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Structural Mechanics Lab
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The lab studies the strength and service life of structures such as bridges built from steel and FRP.
AboutAbout the lab
Safe, long-lasting, and beautiful structures.
The Structural Mechanics Lab studies civil engineering structures such as bridges made of steel and FRP.
It investigates how much force a structure can withstand, how it behaves in an earthquake, and how it deteriorates over time.
Using both loading experiments and numerical simulation, the lab clarifies mechanical behavior and develops rational design methods.
Student teams take part in bridge model contests and the Japan Steel Bridge Competition, giving students the chance to learn about bridges in depth.
Key terms
- FRP
- A material made of resin reinforced with glass or carbon fibers. It is lightweight and does not rust easily
- Composite structure
- A structure built by combining materials with different properties, such as steel and concrete
- Solar updraft tower power generation
- A power generation method in which air heated in a large greenhouse rises through a tall chimney, and the resulting updraft turns turbines
NewsLab news
A master's student receives an Outstanding Presentation Award at a symposium on the use of hybrid and composite structures
A master's student receives an Outstanding Academic Presentation Award at the Kansai Civil Engineering Exchange Presentation Meeting
A student team wins the presentation category of the Japan Steel Bridge Competition 2025
A master's student receives an Outstanding Academic Presentation Award at the Kansai Civil Engineering Exchange Presentation Meeting
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies the load-bearing capacity, seismic performance, and maintenance of civil engineering structures such as bridges made of steel and FRP. Under the mottos "Earth and Humanity" and "Amenity and Affluence," it works on the design and mechanics of structures that take safety, convenience, and aesthetics into account.
*Illustrative imageAssessing the Health of Bridges
The lab aims to establish rational design methods, life-extension technologies, and low-environmental-impact technologies for infrastructure. It studies methods for evaluating structural soundness and predicting service life against damage from steel corrosion and fatigue, as well as sensing and monitoring systems.
*Illustrative imageUnderstanding the Mechanics of Steel and Composite Structures
The lab clarifies the mechanical behavior of steel and composite structures through loading experiments and numerical simulation, and builds rational design methods from the results. Its targets include prestressed concrete bridges with corrugated steel webs, which combine steel and concrete, and structures subjected to horizontal force from any direction.
*Illustrative imageUsing FRP in Civil Engineering Structures
FRP is a lightweight material that also resists weather well, and it is used in structures in harsh corrosive environments, such as buildings on remote islands surrounded by the sea and sluice gates. The lab is also trying to make structures more efficient with hybrid structures that add FRP to concrete or steel.
*Illustrative imageSolar Thermal Power Plants Built at Sea
The lab is examining a plan to build a floating solar updraft tower power plant in Japan's ocean space. This type of plant places a chimney at the center of a large greenhouse and turns turbines with the resulting updraft. Reducing the chimney's self-weight and ensuring long-term durability are the challenges.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Structural Mechanics Lab are faculty, secretaries, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYasuo Kitane
- Assistant ProfessorRisa Matsumoto
- Assistant ProfessorAkihiko Sato
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Steel Bridge over the Dead River” Imzadi1979 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Assessing the Health of Bridges: “Steel Bridge Inspection - Inspecting under the upper deck” Oregon Department of Transportation / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Understanding the Mechanics of Steel and Composite Structures: “STEEL GIRDER BRIDGE” Devilbose / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Using FRP in Civil Engineering Structures: “Lleida GFRP Pedestrian bridge” Pontis21 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Solar Thermal Power Plants Built at Sea: “Vertical bifacial floating solar with offshore wind turbines” Wikideas1 / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (地球資源システム): “Mutnovsky geothermal power plant” -= Nikita Zhuravlev = / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (都市地域計画): “Tramway de Dijon DSC 0244” Pline / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (構造材料学): “Low-angle view of a concrete bridge over Mahurangi river, Warkworth (AM 75085-1)” Collins, Tudor Washington, , photographer / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (ジオフロントシステム工学): “Blue Spring Cavern Underground River Tour” Jim Vajda / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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