Road Administration: We have critically low bridge expertise – Aftenposten

In an internal memo stating NPRA that their own expertise in bridge and geology is critical weak. Also in several other key areas are going badly.

Still held landslide caused by digging with bulldozers for the most probable reason Skjeggestad Bridge on E18 in Vestfold collapsed on February 2. The corrupted, southbound course be blasted Saturday at 14.00.

But it is a fact that Road Administration describes his own expertise in bridge and geology as critically weak. It says Siw Tyldum, who is chief representative in engineering organization NITO NPRA. Daily work, she Road Administration as a senior engineer.

– We must often settle for hiring people who do not have the technical expertise needed, says Tyldum.

She also refers to a internal memo in Road Administration where a number of areas of expertise described as particularly vulnerable, and where the situation in the following fields described as “critical”, namely:

Planning

Expertise in development, operation and maintenance

Project construction management

Support for builder

Expertise within bridge and geology / geotechnical.

This paper is an analysis of Road Administration’s own ability to carry out road construction as described in the National Transport Plan.

– You may use slightly stronger words than you really believe in such internal memos. The wording would probably have been different if we’d written for the public, says acting veidirektør Lars Aksnes.

– The paper states “critical weak brokompetanse”?

– We must in any case get the expertise of to get better. We are an educational institution. Consultant Businesses recruit much from us. But I would not say that brokompetansen is bad, says Aksnes.

“In central areas in eastern and Trondelag must weigh necessarily cross areas with challenging soil conditions. Particularly bridges is usually at slopes and thus potentially avalanche terrain, “confirmed four engineers and scientists with insight into clay Aftenposten February 10th.

The title of debate their post was:” Brokollapsen on E18: Luck does not last forever . “

– We’ll never let it go traffic on a bridge that is not safe to walk on. But we see that we are struggling to provide adequate expertise. This is no easier when we should compete on expertise with a new veiselskap says Siw Tyldum.

– We will never be able to realize the violent road geometry available today if we did not succeed in obtaining the necessary expertise. Competence should be optimal. If not, it may compromise the quality, she said.

Tyldum informs that Road Administration today employ teachers, archaeologists and landscape architects to work with including bridges. They have something basic competence, and they are trained internally, but they have really the knowledge that positions implies.

A lot of time goes into training people who either have low skills, or high, but wrong skills. This is not particularly effective in terms of job to be done, says Tyldum.

– We are in a vicious circle, where we sit with the graduates, while those who would teach them disappear, she says.

Tyldum point to two reasons there is insufficient brokompetanse available:

It educates too few in geology and bridge in Norway.

Those who educates, tempted to work in the private sector, where wages are significantly higher.

– A comparison we have done shows that Road Administration expertise has 170,000-200,000 million less in salaries than veiingeniører employed private mainland. In oil, wages even much higher.

– Considering worse times in the oil industry, it is now easier to recruit for Road Administration?

– We believe that we can make us anything, but we do not know how much, says Tyldum.

This paper advocates strengthening “strategic partnership” with colleges and universities to build up the necessary expertise and capacity as current needs can be met.

Published: 18.feb. 2015 9:37 p.m.