Building Information System
Other past trainings
Training seminars held in 2023
18.10.2023 seminar "Designing of prefabricated reinforced concrete structures"
On October 18, 2023, an international online seminar organized by the Ministry of Economy "DESIGN OF PRESCRIBED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES" was held, led by Dr. Dick van Keulen from the Netherlands and Dr. Gabriel Tarta from Romania.
Precast reinforced concrete structures are increasingly replacing monolithic reinforced concrete structures. In multi-storey construction, the designer must take into account various stiffness characteristics of prefabricated elements, as well as many other characteristics, which make these structures structures that are, however, very different from monolithic reinforced concrete structures. The higher the buildings are designed from precast reinforced concrete, the more relevant all the above aspects become. Therefore, after watching this seminar, many will be able to find at least some of the answers that arise when designing precast reinforced concrete structures.
In the seminar, the lecturers provide answers to questions for which the building regulations do not provide clear answers, present the research conducted in this field and practical solutions. The first part of the seminar examines the main principles of designing the calculation model, the second part discusses in detail the assessment of stiffnesses necessary for the calculations, while at the end, the emphasis is placed on meeting the constructive requirements of robustness, as well as the solutions of precast reinforced concrete joints of real high-rise buildings are demonstrated.
PRESENTATION (LV)
PRESENTATION (EN)
VIDEO (LV)
VIDEO (EN)
21.09.2023 seminar "Design of building smoke protection systems"
On September 21, 2023, an international online seminar "DESIGNING BUILDING SMOKE PROTECTION SYSTEMS" organized by the Ministry of Economy was held, which was led by world-recognized and one of the leading Polish fire safety design experts, fire safety engineer prof. Wojciech Węgrzyński. The relevance of this topic is essential, because smoke protection systems ensure the safety of people, property and operational services in the early stages of a fire.
In the first part of the seminar, an introduction to smoke protection systems, their types and used classifications. The design methods and tools used in Poland were reviewed, the most commonly used mathematical models in the world, which are used to design smoke protection systems, were reviewed.
In the second part of the seminar, the lecturer addressed questions about natural draft smoke and heat ventilation systems, application and design examples - several practical examples from research projects were discussed, where the main advantages of the systems and the most common mistakes were emphasized. An additional presentation was given on how sensitive smoke ventilation systems are to external factors such as wind.
In the final part of the seminar, the lecturer reviewed the types of forced draft and overpressure smoke protection systems, operating principles, design techniques and the specifics of the system compliance assessment process. Several calculation examples were also demonstrated.
At the seminar, it was possible to get an idea of the importance of smoke protection systems in relation to the protection of people and to discuss the criteria and objectives of safe evacuation and operation of emergency services, which are determined by smoke control solutions.
Seminar lecturer prof. Wojciech Vegrzinski is the director of SFPE Europe. Also received the "NFPA Harry C. Bigglestone" award for research on wind and natural ventilation systems. Hosts his own podcast firescienceshow.com .
PRESENTATION (LV)
PRESENTATION (EN)
VIDEO (LV)
VIDEO (EN)
25.04.2023 seminar "Design of hybrid and composite structures according to Eurocodes"
On April 25, 2023, the Construction Engineers' Union of Latvia, in cooperation with the Faculty of Construction Engineering of Riga Technical University, organized a training seminar for construction specialists " Designing hybrid and composite structures according to Eurocodes ".
Training seminars held in 2022
10.11.2022 IMPROVING ENERGY PERFORMANCE TO BE READY FOR ZERO-EMISSION BUILDINGS
On November 10, 2022, an international online training seminar organized by the Ministry of Economy "IMPROVING ENERGY PERFORMANCE TO BE READY FOR ZERO-EMISSION BUILDINGS" took place.
The seminar was led by energy efficiency experts recognized in Europe - professor, Dr.sc.ing. Jarek Kurnitski and Dr.sc.ing. Raimo Simsons from Estonia.
In the first part of the seminar, J. Kurnitskis presented the requirements of the EU building energy efficiency regulation, including the minimum energy efficiency requirements for new buildings and complex renovations, the framework of the energy calculation methodology and the cost-optimum principle for determining the minimum requirements and monitoring the increase in energy efficiency. In the practical part, a comparison of requirements for almost zero emission buildings in individual countries was analyzed.
In the second part of the seminar, R.Simsons talked about building energy calculation with dynamic simulation software, including the possibilities of system energy consumption calculation, calculation of supplied, exported energy and primary energy, simulation of summer thermal comfort to prevent overheating in buildings without cooling systems. In the practical part, an example of the energy calculation of the almost zero-emission new building was demonstrated.
In the third part of the seminar, J. Kurnitskis shared Estonia's experience in issuing energy efficiency certificates (EPC), energy audits and deep renovation grant schemes. EPC new buildings, inspection mechanisms based on input data and result tables, EPC design and construction process, EPC existing buildings and energy audits, residential building renovation grant scheme system: main steps in the application process, renovation technical requirements for apartment buildings were discussed in depth. Examples of typical renovation solutions in Estonia and Finland were analyzed in the practical part.
Dainis Ęēģeris, member of the board of Latvia and Latvian Union of Heat, Gas and Water Technology Engineers, evaluating the topicality of the seminar topic and the experts involved, admits that: "The field of energy efficiency of buildings has developed into a complicated branch of science, which covers a wide spectrum of factors with practical application. Only with a professional approach at all stages of project development - design, construction, operation, we can achieve that our buildings have low energy consumption and correspond to zero emission buildings."
The seminar was held in English and during it a video was provided, which was simultaneously translated into Latvian:
PRESENTATION (LV)
PRESENTATION (EN)
VIDEO (LV/EN)
03.11.2022 CONSRUCTION OF DEEP FOUNDATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS IN DENSELY BUILT ENVIRONMENTS
On November 3, 2022, an international online training seminar organized by the Ministry of Economy took place "CONSTRUCTION OF DEEP FOUNDATIONS AND BUILDING PIT IN DENSE BUILDING CONDITIONS" The seminar was led by experts - professor, dr.sc.ing. Michals Topolnickis, dr.sc.ing. Grzegorz Soltis, mg.sc.ing. Daniel Dimek from Poland and dr.sc.ing. Klemen Kummerer from Austria.
Michal Topolnicki is a professor and a recognized expert in geotechnical and hydrotechnical research in Europe with more than 40 years of professional experience in various scientific research and geotechnical research projects in connection with conducting deep wells, soil preparation and strengthening, designing building structures, including water bodies nearby and in the engineering construction. Currently actively working as a senior technical expert of KELLER HOLDING.
Clemens Kummerer is a recognized expert in geotechnical issues in Europe, Director of Engineering Services and Operations at the European division of Keller Group PLC. In the last 5 years, K. Kummerer has led many training courses on geotechnical engineering, structural design and the latest soil strengthening methods in Austria and Germany, as well as speaking at many international conferences.
Grzegorz Soltys is a Doctor of Engineering in the field of hydraulic and environmental engineering, chief numerical analysis expert and senior designer at Keller in Poland. G.Soltis has 20 years of experience in various scientific research and geotechnical research projects in the design and construction of national highways, in the construction of skyscrapers and tunnels, and has compiled the results of long-term research and analysis of collected data.
Daniel Dymek is a recognized expert in the field of complex geotechnical concrete and metal construction solutions. D. Dimeks is currently active in various projects related to the design of geotechnical, concrete and metal structures, he has provided foundation and excavation consultation for a 174-meter high skyscraper with five underground levels and for the construction of the foundations of the Kozini railway station with three underground levels.
In the first part of the seminar,
G.Soltis and D.Dimeks introduce various retaining wall systems, stability control and methods of strengthening the base of the construction pit below the groundwater level, as well as design principles and examples, using high-complexity 3D GEM (3-dimensional finite element method) and in challenging projects lessons learned.
In the second part of the seminar,
K. Kumerer talks about the strengthening of building foundations with jet cementation and compensation cementation methods and the principles of foundation construction and design. Methods of protecting deep foundations and strengthening the foundations of historical buildings, as well as settlement and deformation monitoring, were demonstrated with various examples of highly complex projects.
In the third part of the seminar,
Professor M. Topolnickis gave an exciting lecture on the use of different soil reinforcement solutions in projects with high loads on foundation structures (vibro-compaction, soil piles, dynamic compaction, deep soil stabilization, rigid reinforcements). With examples of projects, the lecturer demonstrated experience where soil reinforcement is used as an alternative to traditional pile foundations, and also highlighted the advantages of soil reinforcement and reduced CO2 emissions.
The seminar was held in English and during it a video was provided, which was simultaneously translated into Latvian:
PRESENTATION (LV)
PRESENTATION (EN)
VIDEO (LV/EN)
25.10.2022 ORGANIZING THE PROCUREMENT OF ENGINEERING CONSULTANT SERVICES AND FIDIC CONTRACTS
On October 25, 2022, an international seminar organized by the Ministry of Economy "ORGANIZING THE PROCUREMENT OF ENGINEERING CONSULTANT SERVICES AND FIDIC CONTRACTS" was held, which was led by Dutch industry expert engineering consultants J. Konings (Jaap de Koning) and R. Rijnen (Rob Rijnen).
In the first part, J. Konings presented examples of good practice in the organization of engineering consultant services and construction procurement. In 2013, regulations came into force in the Netherlands that all procurement in the construction industry must be organized according to the principles of the most economically advantageous procurement and price cannot be the only evaluation criterion. Mistakes at the initial stage of the project lead to expensive consequences in the continuation of the project, if procurement is done correctly at the initial stage - this risk can be greatly reduced. The participants of the seminar gained knowledge about the principles and conditions of how to correctly organize procurement of engineering consultant services in the construction industry, so that the customer only requires from the applicants what is necessary, and not unnecessarily much.
In the second part, R. Rijnen talked about the forms of FIDIC standard contracts and their application (White, Red, Yellow, Green and Silver Book), about the Golden Principle of FIDIC contracts and their benefits in practice, and also shared practical examples in the preparation of FIDIC contracts.
PRESENTATION (LV)
PRESENTATION (EN)
VIDEO (LV/EN)
20.10.2022 DESIGN OF FIRE PROTECTION SOLUTIONS FOR STRUCTURES FOR STRUCTURAL DESIGNERS
On October 20, 2022, an international online training seminar "DESIGNING STRUCTURE FIRE PROTECTION SOLUTIONS FOR BUILDING DESIGNERS" organized by the Ministry of Economy took place. The seminar was led by experts recognized in Europe - Professor Jean-Marc Fransen from Belgium and Marion Charliere from Luxembourg.
Jean Marc Franssen is a Doctor of Engineering in Applied Sciences and a professor at the University of Liège. During his career, Ž.M. Fransens has worked in scientific advisory councils related to the analysis of building construction research data in contact with fire, which are highly appreciated, he is the author and co-author of many scientific publications on fire safety of constructions.
Marion Charlier is a recognized expert in Europe in the field of fireproof construction design. For 10 years, M. Čarliere has been actively involved in various projects related to the fire safety of building structures, she is the manager of the "Safe working with metal" network of fire safety engineering for building structures, and also actively participates in the development and improvement of European fire safety Eurocodes. M. Čarliere is the author and co-author of various publications on the topic of fireproof constructions.
In the first part of the seminar, M. Charliere presented the framework of design standards and various design-related methodologies related to fire resistance calculations, including standardized fire design approaches, physical parameter-based design approaches, modeling of room fire zones with mathematical models and fire safety requirements for building structures .
In the second part of the seminar, Professor Ž.M. Fransens talked about different approaches to assessing the fire resistance of building structures and examples of fire modeling and calculations depending on the changes in the physical properties of construction materials as the temperature of the material increases.
In the third part of the seminar, both lecturers answered the audience's questions and analyzed various practical examples of design in Europe, which include both calculation examples and concrete construction solutions. The following practical examples were examined: a public multidisciplinary sports building with steel-bearing building structures, which was an example of a design approach based on physical parameters, as well as an example of the application of the "Membrane effect" and an example of industrial building resistance to emergency situations - an example of building robustness solutions.
Presentation LV || Presentation EN
Video: Playlist
- Introduction LV || Introduction EN
- Part 1 LV || 1st part EN
- Part 2 LV || 2nd part EN
- Part 3 LV || 3rd part EN
15.06.2022. PROMOTING GOOD PRACTICES IN ENVIRONMENTAL ACCESSIBILITY
On June 15, 2022, the Ministry of Economy organized the seminar "Promoting good practices of environmental accessibility".
Lecturers:
Jurģis Briedis - environmental accessibility expert of the association "Apeirons";
Elīna Rožulapa - Head of the Certification Center of the Latvian Architects Union.
Accessibility of the environment is the basis for a person with functional disabilities to be able to integrate into society. Environmental accessibility is when the design of buildings is able to compensate for human sensors - vision and hearing, movement and cognitive or thinking disorders, as well as limited mobility opportunities, for example, pushing a stroller or carrying heavy bags. The European Union has incorporated the conditions that the environmental accessibility dimension must be observed when acquiring EU funding. This especially applied to various construction objects. In Latvia, the problem is the lack of understanding and knowledge, which hinders the provision of meaningful and functional solutions in construction. Normative formal implementation is not enough. It is important for the responsible specialists to answer the question "How will a person feel in this environment?", "Will the environment be safe, easy to perceive? The lecturers revealed how to implement it at the seminar. 427 participants (architects, construction specialists, representatives of local governments, etc. interested parties) watched the seminar in person and online.
VIDEO
PRESENTATION (Jurģis Briedis)
PRESENTATION (Elīna Rožulapa)
Training seminars held in 2021
26.10.2021 FIRE DESIGN OF TIMBER STRUCTURES
On October 26, 2021, an international online seminar organized by the Ministry of Economy in English "FIRE DESIGN OF TIMBER STRUCTURES" was held, which was led by Swiss wooden constructions expert Dr. Michael Klippel of the series of training seminars "Modern wooden construction design and fire protection" within the framework. The aim of the seminar was to introduce designers to European good practice and fire protection solutions in low, medium-rise and multi-storey wooden buildings.
dr. Klippel is a recognized European expert in fire safety of wooden structures. He received his doctorate in engineering from the Institute of Building Structures of the Swiss Federal University of Technology in Zurich. Klippel is active as a lecturer at Swiss technical universities in various engineering disciplines. Dr. Klippel is the chairman of the steering committee of the global technical guidelines "Fireproof use of wood" (FSUW) and a member of the CEN/TC250/SC5 working group to clarify EN 1995-1-2 (Eurocode 5) and CEN/TC124 and CEN/TC193 Member of the Swiss Standardization Committee. Author of many scientific publications, technical training materials and conference presentations on fire safety issues of wooden structures.
Normunds Tirāns, chairman of the board of the Association of Latvian Building Construction Designers, praised the topic of the seminar and the invited experts: "this was the first time that both the fire protection calculations of wooden structures and the fire resistance calculations of wooden structure joints were discussed in such detail in the Latvian audience. Thanks to the wide audience of this seminar, the organizers will have succeeded in bringing fire safety issues to a qualitatively new level. This is extremely necessary when thinking about the ever wider use of wood in construction."
The seminar begins with an insight into the methods of calculating the burning rate of cross-sections of wood, glued wood, CLT, etc. wood materials and their fire resistance calculations, additional fire protection calculations of wooden elements (plasterboard, etc.), their effect on the fire resistance of various wooden elements.
In the second part of the seminar, the lecturer talks about the fire resistance of wooden structure joints, more detailed calculation methods in the fire protection calculations of wooden structures and demonstrates examples of fire protection solutions for wooden structures. Particularly interesting is the section of the seminar on the differences of wood compared to other materials and how it is reflected in design standards and regulations, as well as on construction systems for multi-story wooden structures and specific types of connections.
At the end of the seminar, the lecturer presented the strategies of fire protection measures for medium-height wooden buildings, including the necessary requirements for limiting flammability and additional fire protection measures for wooden structures. The presentation of the theory was supplemented with practical examples of fire protection solutions for multi-storey wooden buildings from their expert experience.
During the seminar, a video recording was provided, which was synchronously translated into Latvian.
PRESENTATION (LV)
PRESENTATION (EN)
VIDEO (LV, EN)
19.10.2021 MODERN WOOD STRUCTURES / MODERN TIMBER STRUCTURES
An international online seminar in English organized by the Ministry of Economy, led by British experts in wooden constructions E. Lawrence and A. Abeysekera. The properties of wood as a building material and the use of its products in the design of structures is a very topical topic, therefore the aim of the seminar is to introduce the designers of building structures to European good practice and the latest trends in the development of wooden structures and the development of Eurocodes.
Guest lecturer Andrew Lawrence, who is one of the leading experts in British wooden constructions, a professor at the European Timber Design Committee and the British Royal Academy of Engineering, gives lectures all over the world on the use of wood as a basic building material in construction. One of the projects developed by E. Lawrence is the highly rated "Metz Pompidou" center (the world's first large-scale hardwood CLT construction).
Guest lecturer Ishan Abeysekera holds a Master of Engineering degree from Imperial College London, specializing in earthquake engineering. Provides specialized technical consultancy on the design of timber structures and analysis of building structures worldwide. Highlights include project management for the engineering design part of Smile LDF 2016, a pavilion designed for the 2016 London Design Festival and one of the most ambitious structures ever built from cross-glued timber.
In the introduction, A. Lawrence gave an excellent insight into what wood is as a building material. About the unique properties of this material – shrinkage and swelling, strength and other parameters depending on the duration of the load, humidity and other conditions.
In the second part of the seminar, lecturer A. Ebeisekera talked about the differences of wood compared to other materials and how it is reflected in design standards and regulations, as well as about construction systems for multi-story wooden structures and specific types of connections such as connections with reinforced concrete cores.
At the end of the seminar, the lecturers stimulated an exciting discussion about the peculiarities of wooden structures and the most typical mistakes in the design of wooden building structures. Answers were given to the questions asked by the building designers.
E. Lorens, answering the question about the future of wooden structures and buildings in Europe, believes: "There are 3 areas where we will see a lot of multi-purpose timber:
- First, in low structures and low-rise buildings, such as schools and offices, where we can leave the wood as a material completely exposed.
- Secondly, in mid-rise residential buildings, where the use of CLT will allow for a real acceleration of the construction process, although it will probably be covered for fire safety and acoustic reasons.
- Third, as a hybrid floor in high-rise buildings."
A. Ebeisekera mentioned the most frequently made mistakes in the design of wooden constructions:
- First of all, it should be ensured that there are no leaks during the operation of the building.
- Secondly, when designing for fire safety, it must be remembered that wood is a combustible material. There are ways to design it safely, but a combustible material requires a different philosophy than non-combustible steel and concrete.
- Finally, we have to think about joints and floor dynamics right at the beginning of the design process because, unlike other materials, they often play a decisive role in the construction project.”
During the seminar, a video recording was provided, which was synchronously translated into Latvian.
Recommendations for the construction or reconstruction of ventilation and heating systems of educational institutions have been developed
The Ministry of Economy, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Health and the association "Union of Latvian Heat, Gas and Water Technology Engineers" has developed recommendations for complex requirements to be included in the design task for ventilation and heating systems , taking into account the mutual interaction and connection of all engineering systems.
As you know, at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on December 22, 2020, the Ministry of Economy presented proposals for improving air quality in educational institutions with the aim of reducing the risk of infection with Covid-19. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the action plan, which includes complex measures, and which are aimed at both short-term problem solutions and long-term improvement of ventilation systems in educational institutions. As one of the measures included in the action plan, the Ministry of Economy, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Health, was tasked with developing recommendations for complex requirements to be included in the design task for ventilation and heating systems, taking into account the mutual interaction and connection of all engineering systems.
When designing new buildings, designers take as a basis the requirements regarding air quality indicators specified in the design task of the construction initiator (customer). Therefore, the competence of the construction proponent and the ability to correctly formulate the design task are of great importance.
The Ministry of Economy invites construction proponents to familiarize themselves with the recommendations and use them in their projects, determining the complex requirements to be included in the design task for ventilation and heating systems in the buildings of educational institutions in case of new construction or reconstruction (if technically possible).
Recommendations for complex requirements for ventilation and heating systems to be included in the design task are published on the website of the Ministry of Economy. In detail, the Informative report "On proposals for improving air quality in educational institutions with the aim of reducing the risk of infection with COVID-19" considered by the Cabinet of Ministers last December and the approved action plan can be found on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers .
Training seminars held in 2020
25.11.2020 Application of LBN 201-15 and LBN 231-15 fire safety requirements in construction practiceIn order to draw the attention of construction specialists to the most frequently made mistakes and disagreements regarding compliance with fire safety requirements both in design and construction, an explanation has been prepared about the fire safety requirements specified in LBN 201-15 "Fire protection of buildings" and LBN 231-15 "Heating and ventilation of residential and public buildings". application of requirements
EXPLANATION OF FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
28.10.2020 GOOD PRACTICE IN RETAINING WALL DESIGN
International online seminar organized by the Ministry of Economy on October 28, 2020 in English "GOOD PRACTICE IN RETAINING WALL DESIGN" . The seminar was led by Andrew Bond, who is a certified civil engineer and geotechnical investigation expert. Since 1997, Dr. Bonds has been one of the representatives of the United Kingdom in the CEN TC250 / SC7 committee, which is responsible for the development of the 7th Eurocode. Participated in the initial development of the standard EN 1997-1, as well as in the development of the annex to the UK national standard EN 1997-1. In 2015, he developed the new versions of the national standard BS 8004 "Fundamentals of practice manual" and BS 8002 "Manual of supporting structures" for the British Standards Institution. Dr. Bonds is the author of several hundred scientific publications on the design of building structures in geotechnics.
In the first part of the seminar, the lecturer Dr. Bonds had prepared an introductory lecture on retaining wall design, and also talked about the basics of geotechnical design, including the principles of limit state design and checks with the partial factor method, testing and observation method.
In an online interview, Andrew Bond, in response to the question "What is the role and main function of geotechnical investigations and planning in a new building or structure?" acknowledges that: “Ground conditions play a critical role in the design of almost all structures, often limiting what can be built and where it can be built. Geotechnical design and execution is therefore at the heart of all construction - something recognized by the change of title of the 2nd generation Eurocode from "Fundamentals of structural design" to "Fundamentals of structural and geotechnical design". As there are very different ground conditions around the world, geotechnical design is much more dependent on research and testing than other civil and structural disciplines - we are still learning new things about soil that are important to understand when planning new construction works."
In the second part of the seminar, the lecturer introduced the representatives of the Latvian construction industry in detail to the general rules for the design of retaining walls, emphasizing the importance of materials, groundwater, geotechnical analysis methods, and soil pressure limit values.
In the third part , the expert talked about the verification of the stability states of the structures, analyzing in detail such factors as the limit state of bearing capacity, the overall stability, the stability of slopes and trenches, the collapse of structures and the limit states of usability.
Dr. Bond also mentioned in the interview that “Eurocodes create a common language that all engineers can understand and a common basis for ensuring the reliability of structures that society demands. These two factors directly lead to fewer design errors and potentially more economical structures being built. Disadvantages include the need to constantly evolve and update design practices - this can be a challenge for those resistant to change, especially late-career achievers for whom the costs of change may outweigh the rewards.”
Normunds Tirāns, chairman of the board of the Association of Latvian Construction Designers, as another great talent of the lecturer, highlights the ability to speak about very complicated issues in simple language, and to create an exciting narrative about relatively dry topics.
During the seminar, a video recording was provided, which is synchronously translated into Latvian.
PRESENTATION (LV)
PRESENTATION (EN)
VIDEO (LV, EN)
05.10.2020 GOOD PRACTICE IN FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
On October 5, 2020, the Ministry of Economy organized an international online training seminar "GOOD PRACTICE IN FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS" . The seminar was led by Peter Debney , who is a certified structural engineer and computational engineer with more than 30 years of experience in structural design and data analysis, including in the BIM environment. Specialized in the development of engineering applications and computer calculation software. He currently works as a senior consultant at Oasys Software and Arup, a software development company for structural computer calculations. Visiting professor at West Yorkshire and Leeds universities. Regularly conducts trainings of certified building designers throughout Europe. In 2020, he published the book "Computational Engineering".
Normunds Tirāns, chairman of the board of the Latvian Building Construction Designers Association (LBPA), speaks positively of what he heard at the seminar and acknowledges that Pīters Debnijs is one of the most visible masters of computer calculations of building structures.
In the first part of the seminar, lecturer P. Debny provides a theoretical overview of the finite element method (GEM), the main principles, advantages and limitations of calculations, as well as a description of the most typical errors and how to avoid them, and a check of the results of GEM calculations.
In an online interview, Peter Debney, when asked about the main tasks of the Finite Element Method (GEM) in structural engineering, says: “The main design task of GEM for structural engineers is to inform our understanding of structural behaviour. As an engineer, we need to start with a good conceptual knowledge of the behavior of structures, for example beams will deflect under gravity, but rigid beams will deflect less, slender columns will bend, and prestressed steel will stretch, but the GEM model will add more detail and complement it. The model can calculate how much the structure will deflect, how much load it can carry before buckling, and what might happen when the steel does stretch.”
In the second and third part of the seminar, the lecturer introduced the representatives of the Latvian construction industry to the peculiarities of GEM in the design of reinforced concrete structures, the design of wooden and other non-linear structures and the future development of GEM calculations. Peter outlined topics such as parametric design, GEM optimization and zero carbon emissions, artificial intelligence and digitization in manufacturing and construction as future developments.
P. Debney also mentioned in the interview that “Zero carbon emission is probably the main technical topic that civil engineers in Europe are currently debating. Insulating, heating and cooling buildings has become significantly more efficient in recent years, meaning that the structure itself is now one of the main drivers of energy use, carbon emissions and environmental damage. The task of our industry is not only to design and build more efficiently, but also to consider the lifetime of the structure and what happens to it at the end. We are also likely to see more renovation and strengthening of existing buildings rather than demolition and rebuilding. This means that we have to think more holistically in our designs.”
During the seminar, a video recording was provided, which was synchronously translated into Latvian.
PRESENTATION (LV)
PRESENTATION (EN)
VIDEO (LV, EN)
Training seminars held in 2019
01.11.2019. GOOD PRACTICE IN STRUCTURAL DESIGN
The seminar was led by Dr. Ing. Massimo Penaza from Italy – a certified expert with 7 years of experience in designing building structures and conducting expertise in various countries in Europe, incl. Italy, Austria, Germany, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as India and Colombia. In 2017, M. Penaza obtained a doctorate degree in construction, environmental and mechanical engineering. Currently, M. Penaza also works as a scientific researcher and developer of building design software for production and the learning process in higher education institutions. The specialist's daily tasks include building construction expertise and sharing experience at international conferences. Massimo Penaza is a lecturer at the University of Trento (Italy), where he directs the training course "Finite Element Method". The versatile experience of M.Penazas was a great benefit for the seminar attendees, who were introduced to the principles of quality control of construction design in various European countries. Massimo Penaza admits: "In European countries, uniform general rules for construction are created by the Eurocode framework, but detailed requirements are determined by local building codes. The regulatory base for construction needs to be improved, however, it will not be possible to completely unify it throughout Europe, because each country has different priorities and the climatic situation."
In the first part of the seminar, lecturer M.Penaza explained in detail the requirements of Annex B of the Eurocode EC-0 "Basic principles of design" regarding the structural safety of buildings, which is an annex of the Eurocode, which due to its complexity is often not given due attention. The story about the detailing of construction projects and calculations according to different stages of construction design, as well as the story about the "four eyes principle" and expertise, was supplemented with illustrations from the lecturer's personal experience working in Italy, Austria, Serbia, India and elsewhere, as well as with detailed calculations for various buildings.
In the second part of the seminar, the engineers were given an insight into the certification of civil engineers in various European countries. Massimo Penaza illustrated other design traditions of individual countries in parallel with the formal procedures. The main conclusion is that both traditions and formal procedures tend to differ, however, it is justified to talk about common European and global design good practices.
The video recording of the seminar "GOOD PRACTICE IN STRUCTURAL DESIGN" is available here , and the presentation here.
15.11.2029. REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURE CALCULATIONS
The seminar was led by Dr. Ing. Jürgen Einpaul from Estonia. J. Einpaul has more than 12 years of experience in designing building structures. For more than 5 years, Einpaul has worked in the construction research sector at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne as a doctoral assistant. Jürgens Einpaul has participated in the planning and execution of various large-scale experiments, such as compression of slabs and bases with and without shear strengthening, modeling of several elements of reinforced concrete structures. The Estonian lecturer in Switzerland has assisted in the development of analytical approaches for the design and evaluation of shear-critical reinforced concrete elements and in 2016 he obtained a PhD in construction engineering in Switzerland. Currently, J. Einpauls works for the Estonian company EstKONSULT as a construction designer specializing in building construction design and project management. Jurgens revealed to the organizers of the seminar that in the 2020 academic year he will teach the topic of calculations of reinforced concrete structures at Tallinn Technical University.
dr. Ing. J. Einpauls expressed his belief that "the work of designers in Europe would be facilitated by standardizing reinforced concrete constructions, so that there is no need to deal with situations when the safety requirements of a tunnel between neighboring countries with the same climate and geotechnical conditions suddenly change on the border".
In the first part of the seminar, the lecturer Jurgens Einpaul provided the theoretical basis for the plasticity methods and their application and for the bending and shear design of reinforced concrete slabs.
In the second and third part of the seminar, J. Einpauls introduced Latvian construction specialists to calculations of reinforced concrete constructions for penetration and transverse forces, calculations of compressed-tensioned bar models and methods of constructing nodes. The lecturer has carried out a large part of his scientific works directly in the research of transverse forces of reinforced concrete and the penetration of slabs. The seminar presented both the requirements of the building standards for transverse forces and penetration tests and their justification, as well as the expected directions of development in the future building standards. The calculation of reinforced concrete structures was also explained with calculation models of compressed - stretched bars, the explanations were illustrated with practical examples.
The video recording of the workshop "REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURE CALCULATIONS" is available here, and the presentation here.
05.12.2019. COMBINED PILE RAFT FOUNDATION GEOTECHNICAL CALCULATIONS
The seminar was opened by the Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, Edmunds Valantis , who welcomed the arrival of a specialist recognized in Europe and the world in Riga to share his considerable experience and knowledge on geotechnical calculations of combined piles and shallow foundations. E. Valantis noted that, taking into account the interest and great response of industry representatives, the Ministry of Economy plans to organize educational events for specialists in the construction industry in the future.
The seminar was led by Professor Dr.-Ing. Rolf Katzenbach from Germany. In the period from 1993 to 2018, R. Katzenbach was the director of the Institute and Laboratory of Geotechnics of Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. He currently runs his own engineering consulting office “Ingenieursozietät Professor Dr.-Ing. Katzenbach GmbH” as CEO. Katzenbach is a member of the German Engineering Association and a state-certified official geotechnical expert and expert engineer for independent third-party inspections. The specialist is involved in many international engineering projects related to the safety and use of structures, especially skyscrapers, bridges, tunnels. Professor Katzenbach is a world-renowned specialist in soil and rock mechanics, geotechnical systems, slope stability and underground structures (including railway and metro tunnels). Under his leadership, the Combined Pile-Raft Foundation (CPRF) technology has been successfully applied in major projects around the world.
Prof.Dr.-Ing. R. Katzenbach emphasized that "a project created with digital tools in a virtual environment, no matter how perfect it may seem, may not be suitable for the real environment on the construction site and the interaction of various forces. An engineer working with BIM still needs practical experience in order to design each structure as high-quality as possible and appropriate for the specific object".
In the first part of the seminar, Professor Katzenbach talked about pile deformations and pile operation, including free-standing piles, as well as pile piles, combined pile and slab cooperation, optimal methods of soil investigation and pile testing. The most interesting part was about how to search for initial solutions of combined foundations of piles and slabs using simplified methods. Additional information was added to the presentation about a topic that is so relevant today - the use of geothermal energy for heating and cooling of buildings.
In the second part of the seminar, Katsenbach introduced Latvian construction specialists to various problems in pile calculations and slab foundation deformations, and also recommended the most suitable calculation methods. In the final part, R. Katzenbach presented the basis of the cooperation of piles and slabs in a single construction. What was told was illustrated with concrete examples from both experimental studies and objects. It was interesting to see the solutions for the objects on which the professor had worked: various high-rise buildings in Frankfurt, Frankfurt Airport, also high-rise buildings in Kiev, Moscow and Dubai and other objects.
The English-language seminar took place in the Nature House of the University of Latvia and was attended by more than 250 participants, mainly structural designers, architects and other construction specialists, as well as representatives of state institutions and non-governmental organizations, in order to increase their knowledge of global trends in geotechnical calculations.
Normunds Tirāns, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Building Construction Designers Association (LBPA) admitted after the seminar: "Professor Rolfs Katzenbachs is an unquestionable authority on the European and global scale. His assessments of high-rise foundations and tunnels are often seen as something of a "closure of last resort."
"The most valuable thing, which Professor Katzenbach repeatedly emphasized when answering questions, is that he did not come to us to explain specific calculation methodology, but to show the way to think and how to solve complicated foundations, and what is the goal of solving our problem. The professor emphasized that the foundations of the building must be safe, but at the same time economically sound solutions must be sought".
The video recording of the workshop "COMBINED PILE RAFT FOUNDATION GEOTECHNICAL CALCULATIONS" is available here , and the presentation here.
The training seminars were organized within the procurement of the Ministry of Economy "Organization and ensuring the course of the cycle of training seminars "Quality design of building structures" (ID No. EM 2019/105).
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