How to digitalize the Greek infrastructure and public works sector

Stavros Kalogiannis submitted a proposal to the Ministers of Infrastructure Mr. K. Karamanlis and Digital Governance Mr. Kyr Pierrakakis, on the promotion of digital reform in public works, in light of the new NSRF 2021 – 2027 and the Recovery Fund.

As he states in his proposal, “the public works construction industry is one of the pillars of the economy. We are already experiencing the digital revolution driven by new generation information technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, high-volume data, Virtual Reality applications and the production of construction drawings in multiple dimensions (3D, 4D 5D, etc.).

Recent studies estimate that digitization in the production of goods and services could add more than € 110 billion a year in revenue to the European economy over the next five years, with the US Federal Reserve estimating savings of up to 6% and time savings of up to 40%. 60%.

As we are in the final stage of approving the programs of the new NSRF 2021 – 2027 and the Recovery Fund, I submit a specific proposal for the digital reform in public works, which is applicable and can be financed by the above-mentioned programs, with very significant benefits for the national economy and quality of public works production.

Microsoft’s recent announcement for the creation of Data Centers in Greece, should be a lever for accelerating the digital transformation of public project management “.

In particular, the proposal of Stavros Kalogiannis mentions:

I. Approach to digital technology

The required actions must follow specific objectives and principles.

Objectives:

•  Providing a framework that will promote the adoption of Digital Technology by all sectors of public works and the encouragement of innovation in the delivery and management of public works
•  Promoting consistency and transparency in data requirements for public works, in order to facilitate a harmonized approach.
• Increasing the capacity and capacity to optimize the benefits of Digital Technology in project development, delivery and management.
• The provision of open data through online services, according to the EU Directive 2019/1024 on open data.

Principles:

– Digital Technology data formats, standards, protocols, systems and tools need to be open and harmonized between stakeholders, enhancing interoperability throughout the public works lifecycle management process.
– Public bodies will also work with the private sector to guide best practices in the development and management of public works, incorporating methodologies from international experience.
– Public bodies will work to develop (digital) capabilities within the public sector to support Digital Technology.

The methodology for the implementation of Digital Technology development measures needs to be specialized for each sector in all its aspects, procedures, administrative acts, methods, testing tools, controls, etc., such as:
– Project planning, project studies, project construction, operation and maintenance of projects.

II. General support measures

Indicatively, some measures for the adoption of digital technology are mentioned, at each stage of the process of development of public works.

– Replacement of the discredited Presidential Decree 697/74 “On remuneration of engineers for drafting studies, supervision, receipt, etc. of transport, plumbing and building works,… and technical specifications of studies”. We need a modern regulatory framework, aiming to make the most of the possibilities of constantly evolving technology.

– The combined use of individual technologies can overturn the traditional techniques of design and construction of public works and allow the identification of optimal solutions in the life cycle of projects. For example, 3D building models, Building Information Modeling (BIM), point clouds, provide Services, Designers and Builders with a much better understanding of design. The three-dimensional models allow the detection of errors in the design, which with the traditional design and construction techniques, with two-dimensional drawings, can not be detected until the construction phase.

– The creation of a digital repository of knowledge and experience, in order to have open access and development of knowledge. The repository will offer the possibility of organized transmission of the experience that results from the implementation of each project, while at the same time it will allow the prevention of the repetition of failures in projects.

– The codification of public works legislation will ensure the prevention of legal entanglements in the implementation processes of the projects. It is necessary to transform the structure of the electronic legal database.

– Finally, the introduction of the use of technology equipment during construction, which allows to locate the geographical location of construction machinery, detect the degree of rigidity in road construction, in real-time during the process of soil compaction, ensures the achievement of the specified degree of compaction, etc. The data is stored on a mobile storage device or on a cloud storage site and is used for analysis by the Contractor or the Surveillance Service.