Footnotes
(Note 1) This system won the National Award for the Best Academic Technology for Land Improvement Works (conducted by the Japanese Society of Irrigation, Drainage and Rural Engineering) in 2014, as the development of this highly accurate river water level prediction system led to the establishment of a reliable evacuation system and contributed to further technological development.
(Note 2) Headwork is a facility (sluice gate, weir, under sluice, etc.) that dams up a river to raise the water level and channel it into a waterway in order to withdraw water for agricultural use from the river.
River Flow Prediction System to Ensure the Safety of River Construction
TAISEI CORPORATION
Industry: Construction
| Publication date | December 15, 2022 (Posted on June 26, 2023) |
|---|---|
| Sector | Natural Disasters / Coastal Areas |
Company Overview
TAISEI CORPORATION is a construction company founded in 1873. Since the time of Japan's modernization, we have been engaged in urban development, development of social infrastructure, recovery and reconstruction from large-scale natural disasters, and national land resilience. Pursuing the group philosophy "To create a vibrant environment for all members of society" we seek in an environmentally sustainable manner to create a global community filled with hopes and dreams for the benefit of future generations.
Adaptation Initiatives
In recent years, due to the effects of climate change, river basins have been frequently damaged from flooding caused by torrential rainfall. In river construction, the rise in water levels can cause damage to personnel, construction equipment and materials. It is necessary for construction workers to be aware of the changes in the river so that they can safely evacuate when there is concern for water levels to rise.
Climate Change Impacts
In 2008, we developed T-iAlert River, a flood warning system for river construction that predicts a sudden rise in water levels and sends alerts to construction workers when there is a possibility of flooding (Fig. 1) (Note 1). The features of T-iAlert River are as follows.
[Functions of T-iAlert River]
- Automatically collects data for rainfall, river water level, and river flow observation and forecast (by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Japan Meteorological Agency), and analyzes/predicts river water levels at the construction site
- Automatic distribution of the observed data and the analysis result on river water level
- When the predicted water level exceeds a certain level, alerts will be sent to by texts and e-mail
In 2022, a new function was added to T-iAlert River which uses AI to predict river water levels up to 24 hours ahead based on past weather conditions and forecasts (Fig. 2).
The following effects can be expected with the addition of this new function.
- Predict water levels even without the data from nearby river stations
- Earlier evacuation of personnel, construction equipment and materials, compared with the conventional system
- Earlier start of preparations and work to resume construction by predicting the timing of recovery after the flooding
Effects / Expected Benefits
T-iAlert River was adopted for the Ishikari River headworks (Note 2) construction project from 2004 to 2011, when a major flooding occurred in July 2009 and the water level rose to 0.13 m below the top of the cofferdam at the construction site (Fig. 3). T-iAlert River predicted this flooding and sent out an alert 29 hours in advance, saving the site from any damage by the early evacuation of personnel, heavy machinery, and materials from the cofferdam.
