Colombia. At the end of last year (fourth quarter), according to the National Administrative Department of Statistics, Dane, the added value of the construction sector grew 6.2%, which meant a good rebound compared to 2020 and left encouraging figures for what is this 2022.
Colombia has been working for years on major road infrastructure projects, modernization of airports, ports and other initiatives, so from the sector, the incoming Government is asked to provide continuity.
"For our sector, it is very important that there is continuity in development and infrastructure programs when the time comes for the change of Government, it is not a minor circumstance, in recent years very important initiatives have been generated that have put Colombia in a high echelon of investment, when compared to other countries in the region," said Ricardo Rodríguez, regional director of infrastructure at Conconcreto.
He also added that all the work done on issues such as modernization of airports, ports, 4G roads and different programs under a continuity of several governments, generated a stability and projection of infrastructure and construction, so it is a path that would be ideal to maintain.
"We are optimistic that investment in infrastructure will be continued and as well as those new initiatives of government plans that facilitate the articulation of the different actors and continue betting on the productivity of the sector," explained Rodríguez.
Likewise, the executive said that there is a need to analyze the regulations in force, since -for example- in the management of environmental licensing and other necessary permits there are many procedures under different entities that hinder the execution of the same, and exemplifies it with the case of the project to expand the third lane of the Bogotá-Girardot road, where permits must be managed with about 4 or 5 different entities only for the environmental issue, and that avoids an efficient articulation in the execution of the projects.
At the forefront
Although the last couple of years have been complex for almost all sectors, the builder has found a way to continue evolving, taking advantage of the emergence of technological platforms that promoted immediacy, generating more agile processes.
From Conconcreto, that meant that the design component of the projects will be more articulated, that is, digitalization will be promoted -even more-, through BIM (Building Information Modeling) models, in this way the designers work from the same platform that allows to have more effective and efficient projects, resulting in an evolution in infrastructure.
Thanks to this work, the PropTech Latam awards recognized the organization as the best construction company in its commitment to innovation, being a pioneer in prefabrication and industrialization, leveraged with technologies such as 3D printing in concrete and BIM modeling.
Under this development, works were modeled with the best practices of technology and software, bringing efficiency in all phases such as planning and execution. In this way, the organization generated spaces and tools such as Bimbau, a digital platform that allows access to materials and resources in an orderly and immediate way, giving added value in the life cycle of construction projects.
To these are added the material mobilization basket, mobile bench for prestressed elements, the arcade system with mechanical connections, the L-connection device for construction elements and the construction materials modulation system (BIMOS).
"One of the examples of innovation in infrastructure is the implementation of foundations through the inca of prefabricated piles that allow us to reach important depths in the subsoil, improving the condition of the geotechnical solution and allowing savings, while making the process more efficient," concluded Rodriguez, given that they are solutions that are being implemented in the Transmilenio projects of Avenida 68 at the road intersections of this trunk with El Dorado Avenue and Suba Avenue in Bogotá, in partnership with Soletanche Bachy Colombia.
