REMINISCENCE
PROF. TSUTOMU KIMURA RECEIVED THE JAPAN ACADEMY PRIZE IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS MAJESTY, THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN
June 4th, 2012, Prof. Tsutomu Kimura got the highly prestigious Japan Academy Prize awarded for his long- term studies on mechanical behavior of ground. To celebrate this memorable occasion, an interview was made of Prof. Kimura by the Bulletin.
The Japan Academy Prize was established in 1910 and has been awarded every year to several distinguished people who made remarkable achievements in all the fields of academia. Prof. Kimura started his studies in early 1960s on bearing capacity of two-layered subsoil by means of analysis as well as 1-G model experiments. The experiments quickly developed into centrifugal model tests and his methodology was extended to other fields of geotechnical engineering such as shear failure in slopes, soil improvement, earth pressure on retaining walls, and earthquake problems as well as liquefaction. It was highly evaluated by the Prize that his studies gave rational verification to many empirical knowledge in traditional geotechnical engineering and has been applied to stability of cables of the Akashi-Strait long suspension bridge, stabilization of soft marine clay under Tokyo Haneda Airport, liquefaction mitigation measures of oil storage tanks and many others. The awarding ceremony took place in the Japan Academy with the attendance of His Majesty, the Emperor Akihito and Her Majesty, the Empress Michiko.
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