Eminent Structural Engineer: Dr Atsushi Hirai (1908–1993)

Facing tiresome design calculations of statically indeterminate structures in those days, Hirai developed the mat rix formulation for the analysis of a stiffened arch bridge and derived its approximate solution by defining the distribution rate of bending moment and thrust to the upper and lower chords of the structure. This achievement was published in two papers in the Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) in 1940, which were his first papers accepted by academic journals.