[JAPAN / TOKYO / ENGINEERING] Highway bridges in Japan, with a map

EIICHI MURAKAMI, N. p., [Tokyo], 1966.

Original wrappers. 4to. (29 x 22 cm). In English. 41 p., 31 original gelatin silver photographs in various sizes mounted on pages within the text, many architectural plans of the bridges, with a folded page, and a folded map. The title, author, and contents are on the front cover with a handwritten date "1966". The first two pages are folded inside.

Exceedingly modern rare printed material with original gelatin silvers including a detailed historical, scientific, and visual account of the highway bridges in all of Japan, by Dr. Eiichi Murakami, the Director Public Works Research Institute Ministry of Construction of Japan.

The book starts with a General title containing two tables: "Present condition of Highway Bridges in Japan 1965", and "Longest Span Bridge by Types in Japan". The second part is the History of Highway Bridges. This part deals with some selected examples from the oldest bridge on record, Ikuinotsu built in 326 AD to present, and this part has three original silver gelatins of Enkyo (Monkey) Bridge, Kintai (Shining Arch) Bridge, and Aimoto Bridge. The third and fourth part is "Specifications" and "Influence of Earthquake upon Bridge Structure" discussing its history from 1921 to the present day and the effects of an earthquake upon a bridge, these parts have one photo mounted on the sixth page as well as two tables. The fifth part is "Steel Bridges" and also is the longest part of the work, with examples from the first metallic bridge in Japan "the Kanenohashi" [i.e. Iron Bridge] constructed in Yokohama in 1869 to the present day, including 18 original silver gelatins of Eitai Bridge, Tied Arch over the Sumida River in Tokyo (its a panoramic view), Sagami Grand Bridge, Nagara Bridge, Azuma Bridge, Jogashima Bridge (this consists of two separate photos), New Tsukuda Bridge, Biwako Grand Bridge, Choshi Grand Bridge, New Mikuni Grand Bridge, Ondo Grand Bridge, Asahi Bridge, Uwagawa Bridge, Takumo Bridge, Saikai Bridge /two different views of this bridge), Konaruto Bridge, Kachidoki Bridge, and the Side-view of Wakato Bridge under construction. The sixth part deals with the subject of Reinforced Concrete Bridges including three gelatin silvers of the Nihon Bridge, Tokachi Grand Bridge, and Sasatsu Bridge. The seventh part is "Prestressed Concrete Bridges". It was in 1952 that prestressed concrete was first industrialized in Japan. This part tells that the studies for industrialization had been made earlier, but implementation had been delayed partly due to World War II and it follows the technique to the present day with five gelatin silvers of Sataunai Bridge, Ranzan Bridge, Komekami Bridge, Koshinoo Bridge, and Nada Bridge, pp. 25-28. The eighth part is "Substructures", including a gelatin silver Steel caisson for the main tower foundation of the Wakato Bridge, towed 20 km across the ocean. The ninth part is "The Amakusa Highway" which is a link between Misumi-cho, Uto-peninsular, and Aizu, Kamishima-Island. This part deals with the project which has a total length of 16,5 km including five bridges on the route made by the Japan Highway, this part has five plans. The last part is "Proposed Highway Bridges across the Bay and the Sea", including 16 plans (one folded). The book has an extra folded large map (58x45,5 cm) in Japanese and a folded page.

This item is from the library of Turkish certificated engineer Alkut Aytun (1937-) (dated on the front cover "6/IV/1966"). During the time he worked at the Earthquake Branch of the Ministry of Development and Settlement, he specialized in earthquake engineering as a UNESCO scholar at the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (I.I.S.E.E.), which was established in Tokyo (Japan) with the cooperation of the United Nations and the Japanese Government, between August 1965 and August 1966. This was followed by an extension study at the University of Tokyo under the supervision of Atsushi Hirai with a scholarship from Waseda University until the end of the same year.