02.02.2016
Following a tradition of separate meetings with their Baltic sister organizations, the Associations of Civil Engineers and Consulting Engineers had a first joint meeting that took place on November 9, 2016 in Kaunas.
Estonian Association of Civil Engineers (EACE), Lithuanian Association of Civil Engineers (LACE), Estonian Association of Architectural and Consulting Engineering Companies (EAACEC), Latvian Association of Consulting Engineers (LIKA) and Lithuanian Association of Engineering Consulting Companies (LACC) were represented at the meeting. Latvian Association of Civil Engineers did not succeed to send its representatives.
At the joint session Baltic BIM Roadmaps – Are We on Fast Track? the participants of the meeting together with invited guests from the Lithuanian side exchanged their views on the governments‘ engagement in implementing BIM standards and requirements in the construction sector.
The sector is similar in all three countries and is on a decline in recent months, mainly due to the governments‘ inability to present projects based on EU financing from the 2014-2016 period. There are high expectations for the next EU programming period (2017-2020), but rather unclear vision about what will happen afterward.
Any of the three countries have got a governmental program on BIM like the United Kingdom or other countries with advanced BIM implementation in construction and maintenance of real estate and infrastructure.
As for business and academic side, Lithuania is leading in consolidating associations active in the construction sector as well as universities for the spread of BIM ideas, however, with a very little positive response from the government (see http://skaitmeninestatyba.lt/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/37-about-us).
Estonian construction community, though without that extent of consolidation as in Lithuania, has a reasonably good partnership over BIM with governmental institutions involved in the management of real estate and infrastructure. Digital construction cluster has been formed covering the whole life cycle of a building – both of topics addressed as well as parties involved (see http://e-difice.com/en/).
Latvian construction community and governmental institutions so far do not see a wider and speedy BIM implementation as its top priority.
There are splendid examples of BIM projects in all the three Baltic countries, however, BIM has not become widely seen as a top tool to make the construction sector more innovative and productive. BIM is generally seen as a useful tool that should be promoted in a pragmatic and balanced way. Thus the BIM users should clearly see the benefits provided by use of the BIM in different phases (design, construction, maintenance). Digital info must become equally accepted by institutions as the traditional construction documentation. The usage of the BIM must be harmonized in the legislation. The BIM is a tool for complex projects, it should not become something which is mandatory to use in any project.
At the meeting in Kaunas, civil and consulting engineers had separate sessions to exchange the information on their aactivities and to discuss cooperation.
The participants of the meeting also had excursion Art Deco Kaunas and visited Žalgiris Arena to get acquainted with the bennefits of its BREEAM In-Use certificate.
There was a consensus of the participants that the joint meeting generated strong synergy between civil and consulting engineers organizations and the meeting format should be used next time, hopefully, in Latvia in 2017.
List of participants of the plenary session:
Estonian Association of Civil Engineers
Mr. Andres Piirsalu
Vice-President
Estonian Association of Architectural and Consulting Engineering Companies (EAACEC)
Mr. Maidu Saar
EAACEC, Chairman of the Board
TARI AS, CEO
Ms. Marika Utkin
EAACEC, Member of the Board
Novarc Group AS, Member of the Board, Head of the Administrative Department
Mr. Kalle Karron
Manager of EAACEC
Latvian Association of Consulting Engineers (LIKA)
Mr. Oskars Zivtins
LIKA, Member of the board
SIA Witteveen+Bos Latvia, Member of the board
Lithuanian Association of Civil Engineers (LACE)
Mr. Vincentas Stragys
Board Member
Mr. Edvinas Butkus
Executive Director
Mr. Leonas Milketas
President of LACE Kaunas Club
Mr. Audrius Čepulis
Vice-President of LACE Vilnius Club
Lithuanian Association of Engineering Consulting Companies (LACC)
Mr. Algimantas Medžiaušis
LACC President
CEO, UAB Kelprojektas
Mr. Artūras Abromavičius
LACC Board Member
President, UAB SWECO Lietuva
Ms. Gintarė Zorskaitė
Managing Director
Lithuanian Builders Association
Mr. Dalius Gedvilas
President
Kaunas Technical University
Prof. Dr. Andrius Jurelionis
Dean of Architecture and Construction Faculty
Prof. Dr. Žymantas Rudžionis
Former Dean of Architecture and Construction Faculty
