HAPI visit Sakai in Saitama, Japan

During their vacation in Japan in early November to visit their son and his family, Jon and Lynn Young were honored to be invited to spend an afternoon at Sakai’s Production Center/RESEARCH & DEVELOPMEN(R&D) Headquarters in Saitama, Japan.


The afternoon started with a demonstration of the SAKAI’s SV514 ARMs (“A” = Auto, “R” = Remote, and “M” = Manual, collectively represented by the “s.”) autonomous (dirt) roller. This roller can be programmed to operate without a driver, operate remotely (click here to see Lynn in action), or be operated by a driver in the cab.

To provide you with an idea of the machine in operation, please view the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8KsqcHfIGU&t=5s (it’s in Japanese).


A report of 2024 ISIC (International Society for Intelligent Construction) conference was presented by Sakai’s Hitoshi Fujita. He also gave a lecture on Marshall method, Super Pave, and BMD, providing a basic overview for the audience members who are mostly mechanical engineers.


The afternoon ended with a lecture on Hawaii’s BMD (Balanced Mix Design) implementation by HAPI’s executive director Jon Young (translated by Toshi Hayashi). BMD is an advanced approach to designing asphalt mixtures that incorporates performance testing to ensure the mixture can withstand several types of pavement distresses, such as rutting and cracking.

The implementation effort in Hawaii is just getting started. It will be a collaborative effort between the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the local asphalt industry.

Group Photo of the Sakai R&D Team


The day end with a delicious dinner at Tomy Second, Meat & Pizza. Jon and Lynn were the guests of Sakai: Shogo Hata, Hitoshi Fujita, and Toshi Hayashi.


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