“Continuing to Challenge Natural Disasters, Creating a Safe and Secure Future for Everyone” — The Dream of the Vertex Group

Vertex Corporation supports 'April Dream,' an initiative that encourages companies to share their dreams on April 1st. This press release represents the dream of the 'Vertex Group.'

Vertex Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Yuzuru Yamamoto) is using this opportunity to share our dream: 'Continuing to challenge natural disasters, creating a safe and secure future for everyone.' As a company that supports social infrastructure, we are dedicated to building a society with resilient foundations.

The Background Behind Our Dream

Japan has long faced numerous natural disasters, including earthquakes, typhoons, heavy rains, and landslides. In recent years, climate change has led to more frequent and severe disasters, causing an increasing impact on people's lives and local communities.

Under these circumstances, the importance of not only responding after a disaster occurs but also preparing daily to minimize damage has become more critical than ever.

As a company supporting social infrastructure, the Vertex Group has provided products and technologies that support people's lives from the ground up for many years. What we value is not merely delivering products; it is about creating towns where people can live with peace of mind, supporting the future of local regions, and passing on safety and security to the next generation. This sentiment is the origin of our group's dream.

Rainwater storage tanks that protect towns and homes from flooding

Protective fences that guard lives against rockfalls and collapsing soil

Vertex Group Products and Technologies for Realizing Our Dream

Our group develops a diverse range of products and technologies in the fields of disaster prevention and mitigation, national resilience, and infrastructure development for roads and rivers. Our technologies are utilized in various scenarios, including flood control products for heavy rain and flooding, seismic and disaster prevention products to mitigate earthquake damage, and products that protect lives from disasters such as rockfalls and landslides on slopes.

These products may not be visible in everyday life, but they protect our cities and support people's lives from behind the scenes.

Here are two examples of our group's products and technologies.

'Spiral Hole,' an assembly-type manhole for high-drop applications

The first is our heavy rain disaster prevention product, the 'Spiral Hole.'

In recent years, increased rainfall has led to cases where underground channels buried near the surface cannot handle the volume of rainwater. One countermeasure being developed is deep underground river channels. However, introducing rainwater into these channels presents many challenges, such as ensuring flow rate, noise prevention, and maintenance. To address these issues, we developed the 'Spiral Hole,' which utilizes our proprietary technology to allow water to flow smoothly while swirling.

This product not only efficiently directs surface rainwater to underground river channels but also features a spiral staircase inside the unit, allowing administrators to access the underground channels safely and easily. It is currently used in over 200 locations nationwide, and in one location in Tokyo, a Spiral Hole with a depth of approximately 50 meters has been installed. Such technology plays a role in urban flood control, supporting people's safe lives from out of sight.

Inspection, diagnosis, and maintenance of fire cisterns

The second is our technology for the 'maintenance of fire cisterns,' which are essential for firefighting during disasters.

Fire cisterns are not only vital water sources for initial firefighting or when hydrants are unusable, but they are also important facilities that can be used as a source of domestic water during disasters. Their utility has been reaffirmed through events like the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.

We have provided the 'HC-type Fire Cistern,' a precast fire cistern that received the first model certification from the Japan Fire Equipment Inspection Institute in 1984. However, it is estimated that there are approximately 150,000 fire cisterns in Japan that are over 50 years old, and many are still in use. Without proper maintenance, these cisterns may not function adequately.

Therefore, we have developed proprietary maintenance technology to inspect and diagnose aging fire cisterns, ensuring they can withstand earthquakes and function as reliable water storage in emergencies. Our group continues to pursue the ideal form of infrastructure that is truly useful to society while ensuring the sustainability of social infrastructure.

Through our products and technologies that support social infrastructure, our group will continue to share our dream of 'continuing to challenge natural disasters, creating a safe and secure future for everyone,' and we will remain committed to building a society with resilient foundations.