How can residents be sure that their homes won’t collapse, explode, and are safe? A construction expert is convinced that an audit of the housing stock is needed immediately
A chat was held on the Glavred website with Viktor Leshchynsky, president of the Win Experts group of companies, professor of the KNUBA, academician of the Academy of Construction of Ukraine and the Engineering Academy.
Talking to readers, he told what prevents the rapid construction of strategic facilities in Ukraine, for example, hospitals in the midst of a pandemic, who is to blame for the explosion of a high-rise building in Poznyaki, how long it takes to solve the problem of “aroma” in Bortnytsia, why it is better and safer to buy housing on the secondary market now, and what problems construction experts from the Win Experts group of companies can help solve.
Here is a transcript of the chat with Viktor Leshchynsky.
Hlib: When will Ukraine learn to build as quickly and efficiently as in China? The example of the lightning-fast construction of a hospital for coronavirus patients was very indicative… Why does almost every construction project in our country turn into a “construction project of the century”?
Viktor Leshchynsky: When information about the coronavirus pandemic had just appeared in the media, and strict quarantine had not yet been introduced in Ukraine, I spoke about the advisability of inviting Chinese specialists to our country to build a large hospital near Kyiv. Such a project could be implemented in one month, and our specialists would gain invaluable experience in the operational construction of strategic facilities. The implementation of such a project would be possible provided that the territory on which the hospital would be built was given the status of an experimental construction area for a joint Ukrainian-Chinese project. But our realities did not allow such an experiment to be implemented: a rigid bureaucratic machine, old state construction standards, imperfect land legislation, and almost constant misleading of the Ukrainian people do not allow any such project to be implemented on the territory of Ukraine.
helena_k.: How is it possible to solve the problem of “flavors” of the Bortnicheska station on Kharkovskoye and Poznyaki, except by moving to another district of the city? After all, the situation only worsens from year to year, and in the summer, opening the windows for ventilation, you risk suffocation from these “fragrant”.
Viktor Leshchynskyi: To solve the problem of boarding odors in some areas of Kyiv, it is necessary to liquidate all the schemes that prevent the installation of new equipment, which was purchased eight years ago and is located at the boarding station. It is also necessary to attract technical specialists for the installation and operation of new equipment at the station. In this case, all issues will be resolved within one year.
Olena: Is it possible to order a complex examination of a residential building from the Win Experts group if I am an individual? I want to finally know everything about the soil on which it stands, and about its construction – whether it is safe, and about energy saving.
Victor Leszczynski: The Win Experts group of companies was created and operates to provide professional services in the field of comprehensive audit and consulting of construction projects. If an investor or property owner (customer) is interested, the best specialists in the construction industry on a contractual basis will provide answers to the most complex questions and offer technical solutions to the identified problems.
Vitaliy: What’s new in the pricing of finishing works, which have long been out of line with the market in relation to any level of SP when calculating in AVK, etc.?
Viktor Leshchynskyi: Now they are not even trying to create more favorable conditions for the use of market prices for materials at state prices. Low wages of specialists in the construction industry are also unacceptable. However, low prices for materials are not, in fact, the main problem. An incredibly low salary is a much more serious problem. After all, even 10 thousand hryvnias is not a salary for a builder, since half of the salary is paid by the contractor “in envelopes”, otherwise he simply will not keep specialists on the construction site. And so, Ukrainian contracting organizations with today’s calculation systems manage to apply paint layers on the same wall five times, bring materials with a “shoulder” of 500 km and allow many other violations.
Kyianka: Mr. Victor, in your opinion, is the most optimal solution for the house in Poznyaki, destroyed by an explosion recently, really the decision to demolish it? Who do you see as the culprit for what happened? And how, from your point of view, should residential high-rise buildings be built in the future so that gas in them does not cause such tragedies?
Viktor Leshchynsky: The decision to demolish the building on Krushelnytska Street 1/5 can only be made by those specialists who inspected and investigated it after the explosion, assessed its condition and possible zones of destruction. In principle, we have always built and are building multi-storey residential buildings constructively and reliably, but the problem of maintaining buildings remains relevant. In this case, there was a gas explosion, so the responsibility for such serious consequences lies with the operating companies. In addition, I am deeply convinced that a niche must appear on the market for insurance of such risks. Ukraine should study the experience of other states, because in many countries of the world such a service is mandatory, and it is included in the mandatory annual payments.
Olena: A few years ago, little was known about construction expertise. Today, construction experts comment on many social events: from collapsing buildings in Odessa and predatory superstructures in central areas of cities to the reconstruction and construction of new highways. How can the work of construction experts make life safer and more qualitative?
Viktor Leshchynsky: Expert organizations play a major role at the final stage of design work. All projects of the CC2 and CC3 consequence classes undergo mandatory expertise in accredited organizations. However, the role of construction expertise does not end there. Sometimes, when correcting the design documentation, the customer re-applies to the expert organization, where he receives a conclusion that allows the construction customer to change the project during construction. However, in Ukraine, expert organizations are not recognized as organizations that have the right to check all the customer’s initial data. Again, in European countries, expertise has much more rights and obligations when constructing high-risk facilities. Many controversial issues during construction, reconstruction or major repairs that arise between customers, contractors, designers and architects are considered by judicial construction experts. Together with experts accredited by the Ministry of Regional Development, they determine violations of the technical and economic state of construction, resolve disputes and act as arbitrators in pre-trial settlement of disputes. The Win Experts Group of Companies has created a powerful team of judicial construction experts, construction experts, auditors, lawyers, and uses specialized equipment and laboratories to provide qualified services in resolving any technical and economic disputes in the construction industry.
Oleksandr: I read that Win Experts has offices in 25 regions of Ukraine. Tell me, where and what are they building? Where is there more housing, what social facilities… And also – do you receive super-modern projects, because the country is currently experiencing, as they say, “Great Construction”?
Victor Leshchynsky: Win Experts has 24 regional offices and carries out its work throughout Ukraine without exception. If we talk about the quality of project documentation and construction work, then over the past few years the professional level of design has increased significantly, and builders have become better at building. As for the PR campaign “Great Construction”, according to statistics from previous years, we have built even more than we would have during the “Great Construction”. In my opinion, no project of national importance that could be called a large modern construction is being implemented.
Maria: 1. The real estate market is currently in a transitional stage, given the DABI reform. What problems are there with commissioning and obtaining permits and how to solve them? 2. When will the developer’s electronic system be put into operation? 3. Will the DABI reform be effective? 4. When will the law on the renovation of outdated housing stock be adopted?
Viktor Leshchynsky:
- Recently, there was a problem – the DABI register suspended work for as much as a week. But on July 13, the register resumed work closer to the evening. The reform is underway, people are getting used to it…
- The developer’s electronic office will not be fully operational for several years at the earliest.
Time will tell. - The adoption of a law on the renovation of outdated housing stock, from a political point of view, will always be disadvantageous to any government, because such initiatives will inevitably cause mass discontent among the people.
- Only radical legislative changes will be able to move the solution of this issue from a dead end.
Roman: You receive projects from all regions of Ukraine. How can you assess their quality? Where are the most “failures”? How do your experts return projects to adequate quality?
Viktor Leszczynskiy: Most often, the customer considers the need to undergo an examination as another seditious obstacle in the general bureaucratic system, so he tries to pass it somehow, but as quickly as possible, sometimes entering into empty discussions with experts. The problem remains that there is great competition on the market, and at the same time, as it is not a shame to admit it, some of our “colleagues in the shop” provide conclusions written “with the left foot” in a few days. Prudent and intelligent customers work closely with experts and, in the end, receive a joint finalized project on time, which is considered both a liquid product for the customer and a problem-free implemented project in the future.
Albina: Today, there will be many problems with new buildings: investors are sitting in tents, blocking roads, but they never get into their own apartments. What do you, as a well-known construction expert, advise those who are planning to become apartment owners to pay attention to?
Viktor Leshchynsky: I advise you to buy housing on the secondary market or objects that have been put into operation now. In other words, to avoid problems with new buildings, it is better to buy a real apartment, not paper or clouds in the sky.
Andrey: Corruption in construction has not gone anywhere. Various investigations constantly reveal various deals and schemes among developers worth billions. How will your forensic experts help in this case, and can it at least reduce the scale of the schemes?
Viktor Leshchynskyi: For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that various schemes for earning or laundering funds are created not only by officials and contractors. As a rule, these “methods” are created by law enforcement officers themselves, who, sitting in offices, come up with cunning combinations. For example, agent X met with agent Y, and the latter reported that a large-scale “laundering” of state funds was taking place at such and such a construction site, after which a criminal case was born. The Win Experts group of companies is ready to cooperate both with law enforcement agencies and with customers, project groups, and direct contractors. We are ready to conduct a professional high-precision examination on a contractual basis with the involvement of only highly qualified specialists and give an objective assessment of the current situation.
Ulyana: What does the Win Experts group of companies do?
Viktor Leshchynskyi: The Win Experts Group has the widest range of construction consulting services: construction expertise, forensic technical expertise, pre-trial investigation, completed and constructed inspection, real estate appraisal, construction audit of any real estate object, customer service of large construction objects, consultation of any complexity on construction and design issues.
Igor: What is the first thing a construction expert pays attention to when analyzing a project?
Viktor Leshchynskyi: On his non-compliance with state construction standards.
Dmitry: In Ukraine, in recent years, there has been a real construction boom. A lot of construction is taking place, but the process is often accompanied by protests from the public and heritage protection organizations. How can expert organizations, in particular the Win Experts group, influence the process to anticipate all possible violations and avoid them?
Victor Leshchynskyi: The Win Experts group of companies is ready to support and defend the implementation of any construction project within the framework of the current legislation on a contractual basis.
Antonina: Housing safety comes to the fore. We see a large number of reports of falling walls, collapse of residential buildings, an explosion in Poznyaki, which also showed the obsolescence of infrastructure and archaic control. You stated the need to audit the condition of housing and infrastructure throughout the country. What is being done in this direction, and are your specialists ready for such challenges?
Viktor Leshchynsky: Since 2006-2007, there has been talk about the need for a comprehensive survey, first of the housing stock of each city and town, and later of the entire property complex of a particular territorial unit at the expense of municipal funds. Almost 15 years have passed since then, and no city in Ukraine has conducted such a survey. Construction experts can only emphasize that this issue is becoming more and more acute every year. And, in addition, they can directly participate in the survey of buildings and structures and provide recommendations for their further operation.
Vasily: Olena Shulyak, a People’s Deputy of Ukraine, stated that it will not be possible to renovate Khrushchev houses in Ukraine according to the European model. We will have to demolish them and build new housing. Are your specialists ready to join such a large-scale project? Do you believe that such a renovation will begin (not only in the capital)?
Viktor Leshchynsky: The most radical way to implement this plan is to demolish technically and morally obsolete housing. And we are not talking about demolishing a few one- and two-story buildings, but about entire blocks. At the same time, new housing must be built on new foundations, and all communications must be replaced. It should be noted that the population density in the newly built block cannot significantly exceed the population density that existed until now, since it is impossible to increase the load on city communications. According to experts, to begin with, it is necessary to implement pilot projects for the renovation of blocks of obsolete housing stock, which will allow us to gain an understanding of how to adjust the legislation, what ways this program can be financed, and most importantly, how to ensure the safety of people’s interests.
Anton Garkysh: In your opinion, how can the construction mafia be overcome, primarily in the capital? What role can the “party in power” play in this?
Viktor Leshchynsky: It is necessary to adopt the appropriate legislative basis, which has been developed for a long time, and determine the real criminal liability of specific officials and contractors.
Oleksandr: Do you think there will be a real change of power in the near future?
Viktor Leshchynsky: We, construction professionals, work for the benefit of the Ukrainian people, regardless of the political situation.
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