what kind of social structure is suitable for the community and the environment. Now, having experienced the unprecedented Great East Japan Earthquake, we aim to educate and research the three main fields in our course, “construction”, “environment” and “disaster prevention”.

We strive to foster engineers and researchers who will work for the establishment of the safe and secure society and a creation of a sustainable society that is both human and environmentally friendly.

Field of Environmental Engineering

Environmental problems, such as air, water, and soil pollutions, are coming to the surface and there is a great burden on the environment. Furthermore, there are many challenges to build a recycling-based society where humans and nature can coexist. In the field of environmental engineering, students will study a variety of environmental subjects, including environmental engineering and resource recycling engineering.

Field of Construction Engineering

For disaster-resistant hardware, durable structures and materials must be used, and long-term diagnosis, repair and reinforcement, and maintenance and management are essential. In the field of construction engineering, students will study a variety of construction engineering, including structural mechanics, construction materials and facility maintenance and management engineering.

Field of Disaster Prevention Engineering

We must increase our knowledge about disaster prevention and town planning for the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake and the sustainable regional development. In the field of disaster prevention engineering, students will study a variety of disaster prevention engineering, including urban planning studies, water and landslide disaster prevention engineering and regional recovery development exercises.

How our research can be applied to society?

Field of Environmental Engineering

A variety of research is being conducted to protect our health and environment. For example, to manage the health of quarry workers, we are developing technology to measure the amount of dust at the site in a quick and simple way. The reuse of waste is another important issue. For example, we are developing a method to use grape pomace from wine production as an alternative to chemicals used to purify soil contaminated with organic chemicals. In addition, technology is being developed to recover phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium contained in domestic wastewater (sewage) and reuse them as fertilizer. Research in the field of environmental engineering is being used to create a sustainable, recycling-oriented society that protects human health and the richness of nature.

Field of Construction Engineering

For transportation and prevention from tsunamis and floods, roads, bridges, seawalls, levees, and other civil engineering structures are constructed using technologies in the field of construction engineering.

Currently, research is being conducted to develop technologies using waste materials as recycled construction materials, and to clarify the physical properties of the ground and rocks that serve as the foundation for building safer structures. In addition, construction structures age. Over the years, concrete deteriorates and crumbles, the paint on bridges peels off, and the steel bars that support the bridge corrode, making it impossible to maintain the strength of the bridge and to allow safe passage.

In order to protect our safety, it is necessary to correctly "diagnose" the degree of aging of structures and "repair" or "rebuild" them at the appropriate time. In the field of construction engineering, we are developing a method to easily and accurately diagnose the aging of structures using a simple device. Research in this field is being used to build safer social infrastructures.

Field of Disaster Prevention Engineering

The occurrence of natural disasters varies from region to region. Research in the field of disaster prevention engineering is used to develop better prevention and mitigation measures for natural disasters. For example, in coastal areas where tsunamis are expected, simulation studies are used to predict tsunami heights, inundation areas, and the time between the earthquake and the arrival of the tsunami. The results of hardware research are being used to build stronger seawalls to prevent tsunamis. In addition, software research can be used to disseminate correct disaster prevention knowledge and awareness through the use of educational materials for disaster prevention in elementary and junior high schools, and to survey and analyze evacuation routes and behaviors in each community, and to conduct actual evacuation drills with local residents. This will help to promote disaster prevention and mitigation in the region and to create disaster-resistant cities.

What this course looks for in students?

Civil and Environmental Engineering Course aims to develop safe and secure social infrastructures, to extend the service life of existing structures, to overcome environmental problems, and to realize a recycling-oriented society. The course develops education and research in the specialized fields of construction engineering, environmental engineering, and disaster prevention engineering, and fosters construction engineers with expertise in these fields. To this end, this course seeks applicants with the following abilities and qualities.

  • Basic academic skills appropriate for studying specialized subjects in Civil and Environmental Engineering Course
  • The ability to think logically and to develop rich ideas for the realization of a sustainable society
  • Willingness to actively explore and solve various issues related to civil and environmental engineering in order to build safe and secure societies in harmony with nature
  • Willingness to play active roles not only in the local community but also on a global scale, and communication skills

What kind of human resource will this course develop?

In Civil and Environmental Engineering Course, students learn about three specialized fields: construction engineering, disaster prevention engineering, and environmental engineering.

Specifically, in construction engineering, students learn about the design and construction techniques of roads, bridges, tunnels, and other construction structures that are indispensable to our daily lives; in disaster prevention engineering, students learn about the reasons why various disasters occur, their mechanisms, and methods for disaster prevention and mitigation; and in environmental engineering, students learn about the reasons why environmental pollutions occur, and pollution prevention and remediation techniques. We train students to have specialized knowledge in three fields. In addition, through foreign language education, such as English for Science and Technology, we develop human resources who can be active globally as engineers. In addition, through the study of exercises and practical subjects, students will discover various issues related to the maintenance and management of construction structures, disaster prevention and mitigation measures, and environmental purification. The program is designed to develop human resources with problem-solving skills, communication skills with related parties, and teamwork skills.

What kind of career path is expected after graduation?

Civil infrastructure supports our social lives itself. It consists of transportation networks such as roads, railroads, airports and ports as well as water, gas, electricity and communications. Experts who can plan, design, build, maintain and manage the infrastructure while considering the environment are needed for a safe, secure and affluent life in our communities. Graduates will be active in a variety of fields.

  • General contractor
  • Construction and environmental consultants
  • Infrastructure
  • Transportation
  • High-ranking civil servants of engineering
  • Go on to graduate school, etc.

Curriculum

First year Second year Third year Fourth year
Specialized Basic Courses Basic Mathematics
Calculus Ⅰ
Calculus Ⅱ
Linear Algebra
Physics Ⅰ
Physics Ⅱ
Chemistry Ⅰ
Chemistry Ⅱ
Differential Equations
Physics Laboratory
Chemistry Laboratory
Vector Analysis
Probability and Statistics
Earth Science
Fourier Analysis
Civil and Environment Course Studies Exercises in Regional Economic Revitalization Ⅰ
Introduction to Regional Economic Revitalization Theory
Surveying Practicum Ⅰ
Surveying Practicum Ⅱ
Structural Mechanics Ⅱ
Concrete Engineering
Reinforced Concrete Engineering
Hydraulics Ⅰ
Hydraulics Ⅱ
Soil Mechanics Ⅰ
Soil Mechanics Ⅱ
City Planning
Transportation Planning
Water and Sewage Works Engineering
Exercises in Regional Economic Revitalization Ⅱ
Civil and Environmental Engineering Laboratory
Exercises in Civil and Environmental Programming
English for Technology Ⅰ
Structural Mechanics Exercises
Design and Drawing
Construction Methods
Exercises in Regional Economic Revitalization Ⅲ
Numerical Analysis
Steel Structures
Construction Materials Science
Engineering for Facility Maintenance and Management
Exercises in Hydraulics
River and Coastal Engineering
Exercises in Soil Mechanics
Geological Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Earthquake Engineering
Engineering for Seismic and Volcanic Disaster Prevention
Engineering for Water and Sediment Disaster Prevention
Public Policy
Water Environmental Engineering
Atmospheric Environmental Engineering
Geoenvironmental Engineering
Ecological Environmental Conservation
Resource Circulation Engineering
Special Exercises
English for Technology Ⅱ
Graduation Research
Common Courses within Science Surveying
Circuit Theory Ⅰ
Basic Electrical Theory
Basic Computer Engineering
Structural Mechanics Ⅰ
Environmental Engineering
Analog Electronic Circuits
Discrete Mathematics
Logic Circuits
Mechanics of Materials Ⅰ
Mechanical Dynamics
Mechanical Design
Common Courses within the Fuculty Introduction to Soft Path Science and Engineering Ethics for Engineers
Nuclear Engineering
Quality Control and Industrial Management Plan
Introduction to Intellectual Property
Selected Topics in Patent Law
Internships
Overseas Training in English for Science and Engineering
Compulsory Subjects Elective Subjects

Interviews with Students

Contributing to Disaster Prevention and Better Community Development in Iwate.

HONMA Kaori

[from Morioka Daishi High School, Iwate Prefecture]

When I was in high school, I wanted to learn about disaster prevention and disaster mitigation, as well as reconstruction and urban planning following the Great East Japan Earthquake. I chose Iwate University because I could study disaster prevention as well as construction. In my current university life, I am acquiring a wide range of knowledge in the field of civil engineering and construction through classes such as basic knowledge of construction, environmental engineering that deals with pollution and contamination, and disaster prevention that considers not only hardware but also software measures. Although I do not belong to a laboratory yet, I would like to join a laboratory related to disaster prevention and urban planning, and in the future I would like to make use of the specialized knowledge and techniques I learned at university for safer urban planning.

At the university, I can study my field of interest in detail in a specialized field, and I can also have a part-time job and participate in club activities, so I can lead a free lifestyle. I feel it is important to take on challenges in things that interest me and not only think about them, but also act on them.

Department of Systems Innovation Engineering