The presentation of the project "Rehabilitation of the concrete dam Mandak on Lake Mandak," near Lake Buško Blato in Livno, BIH, took place last week.
Our collegues Krunoslav Mavar & Mia Raič from IGH regional centre Zagreb, with the presence of Tomislav Marić, presented and defended the rehabilitation project to representatives of the Investor HEP-Proizvodnja from Split, Croatia and Crpne stanice Buško Blato .
The Concrete dam Mandak is classified as a medium-sized dam, which was built in 1967, in the bed of the river of the same name. The dam consists of nine concrete blocks, with a reinforced concrete bridge above the spillway fields. The height of the concrete dam is 31.30 m, while the length of the dam is 99.69 m.
The conclusion of the project review is that the project is well-designed and accepted. With some adopted remarks, it will serve as a quality basis for carrying out rehabilitation works that will contribute to improving the mechanical resistance and stability, and prolonging the lifespan of the structure. Rehabilitation works on the dam are planned to be carried out in the forthcoming period, thereby reducing future losses, increasing the functionality of the installed equipment, facilitating traffic across the dam, as well as enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the hydro-technical structure.
Today, we find ourselves in the office of Dr. Petar Sesar, M.Sc.CE, where exactly 45 years ago, on March 6th, 1979, he began his career at IGH. Exactly 50 years ago, Mr. Petar Sesar came to Zagreb to study civil engineering. During his final year of studies, he was noticed by Professor Dekanović, who recommended him to the Institut IGH. At that time, IGH was part of the university, and Petar also received a recommendation from the director of the metal constructions department, E. Hemerich.
Petar was offered a field job in the supervision of the construction of the R. Bogojevo bridge and design from Marjan Košćak, head of the bridge department. Considering Petar's passion for design, it was a simple decision that would later shape his extraordinary career.
"At that time, the department looked a little different. There were no computers or AutoCAD. The department had so-called 'drawing boards,' where drawings were done collectively. I realized how much of an opportunity I had to learn because knowledge was shared. This is something that sets the IGH Institute apart from others. It has always been a gathering place for interested and curious minds open to ideas and innovations," Petar recalls. "At the same time, I became an assistant to Professor Tonković, from whom I later inherited the sense of shaping. At that time, the construction of the Krk Bridge, which was then the longest concrete arch bridge in the world (390m), had just finished, and I got the opportunity to work with Professor Šram from Mostgradnja, Belgrade."
"After that, I worked with Professor Čandrić, who gained global specialization in Germany," says Petar, continuing, "I always loved working on constructions. There is something magical about symmetry. But bridges fascinated me because you practically design everything yourself, from start to finish. And at IGH, there is always something new, where you have to be both a forensic and an engineering doctor," explains Petar.
When it comes to projects he worked on, Petar highlights several that are particularly dear to him. Among them are panel calculations on the Adriatic Bridge, rehabilitation of bearings on the Krk Bridge, bridges in Karlovac, the bridge over the Drava River, and Drežnik Bridge over the Kupa River. "Among the competition works, my favorites are the Homeland Bridge and Čiovo Bridge, where we won second prizes, and the Jarun and Bundek bridges, where we received a redemption award," says Petar.
At the end of the conversation, Petar talks about the changes he has seen at the IGH Institute over the years: "The Institute has always been a center of knowledge that has brought knowledge to Croatia, taught others, and exported knowledge. It has always invested in knowledge, expertise, and novelties. Such an environment is stimulating. Construction and bridge building have progressed a lot since then. I am proud knowing that I worked with people who were part of that progress and with people who are now working on innovations."
Petar Sesar is a living example of dedication, expertise, and invaluable experience nurtured by the IGH Institute for 75 years. His extraordinary career has been marked by numerous successes and projects that have shaped the Croatian construction industry. On this occasion, we congratulate Petar on his 45th anniversary and look forward to witnessing his future endeavors and contributions to the construction industry.
In a significant development for the construction & engineering sector, the Supervisory Board of the Institut IGH has officially announced the re-election of Robert Petrosian as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This decision marks another 4 year term at the helm of IGH, reflecting the board's continued confidence in his leadership skills and strategic vision.
Since taking on the role, Robert Petrosian has been instrumental in steering Institut IGH through challenging times, overseeing major projects, and driving to innovation, quality, and sustainability within the industry. Under his guidance, IGH has achieved notable milestones, including the expansion of its services and the strengthening of its market position both domestically and internationally.
The re-election comes at a time when the industry is facing rapid changes and technological advancements. Petrosian's expertise and forward-thinking approach are seen as vital to navigating these changes and capitalizing on new opportunities. His leadership is expected to continue to foster growth, commitment to excellence, enhance operational efficiency, as well as sustain Institut IGH`s reputation as a company built on legacy of commitment to the development of technological & engineering solutions, setting new standards, and remaining a crucial partner in the realization of various large-scale and complex infrastructure projects.
The Supervisory Board's unanimous decision underscores their belief in Robert Petrosian's ability to lead the Institut IGH towards future successes and new heights. As IGH embarks on another chapter under Petrosian's leadership, the focus remains on innovation, sustainability, and delivering exceptional value to clients and stakeholders.
With an excellent track record & a clear vision for the future, Robert Petrosian is set to further cement IGH's position as one of the leading civil engineering company in Europe, with the biggest and most equipped laboratories in the central and south-eastern Europe.
We are always happy when we can announce the promotion of our colleagues to new positions. As of January 28th 2024., Director of Regional Center Split Ante Katić will also take on the role of Director of IGH Mostar. In his new role Ante will be responsible for further development of Institut IGH in Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina. Also, he will actively work on analyzing the market and trends as well development of client relations. Furthermore, together with other colleagues, he will continue to develop a good image and perception of IGH as a key civil engineering company in the region among clients, partners, and employees.
Ante has been working in Institut IGH almost 20 years. IGH was his first and only employer after finishing the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Split where he graduated and obtained his Master of Science in civil engineering diploma. Besides formal education, he is a licensed civil engineer within the Croatian Chamber of civil engineers, also he is IPMA certified project manager, FIDIC Engineer.
He started his professional career at the Institut IGH as Deputy Head of Road Construction Laboratory at RC Split, Head of road construction geomechanics testing within the Department of construction technology and road supervision. Also, he was a Head of control tests (geomechanics, asphalt and horizontal signalling) and designer of pavement structures.
From 2009. until today, he has continued his professional development as a supervising engineer for construction works (roads, ports, building construction) in the Department for Professional Supervision of RC Split. Since 2012. he has been the coordinator and occupational safety in the Department for Professional Supervision of RC Split. In April 2021. He was promoted to the position of deputy director of IGH Regional Center Split.
When it comes to his references, he has worked on numerous projects as a main supervising engineer and supervising engineer, safety at work coordinator, technological supervisor for clients such as Croatian roads, County roads Split, Split Port Authority, Ploče Port Authority, ACI, INA-Oil industry, to name a few.
With the announcement of the signed contract with the Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of the Republic of Georgia for preparation of feasibility study and detailed design for the upgrading and modernization of "Kobuleti Bypass Road", we bring you more information about this project.
The existing two-lane Kobuleti bypass road starts from Shekvetili and ends at the Chakvi-Makhinjauri tunnels. The length of the road is 31.3 kilometers. Within the framework of the monitoring of the intensity of the roads, the current and prospective increase in the intensity of the bypass road of Kobuleti was highlighted. In order to moderately develop the road infrastructure plan, the Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of the Republic of Georgia decided to publish a tender for feasibility study and a detailed design for the modernization of Kobuleti bypass road into a state of the art 4-lane highway which Institut IGH branch office in Georgia was awarded.
Kobuleti bypass is a component of the European Route E70 East-West road. As a result of the construction of the mentioned road, transit traffic from Adjara coastal strip is carried out on the new road, which will contribute to the ecological health of the resorts and the full development of tourism in the region.
The largest agglomeration in Croatia has been successfully completed, and another one in Cres-Lošinj has been expanded.
When we can directly influence the improvement of the quality of life in a city through the projects we work on, they demand 101% of our effort. One of such projects is the Agglomeration of Cres, Martinšćica, Mali Lošinj, and Veli Lošinj.
Together with the consortium, INSTITUT IGH, JSC will contribute to the implementation of this project. We are delighted to know that after the project is completed, the connection to the public sewage system will reach 96%, which is above the Croatian average. The project started at the end of 2019 with the signing of a contract worth 486 million kuna, co-financed by the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020. Non-refundable EU funds amount to 263 million kuna, while the remaining funds are provided by the relevant ministry Hrvatske vode and the Vodoopskrba i odvodnja Cres Lošinj (Water and Sewerage utility of Cres Lošinj), as the beneficiary of EU funds.
Investing in this agglomeration directly means investing in the public water supply and drainage system, as well as wastewater treatment in the area of the city of Cres and its associated settlements Cres, Martinšćica, Miholašćica, and Stivan, as well as the city of Mali Lošinj and its associated settlements Mali Lošinj, Osor, Sveti Jakov, Artatore, Ćunski, Nerezine, and Veli Lošinj.
Cres is the largest island in the Adriatic Sea, and with a length of 66 km, it ranks second among the longest islands. It belongs to the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and extends in a north-south direction. Its highest peak is Gorice (648m), and the well-known Lake Vrana is the main source of drinking water for the entire archipelago.
photo credit Grad Cres
The island of Cres is separated from the island of Lošinj by a very narrow Osor Channel, and they are connected by a rotating bridge, after which the road continues to Mali Lošinj. Lošinj is 31 km long and extends in a northwest-southeast direction. In the past, Cres and Lošinj were a single island. It was only through an artificially excavated canal near Osor, probably in Roman times, that two islands were created in order to shorten the route and bypass the large mass of the island on the way to the open sea. You can read about the flora and fauna, all the interesting facts about these islands, their history, and their beloved dolphins here.
Vransko lake, photo credit Mick Morton
It is an honor to work on the agglomeration that includes investments in the public water supply system, such as:
In addition to increasing the connection to the public drainage system to 96%, the reconstruction of the water supply system will reduce losses in the public water supply system from the current 36% to 27%, and improve the existing water supply of the Nerezine settlement by increasing the reservoir capacity for up to 343 residents.
The goal was also to enable wastewater treatment to an appropriate level and preserve its quality, as well as prevent its degradation, primarily for the purpose of preserving human health and then the environment, which contributes to achieving and maintaining good water status.
Another positive story happened in the Jastrebarsko agglomeration project. The residents of Jastrebarsko and the surrounding area received:
The IGH Institute has successfully completed the technical support and project management of one of the first and largest agglomerations in Croatia - the Jastrebarsko agglomeration. The project was carried out according to the conditions of the FIDIC White Book, and the works were performed in 14 settlements on as many as 18 construction sites. This is the largest investment in the history of the city, with a total project value of nearly 22.5 million euros. With a net amount of 72%, this project was also co-financed from the Cohesion Fund of the European Union. A total of 1,075 new connections to the sewage network were made for approximately 4,000 residents. 43.5 kilometers of new channels and collectors were built, and over 32 kilometers of roads were asphalted upon completion of the works.
Photo credit: Grad Jaska
The last facility built as part of this project is a wastewater treatment plant. Thanks to it, the wastewater will be returned to nature purified. We all know how important this function is today, as well as for the future of nature.
The city of Jastrebarsko is located in central Croatia, halfway between Zagreb and Karlovac. It is also popularly known as Jaska. It consists of 60 settlements and is a significant economic, craft, and tourist center. Over 17,000 residents live in these 60 settlements, with about 6,000 in the city center itself. All of them are part of a better future and great progress in their city.
We heartily congratulate all our colleagues on the expansion of the Cres, Martinšćica, Mali, and Veli Lošinj agglomerations. We also congratulate our colleagues from the Department of Professional Supervision on the successful completion of the largest agglomeration project - Jastrebarsko, and especially our esteemed colleague Miroslav Pauzar, mag. ing. aedif. in architecture.
On December 1st 2023, at the Company's head office, in Zagreb, Janka
Rakuše 1, the constitutive Supervisory Board Meeting was held where Žarko Dešković (OIB: 78923053725) was unanimously re-elected as the President of the Supervisory Board. Mariyan Tkach (OIB: 20591396734) was also unanimously re-elected as the Deputy President of the Supervisory Board of the Institute IGH.
Mr. Dešković has been in this position so far, and for more than two decades, he has been one of the key figures at the Institute IGH. Additionally, Dešković is also the honorary consul of Denmark in Split.
INSTITUT IGH, JSC, a leading European civil engineering company and the largest laboratory services provider in southeastern Europe, today announced the opening of a branch office in Hungary. The new office, located at Kálvária sugárút 19, 6722 Szeged, Hungary, will serve as a base for the company’s operations in the country. “We are excited to expand our presence into Hungary,” said Robert Petrosyan, Director of INSTITUT IGH, .d.d. “Hungary is a dynamic and growing economy with a strong need for high-quality civil engineering services. We are confident that our new branch office will allow us to better serve our clients in Hungary and contribute to the development of the country’s infrastructure.”
The Hungarian branch office will be led by Ivona Novački. She will be responsible for overseeing the company’s operations in Hungary and developing new business opportunities. “I am honored to be leading INSTITUT IGH, JSC’s expansion into Hungary,” said Novački. “I am confident that our team will provide our clients with the exceptional service they have come to expect from INSTITUT IGH.”
INSTITUT IGH, d.d. has a long history of providing high-quality civil engineering services to clients throughout Europe. The company is committed to innovation, quality, and sustainability, and it has a proven track record of success in delivering complex projects. The opening of the new branch office in Hungary is another significant milestone for INSTITUT IGH. The company is committed to expanding its reach and providing its clients with a wide range of services, including design, engineering, supervision, geotechnical engineering, and laboratory services. The company has a team of experienced engineers and scientists who are committed to providing high-quality services to its clients.
With the announcement of the signed contract with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia for the providing supervision services for the construction of the "North-South Road Corridor Investment Project," Section 4 - Kajaran-Agarak road, spanning 32 kilometers to the entrance of the planned Agarak-Vardanidzor-Kajaran tunnel, we bring you more information about the North-South Road Corridor Investment Project.
NSRCIP
The NSRCIP is a major undertaking that will have a significant impact on the Armenian economy and society. The North-South Road Corridor connects China, India and Central Asia first of all to Iran, then to Georgia, the Russian Federation and Europe. This project is an important part of the TRACECA Road Corridor development and the Silk Road projects. Its implementation becomes more reasonable and justified by the fact that the latter almost repeats the route of the Silk Road, which as such existed up to the 2nd century BC, when the trade gradually expanded between the Roman and the Chinese (during the Han dynasty) empires.
The NSRCIP aims at the reconstruction of a 560km long highway of the 2nd and 3rd category with 60 km/h speed in average from the Georgian border - Bavra to the Iranian border - Agarak reaching it through 470km, 1st category highway with the speed of 100-110km/h as a result of which the crossing of the mentioned section shall be reduced from the current 9-9.5 hours to 4.5 hours also ensuring the goal of becoming a freight transit and transport movement route from the East to the West and from the North to the South. The current highway shall be reduced by about 90km.
The NSRCIP is carried out in several stages, where IGH provides supervision services for the construction of Tranche 4. Kajaran-Agarak 32 km long highway that leads to the entrance of the planned Agarak-Vardanidzor-Kajaran tunnel.
The Project implementation will result in the following outcomes:
The project aims to achieve the following objectives:
The main goals include improving safety and comfort, reducing time and financial costs, and integrating necessary telecommunication and other infrastructures.
We are delighted to announce that Vodovod i kanalizacija Rijeka, have informed us that agglomeration construction works will commence on Straža Street, from house number 52 to number 65, starting November 8, 2023., as part of the EU project 'Improvement of water and sanitation infrastructure in the Rijeka agglomeration,' work group E 'Construction of drainage systems – Viškovo Expansion.
The anticipated completion deadline is by the end of December 2023, depending on weather-related challenges. KD ViK Rijeka expresses its gratitude to all its citizens for their patience and understanding, inviting them to follow the progress of the works and changes in traffic regulations for their safety and that of others involved in traffic.
The works in the Straža Street will be carried out as part of subsystem E3-0.3, involving the construction of sanitary sewerage, pump station CS 13, and water supply branches in Straža and Baretićevo Streets. The main contractor is GODINA gradbeništvo in druge storitve d.o.o., with the supervision support from our IGH experts. The service is provided by the consortium with Eptisa Adria d.o.o., FLUM-ING d.o.o., and PROJEKT d.d. Nova Gorica.
EUPAR – the Rijeka agglomeration European project envisages the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant on Delta, of a high second stage of purification, with biological processing of wastewater prior to its release into the sea and processing of sludge to the content of at least 90% of dry matter. The device will have a purification capacity for the load of the equivalent of 200,000 inhabitants.
Moreover, the project will finance the construction and reconstruction of about 217 kilometres of sewerage and 125 pumping stations, with simultaneous execution of works on approximately 100 kilometres of public water supply in two cities – Rijeka and Kastav and three municipalities – Viškovo, Čavle and Jelenje that form the territory of the Rijeka Agglomeration. Part of the sewer collection-conveyance system about 800 meters long, will be constructed in a part of the municipality of Matulji.
In the territory of the city of Rijeka, works take place in about 200 streets and will include about 82 kilometres of sewers and about 31 kilometres of the water supply system.
Troubleshooting of connection problems of those buildings, newly built and existing ones, which are below the level of the sewage collector is also envisaged. The supply of a large number (2,512) of small local internal pumping stations is planned in order to connect those units to the public drainage system.
Sections of the public water supply system will also be replaced as part of the project, which will result in the reduction of losses in the drinking water supply system by about 8%. The losses are today within the acceptable limits and are significantly below the level of the average actual losses in water supply systems in Croatia. This is a strategic investment project of the Republic of Croatia, one of the largest in the implementation of water utility directives in the Republic of Croatia.
The project goals are:
Owing to the investments included by this project in water and utility structures European standards will be achieved in municipal wastewater management and protection of receiving surface water and the aquatic environment in accordance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271 / EEC), which is one of the most expensive legal acts of the European Union in terms of implementation. Following this, good quality of drinking water is ensured in accordance with the Directive on the quality of water intended for human consumption (98/83 / EC) positively impacting the status of water bodies and ensuring the recipient’s good status in accordance with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Bathing Water Quality Directive (2006/7/EC).
Project beneficiary: Utility company KD Vodovod i Kanalizacija d.o.o. Rijeka
Project budget:
On part of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy and Hrvatske vode each provide 24,575,451.99 EUR. The remaining 17,876,102.73 EUR of national funds is provided by the company Vodovod i Kanalizacija d.o.o. through a long-term financial loan.
Project financed by: EU Structural funds – Cohesion Fund – Operational Programme: “Competitiveness and Cohesion”