Geotechnical seminar in Kigali, Rwanda

On 21 March 2023 in Kigali, the Pietrucha Group hosted a geotechnical seminar dedicated to engineers and civil engineering designers. The event was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and the Institution of Engineers of Rwanda (IER) and gathered nearly 100 guests including experts, practitioners, and representatives of governmental agencies responsible for sustainable development in the civil engineering sector and infrastructure investments.

How to save money and create long-lasting civil engineering constructions with low impact on the environment?

The Pietrucha Group, a Polish family company with over 60 years’ track record specializing in the manufacturing of geotechnical solutions for the sector of civil engineering, has invited nearly 100 Rwandan geotechnical engineers and designers to a specialized geotechnical seminar dedicated to resilient, sustainable and cost-effective geotechnical solutions for civil engineering.

The seminar was held on 21 March at the Kigali Marriott Hotel under the patronage of the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and the Institution of Engineers of Rwanda (IER).

High-profile event gathering decision-makers, professionals and practitioners

Special guests of the seminar included Hon. Dr. Ernest NSABIMANA, Minister of Infrastructure, HE Krzysztof Buzalski, the Polish Ambassador to Rwanda, Mrs. Juliet Kabera, Director General of the Rwandan Environment Management Authority, the Vice-Mayor of Kigali Dr. Merard Mpabwanamaguru. 

In his opening speech, the Minister of Infrastructure highlighted the need to migrate from traditional to innovative geotechnical solutions for civil engineering towards developing resilient, sustainable & costs effective infrastructure.

The Polish Ambassador highlighted the importance of infrastructure as a catalyst for the economic development and productivity enhancement. He further talked about the cooperation potential between Polish and Rwandan institutions in the area of technical education of young engineers from Rwanda at Polish universities.

The agenda of the event was dedicated to practical applications of vinyl sheet piles and geosynthetics in infrastructure projects to generate investment savings, extend the life span of constructions and create durable and environmentally friendly structures. 

Practical geotechnical knowledge straight from the source

The first part of the seminar entitled “Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure” provided examples of how vinyl sheet piles have revolutionized the approach to civil and water engineering in order to build long-lasting structures that would be in harmony with nature.

The second part of the seminar “Costs-effective and eco-friendly infrastructure” focused on financial and environmental benefits resulting from the application of geogrids as the most efficient way to stabilize the aggregate. The closing session of the seminar was dedicated to problem-based analysis of selected projects pending or planned to be carried out on the territory of Rwanda.