RPC Talks to Mariana Garștea
General Manager, Sixense Romania
Profile of the company
We’ve been on the Romanian market since 2010, when Sixense Group, a global leader in the field, opened a local branch, primarily motivated, at that time, by a series of complex projects, including the First Section – Line 5, and Line 4 of the Bucharest metro.
Briefly put, we operate in the field of structural health of the built environment, or in other words, we provide expertise and digital solutions for monitoring the behavior of constructions over time, during both construction and operation.
Our portfolio includes numerous projects from various industries. We work both in the private sector, where we have significant expertise in office, retail, and industrial categories, and in the public sector, where we handle complex infrastructure projects – transportation, sports, or healthcare, to name just a few.
Most representative projects in the portfolio
Some of our most representative projects, to name just a few examples, are: the First Section – Line 5 of the Bucharest Metro, the Daneș and Sighișoara Tunnels, Line 4 of the Bucharest Metro, the New Agigea Bridge, Arcul de Triumf National Rugby Stadium, Steaua Football Stadium, Târnava Bridge, Ulmeni Bridge, Neo Floreasca Lake, Aviației Tower, The Light, Millo 6, Tandem, Sema Park, Țiriac Tower, Ana Tower, Green Court C, and many others.
Solutions for real estate sector
For real estate, we offer comprehensive solutions for monitoring construction projects over time, both during execution and in operation. What does this mean? It means that through what we do, we ensure that a project is safe, behaves as originally designed, and meets all quality standards.
During execution, we ensure that neighboring constructions are not affected and that all work on the new construction proceeds safely. And in operation, we ensure that the building behaves within parameters, is not affected by risks (vibrations, extreme temperatures, wind etc., to name just a few), and does not degrade (with the appearance of cracks or settlements, as frequent phenomena) or become a structural hazard to the community, given the natural aging process it undergoes.
Sometimes, when justified, monitoring the behavior of constructions over time may even involve implementing an automated, real-time monitoring solution. This means that sensors are deployed in the field, transmitting data to a digital platform, which automatically transforms them into valuable, useful information, easily understandable for all stakeholders involved in the project. Additionally, this system also entails real-time alerts whenever there is a danger or safety thresholds are exceeded. All of these help us intervene proactively, before a major incident or accident occurs. This process also helps streamline the investment and better plan maintenance and upkeep operations for a building.
Development plans
We are currently in a growth phase, but we aim for this scaling to be as healthy and sustainable as possible, without compromising the quality of services we offer and the work we do. In 2023, our business grew by 50%, and we are pleased to have now a team of over 25 people, which has doubled in the past year. Also, our concern for quality and the rigor of what we do – especially because we work with sensitive and critical information for the current state of the built environment – has led us to certify on several ISO standards, aiming to align internally with the same work standards. And when I talk about these certifications, it’s important to say that for us, they are not just obtained „on paper”, but we actually follow all the procedures, protocols, and recommendations that come along with them.
And because we are aware that the people in our team are the most important in the work we do – with their ability to be partners, to explain and guide – we focus heavily and invest in training and development, in order to provide them with all the skills they need to carry out their work in the best and most customer-oriented manner possible. In our profession, in addition to exceptional mastery of new technologies and a deep understanding of technical information, soft skills and good interaction with others are also needed.
Many important things are coming up for us this year, both in terms of developing our office in Bucharest and the projects that await us. We will provide more information very soon about all of these.