The engineers working for the University of Defence have acquired years of experience in flood relief. Their score counts a hundred of bridge projects, most of which have been successfully implemented. The designers’ team of the Engineer Technology department cooperates with Dobruska’s Military Geographic and Hydrometeorological Agency and 15 engineer brigade in the production of project documentation. The brigade uses its bridge assets and construction and transport capacity to construct new bridges following the projects made by the University of Defence. Their contribution to flood relief effort in the North of Bohemia includes the bridge construction in Rousinov and should amend with the bridges in Kytlice, Hermanov, Vsemily and Hrensko this week.

The Engineer Technology Department’s personnel have promptly engaged in the flood relief effort. Addressed by the 15 Engineer Brigade commander colonel Ota Rolenec on Saturday 7 August they reported readiness right the next day. Following the official order issued by the Chief of General Staff and Monday 9 August afternoon coordination meeting held in Liberec, the department members officially involved in bridge reconstruction. Within two days they produced a project of Rousinov’s bridge whose construction began immediately during the week end days. “We are now working on another bridging project in Chrastava, in fact on its third version. We are trying to get as good solution as possible and therefore we communicate with the local administration and road caretaker,” explained Engineer Technology Department head Lieutenant Colonel doc. Ing. Pavel Maňas, Ph.D the work done by the nine-member team. A team member – assistant professor Ing. Věroslav Kaplan, CSc., adds: “The most challenging parts of the job are time and communication with road caretakers and some of the mayors who are inexperienced in floods.”

The designing team has again verified the engagement of Universtity’s Reach-Back laboratory and also found useful the new software tested by first lieutenant Helios Chardon as a part of his internship from French ENSIETA. Called sometimes 4D technology, the new tool integrates design data to “animate” construction progress. “We tested that process in Hrensko and the result showed that a power pole had to be removed. In this way we were in a better position for the negotiation with responsible authorities”, explained Lieutenant Colonel Maňas.

“Our department has engaged in flood relief work nine times since 1997. We have formed a team bound by chemistry of a kind with the Military Geographic and Hydrometeorological Agency and the 15th Engineer Brigade who is in charge of operation control,” said Věroslav Kaplan. As he added, engineers’ work continues also after the produced design documentation. They work in the roles of assistants and consultants for local authorities. Maybe, they are receiving a new project order at the moment you are reading these lines.

Text: Mgr. Zdeňka Dubová, photo: doc. Ing. Věroslav Kaplan, CSc.