FIRST BALKAN CONFERENCE ON TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGIES “Trenchless technology - Environmental opportunities for construction and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure” October 28th to 30th, Imperial Hotel, Plovdiv.

The event was held under the auspices of Mr. Ivan Totev, Governer of Plovdiv District. 

 

Mr. Totev opened the Conference, as he noticed that new technologies in water supply and sewerage sector is a challenge and at the same time a guarantee for a successful projects implementation. He read a welcoming message to the participants from Mr. Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The Prime Minister greeted the participants, as he emphasized that there is a lot of work to be done in water supply and sewerage sector and forums like this one can only contribute to better final results. ‘Congratulations to the Bulgarian Association for Trenchless Technologies for their idea to organize and hold the First Balkan Conference on Trenchless Technologies. I believe that we are laying the beginning of professional contacts, aiming at application of the modern technologies in the water sector, not only in our country but also in the region’, the greeting message also reads.   

 

Mr. Totev read also a greeting to the participants in the forum from Ms. Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works. ‘Greetings to all the participants in the Conference. I’m wishing a successful work in the water sector in Bulgaria as well as on the Balkans.’, the letter from Ms. Zaharieva reads.  

 

Mr. Dec Downey, Chairman of International Society for Trenchless Technology /ISTT/ expressed his delight of the fact that it is the first time he visits Bulgaria and the reason for his visit is to attend this highly prestigious forum. ‘I’m glad to notice that BATT works hard for popularizing and applying trenchless technologies’, emphasized Mr. Dawney. 

 

In his speech, the Chairman of BATT, Mr. Stefan Zhelyazkov expressed his belief that trenchless technologies, with their proved advantages, will have a wider application in our country as well as in the region. 

 

Mr. Zdravko Sechkov, Executive Director of Foundation for Local Government Reform, partner of the event, also greeted the participants. 

 

During the first day of the Conference a training seminar for design engineers on designing of pipelines trenchless rehabilitation was held. Lecturers from Sekisui company, a world leader in trenchless technologies, acquainted the participants with the newest methods in this branch and answered the numerous questions of the attendants.  

 

Presentations of lecturers from Romania, Macedonia and Greece, as well as of the German Society for Trenchless Technologies and the International Society for Trenchless Technologies arouse a big interest.  

 

During the Conference a competition for the fastest horizontal directional drilling was held in the schoolyard of the Professional High-school of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Plovdiv. Teams from Stroitelna Mehanizatsia AD and Raicommerce Construction AD took part in the competition. This competition gathered the participants of the Conference, as well as students and teachers of the high-school, for whom this was the first lesson on trenchless drilling in practice.  

 

The First Balkan Conference on Trenchless Technologies laid the beginning of a better cooperation between infrastructural construction specialists in the region, for popularizing and wider application of trenchless technologies for installation and rehabilitation of underground communications, without environmental risks and in unison with the modern technologies.