Valbek will also operate in Ukraine from August 2020. It is located in the centre of Kiev. Oleksandr Dudarenko, a young designer who has been gaining experience at Valbek’s headquarters in Liberec for more than four years, has become the director of the branch. He would like to win new contracts in Ukraine and pass on the experience gained in the Czech Republic to local designers.

Ing. Oleksandr Dudarenko, Valbek UA

This August marks the one-year anniversary of Valbek’s establishment in Ukraine. How would you evaluate it?

The history of the Valbek Group in Ukraine began in 2015. Unfortunately, colleagues were not able to win orders, so the branch was closed for a while. We reopened it in August 2020. I started with two colleagues and during the year we recruited new members to the team. I now have seven young, skilled engineers on my team and one colleague who handles administrative and financial matters. As part of the international team, we help our colleagues from the Czech Republic and Slovakia with their projects, and gradually we have managed to win some small contracts here in Ukraine. Most importantly, we have managed to introduce the Ukrainian market to a European brand – Valbek.

What projects have you worked on?

We helped our Czech colleagues with drawings in the Liberec-Doubí bridge project. Then we did projects such as bridges in Ktová and Harrachov. Together with colleagues from Prague we also work on civil engineering projects, such as the Ekocity multifunctional residential complex in Hostivař and the Vokovice apartment building. In Ukraine, we managed to win two contracts. These are condition assessment and further reconstruction of bridges. We would like to participate in public tenders, but unfortunately this is not yet possible. According to the legislation, we need to have a history of contracts in Ukraine, which we do not meet yet. So we have to work as a subcontractor.

What has been the most interesting project for you so far?

It was definitely the work on the RDS of the Doubí Bridge, we prepared a classic 2D documentation from a 3D model. So we tried working with BIM, which was a first for us.

What did you take away from your time in the Czech Republic?

I worked in Liberec for four years and it was a great opportunity for me. From learning a decent new language to getting to know new methods and practices in design. I appreciate the opportunity to work for Valbek, with the greatest professionals in the industry. I would like to pass on my experience and learned practices to my colleagues in Ukraine.

Are there any differences between designing in the Czech Republic and Ukraine?

Yes, for example, building standards in the Czech Republic are different than in Ukraine. They differ, for example, in modelling of variable loads, construction conditions, drainage, etc. I like that in the Czech Republic projects are dealt with in great detail, which is not yet the case in Ukraine. We design a bridge, but we don’t solve, for example, its drainage behind the abutments. And that can cause a lot of problems in the future. In Ukraine, the contracting authorities usually want to build cheaply. For example, they require typical structural elements such as prefabricated beams, which saves time and money. But this is not always a good thing. I would therefore like to see contracting authorities in Ukraine learn to look at the project more holistically and to design the buildings in the same way.

Valbek UA

What is the situation in the construction industry in Ukraine, do you have enough specialists?

As in most professional fields, it happens very often in construction that students go abroad to gain experience. Every year there are also fewer students who choose our field. But there is a lot of construction going on, and the state is putting more and more money into infrastructure. That’s why we see a lot of potential in the market.

What are your plans for next year? Where do you want to develop the branch further?

Of course, we want to compete for more contracts in transport construction and gradually gain experience so that we can participate in larger tenders. We have plans to open a new traffic construction department and bring more young and active designers into the team. We are not afraid of competition, as in the Czech Republic there are several larger companies and many small ones. However, I think we have an advantage in that we are a young dynamic team and we have the desire to work. In addition, we also have experience with 3D design (BIM) on European contracts, which is a big competitive advantage for us.

Valbek team in Ukraine

Ing. Oleksandr Dudarenko currently heads Valbek’s centre in Kiev. At the same time, he works as the head of the Bridges studio. He is married and enjoys travelling and playing football in his spare time.