Stroitelna Mehanizatsia received the most prestigious international award

The excellent job done by the company was honored with the most prestigious world award leaving behind 11 international nominations in this category. This is the first prize bestowed to entirely local Eastern European company.

The annual No Dig Award is traditionally given by the International Society for Trenchless Technologies /ISTT/ for achievements in elaboration on trenchless technologies.

Chairman of ISTT, Dr. Samuel Ariaratnam, officially submitted the award to Stefan Zhelyazkov, Executive Director of Stroitelna Mehanizatsia AD and Pavel Gruev, Deputy Director. Ariaratman defined the team task as being “extremely complicated” and the implemented job as “really successful”.

“We are proud of the fact that a Bulgarian project presents the experience and the potential of our country in the field of trenchless technologies to the global industry” Stefan Zhelyazkov, Executive Director of Stroitelna Mehanizatsia AD

“This estimation is a great honor to our team and a real impetus for the forthcoming projects” Dipl.Ing. Pavel Gruev, Deputy Director of Stroitelna Mehanizatsia AD

Edmund Luksch, President of Sekisui SPR Europe and a Board member of German Society for Trenchless Technology (GSTT), expressed his impression of infrastructural projects, like the Bulgarian one, which aim at environmental and natural resources protection for the future. “This is actually the mission of Sekisui company” he stated.

The project realized in Moderno Predgradie residential district in Sofia is a rehabilitation of a large steel water-main, length 850m, diameter 1220mm and wall thickness of 8mm. The repair of the pipeline, which had been constructed in 1980 and was out of operation, was implemented by using Cured-in-place Pipe technology – Phoenix /CIPP/.  

The project was a real challenge to the team of Stroitelna Mehanizatsia AD not only because of its dimensions but also because of its location – the water-main was located in an area with many buildings and a railway. Within 3 weeks, including Christmas and New Year holidays, the team of Stroitelna Mehanizatsia AD completed intensive construction and repair activities in severe winter conditions without restricting the road traffic in this residential district. Approximately 45 tons of liner and resin were used for the implementation the water-main rehabilitation. The result was a completely renovated underground facility, completed within the agreed deadline.