ABSTRACT
This paper focuses on the technological developments and characteristics of the construction of the Kasumigaseki Building (1968), Japan’s first high-rise building with a height of over 100 meters. From an examination of survey documents, this paper explores the new technologies applied to the construction of the Kasumigaseki Building and their impact, particularly those that shortened construction time by process management and prefabrication. First, the general contractors managed the construction process by using the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) method as well as with the use of a mainframe computer, building every floor in six days. Second, to decrease the amount of lifting or connecting by bolts, the steel posts and beams were divided into special units. The general contractor also developed tower cranes and a new deck plate floor system, among other innovations. Although most of the technologies used in the construction of the Kasumigaseki Building have since been improved, the fundamental concepts such as process management are still in use today.
