About

The Tsubokura Laboratory conducts research at the intersection of structural engineering, maintenance engineering, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and wind engineering.

Our research focuses on understanding how wind-borne particles, including sea salt and road anti-freezing agents, are transported through the atmosphere and deposited on bridges and other civil infrastructure.

Using numerical simulations, field measurements, and engineering analysis, we aim to understand and predict environmental deterioration processes affecting infrastructure in harsh coastal and winter environments, particularly in the San'in region of Japan.

Our long-term goal is to contribute to the prediction, prevention, and mitigation of deterioration in civil infrastructure under changing environmental and climatic conditions.

Research Keywords

• Structural Engineering

• Maintenance Engineering

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

• Wind Engineering

• Infrastructure Maintenance

• Airborne Particle Transport

• Corrosion Environment

• Climate Change Impact Assessment

Research Focus

Airborne Sea-Salt Transport and Adhesion

CFD and large-eddy simulation (LES) of the dispersion and adhesion of airborne sea-salt particles around bridges and structural components, including rectangular and cylindrical sections.

Corrosion Environment Prediction

Estimation and prediction of salt deposition rates on steel structures based on atmospheric sea-salt concentration measurements, meteorological conditions, and numerical simulations.

Anti-Freezing Agent Dispersion

Investigation of the transport and accumulation of road anti-freezing agents around bridges, parallel bridge structures, and road-tunnel entrances.

Climate Change Impact Assessment

Prediction of future airborne sea-salt particle loads and their effects on infrastructure deterioration under future climate scenarios using meteorological and numerical models.

Principal Investigator

Yuta Tsubokura, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor / Head of the Tsubokura Laboratory
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Matsue College

I lead the Tsubokura Laboratory and independently conduct and supervise research in structural engineering, wind engineering, computational fluid dynamics, and infrastructure maintenance.

My research combines numerical simulation, field measurements, and engineering analysis to investigate the deterioration of civil infrastructure caused by airborne sea salt and anti-freezing agents.

I also supervise student research projects conducted within the laboratory.

Education and Academic Career

• Ph.D. in Engineering, Kyoto University, 2022

• M.Eng. in Engineering, Kyoto University, 2019

• Research Assistant / Research Fellow, Kyoto University, 2019–2022

• Assistant Professor, National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Matsue College, 2022–present

Selected Publications

1. Noguchi, K., Tsubokura, Y., Tsuda, Y., Yagi, T.,
   “Numerical investigation of the adhesion of particles to rectangular prisms with different side ratios,”
   Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, Vol. 269, 2026.

2. Tsubokura, Y., et al.,
   “Salt particle dispersion and adhesion characteristics on parallel bridges and the effect of bridge arrangement,”
   Journal of JSCE, Vol. 82, No. 2, 2026.

3. Tsubokura, Y., Noguchi, K., Yagi, T.,
   “Numerical Simulation of Airborne Salt Particle Behavior in Dry Gauze Method Using Porous Media Model,”
   Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 88, No. 10, 2021.

Full publication list:
researchmap: 坪倉 佑太 (Yuta TSUBOKURA) - マイポータル - researchmap

Funded Research Projects

JSPS KAKENHI — Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists

Principal Investigator
“Future projection of airborne sea-salt particle amounts considering global warming”
Project period: 2023–

JSPS KAKENHI — Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up

Principal Investigator
“Development of a method for estimating salt adhesion on structures based on multi-scale airflow analysis”
Project period: 2022–

These projects are supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) through competitive national research grants.

Research Approach

Our research integrates:

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

• Large-Eddy Simulation (LES)

• Field measurements

• Meteorological data analysis

• Particle transport modeling

• Structural and infrastructure engineering

By combining numerical and experimental approaches, we seek to develop practical methods for evaluating and predicting the long-term environmental deterioration of bridges and other civil infrastructure.

Research Profiles

researchmap
坪倉 佑太 (Yuta TSUBOKURA) - マイポータル - researchmap

Additional academic profiles and publication databases may be linked here when available.

Contact

Yuta Tsubokura, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering
National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Matsue College

[Institutional email address] tsubokura@matsue-ct.ac.jp

National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Matsue College
14-4 Nishiikuma-cho, Matsue, Shimane, Japan